[Ukhozi]

After a eventful tour to say the least, one of the Zforce 550s hit something hard, it bent a lot of things but mainly the right front was ripped off as the ball joints came apart, snapped off the steering rod end and bent the chassis as well as ripping out the front mounting hole for the lower wishbone, shearing the pivot bolt and bending the tube.
I have had to cut out a 4" section from cross member to differential rear mount including a mangled rear wishbone mounting bracket so now a job to reshape the mounting, weld in a new section of 30mm pipe, remount the bracket and repair the front bolt hole. Surprisingly only one of the wishbone is slightly out of true, so all new for that one.

I am amazed at how darn tight the pivot bolts are in the tubes, lack of grease on assemble is one factor. Due to the lack of space between the bolt thread and chassis/body it is impossible the hit it hard enough to drive them out and I have, in all but one, had to cut through the plastic bush and bolt to remove the arm.

[NMKawierider]

Sounds like quite an event. Good thing for that Z you are able to effect repairs that extensive.

[Ukhozi]

One of the advantages of an ill spent youth, everything had to be hand made, no electricity in the 'shed' at the bottom of someones garden, still managed to build a racing sidecar. (that is me, aged 25 on the outfit, about 1970)



Most of this I am rebuilding is all hand done apart from the seats, even then I had to make the runner adapters.



Many 'old school' skills have been lost in the 'throw away society' where OBD2 is king.
I had to cut out a section from the front cross beam to rear of diff' mount bar, insert a 30mm tube and after bashing, reforming the rear bracket, weld that on then cut off ripped out front bolt hole and using some 2" angle iron weld in a new section and drill 10mm. coat of paint and all good.

Radiator was gently pressed back near flat again and the small puncture where the front bar hit it sealed with epoxy two part 'metal weld' and pressure tested.

Plastic bushes removed as I had to cut them to get the wishbone out, using a socket in the wishbone, reform the hole to round again and fit new bushes. (Note; if you do not have a press, and most don't, to insert bushes without breaking the collar, push the bush in as far as will go with the pivot sleeve inside, put the new bolt in and hit the bolt, the flange will stop the collar being hit, the last 2" is very stiff but hit straight and firm it will go in, a bit of grease helps too.

The brake lines can be disassembled and rebuilt but it is difficult as they are AN or Goodrich type,
best buy new for $40.

Plastics can be saved but really at $45 for the upper panel it really is not cost effective, IF you can get a new  one that is, ours is on back order, along with a lot of other stuff I would have thought would have been in-stock at the importers such as front and rear bars..