Front End Refurb

[stevie_b]

I'm in the process of installing an F7R and whilst everything is out of the engine bay I thought I would take the opportunity of doing a refurb. The car is a 1995 16v on 49,000 miles. The list below are the things I was thinking of doing - is there anything I have missed that I would be well advised to address now, whilst everything is off the car and I've got easy access?

- Remove wishbones. Remove surface rust and repaint
- Replace ARB bushes (poly?)
- Replace wishbone bushes (poly?)
- Clean inner arches and strut towers
- Remove subframe. Clean off surface rust and repaint.
- Clean engine bay and repaint
- Remove brake servo and repaint 'bowl'.
- Replace brake pipes. Anyone know where you can get the kind of 'green' covered pipes that Renault originally fitted, rather than just the plain copper ones that seem to corrode after a few years?

Anything I have missed? How about subframe bushes and engine mounts? If they look in good nick is it not worth replacing them, or will age have taken its toll and I should swap them at this stage? The rubbers at the bottom of the ball joint where steering arms meet wishbones look a little persished - are these an easy swap for new ones? Driveshaft gaitors look okay, but are original so are 11 years old - should I replace these with new whilst the shafts are out?

Cheers

[clowo16v]

I'd put new bottom ball joints and track rod ends on aswell.

Matt

[stevie_b]

Cheers Matt. Are the track rod ends the ones I was talking about that join steering arms to the hub using a ball joint? I presume bottom ball joints are the ones that join the hub to the wishbone? I wanted to undo one of them to take the hub off when the wheel bearing went a while ago and whilst I loosened the nut it didn't want to come off. Do you force it apart with a lever or something?

They are fairly close to the outside of the car so I presume I could change them just as easily (when engine back in) if they played up later, or would it make the car feel 'fresher' if they were replaced?

Thanks again

[clowo16v]

Ye thats the ones. You could leave them as they are but as you're changing everything else it'd be a shame not to change them. Hopefully with all the work you're planning on doing it should be like driving the car as if it is new.

For the bottom ball joints if you wack a screwdriver or chisel into the split in the hub where the joint goes through it should move it enough to allow it to drop out.

Matt