G60 UrQ Upgrade Complete - Notes

[ANDREW FINNEY <afinney@bigplanet.com>]

This weekend was one of the most frustrating UrQ weekends of my life.
This was only marginally related to the G60 upgrade. It mostly had to do
with the fact that the alignment shop I had recently been abused by,
over tightened the brand new stud and lock-plate assembly that holds the
balljoints to the A-arm. This stripped the little stars that holds the
studs to the lock plate allowing them to turn with the nut. The heads of
the studs are too small to grip with vicegrips. After I did manage to
get them out I had them mig welded to the plate. HAHa he says
maniacally, now they will never turn again.

First I rebuilt the G60 calipers with a kit from  Linda that included 4
seals, 2 large and two small, and four piston dust boots. Lube all seals
with brake fluid before inserting. The dust boots are a  little tricky.
Put the seal on the end of the piston you intend to insert into the
caliper. Extend the dust boot away from the piston and hold it out with
your fingers. Carefully insert the caliper end of the dust boot into the
caliper groove. Once this is seated push the piston into the caliper.
You will need one of those cheapo piston retractor screw thingies
available at all autoparts stores. The piston end of the dust boot
should slip into place when the piston is fully retracted.

Linda also sells guide pin dust boot kits that include new mounting
bolts (not new pins), grease and seals.

Stainless steel brake lines. GPR screwed up my order and called me late
the following night to tell me they couldn't get 15" lines. For the UrQ
conversion you need 380mm lines, instead of the stock UrQ lines.
Rapidparts saved me, selling me braided lines to fit a volkswagen
squareback. They fit perfectly and have the perfect length. The SS lines
to a 5000TQ, according to John K. are too long at 16".

The UrQ dust shields need to have a tiny "ear" trimmed off them in order
to allow the caliper mounting bracket to fit. Actually the G60 disks,
from a 1987 5000TQ seem to be exactly the same size as the UrQ's, but
quite a bit thicker. My UrQ rotors were only a year old.

The calipers mount up easily, the calipers just clear the stock 15"
rims. More clearance will be afforded when I upgrade to 16" rims. I went
with KVR pads. They are a street, light track use, compound with kevlar.
I had heard good things about them, and they were only $80. Too many
people dislike the Rofrens, and a lot of people said the Porterfields
(sp) squeal too much. Good luck to all who attempt this. It really isn't
that big of a project providing you can effectively bleed the brakes
afterwards, unlike me.

As a side note, the on-the-car wheel bearing removal and replacement was
a total disaster as, just as I remembered from my coupe, the inner race
stayed on the hub. With no way of removing this I had to turn to a
machine shop to remove it and press in the bearings. This, I believe,
they screwed up. The hubs had play in them before I tightened the hub
nut. No play after tightening, but I figure I just compressed the whole
mess and I'll have to go at it again very soon. Never trust a machine
shop. I am convinced they pressed the bearing in with pressure on the
inner race. I have no play when I rock the tire sideways and no play at
the wheel with the car off the ground, but I have no faith. To those who
have used the tool to remove the bearing on the car, HOW????? You need a
very sharp puller to remove the race from the hub.

Andrew Finney
1983 UrQ.