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Old 09-06-2010, 04:05 PM
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Stretch Stretch is offline
...like a shield of steel
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Somewhere in the Netherlands
Posts: 14,461
Step 2:- Preparation of the set up

The first thing I did was to make up some slip plates and get the car on a level surface. From the pictures, you can see that my driveway is a mess. Over long distances it is approximately level but over short distances each concrete bit isn't. I ended up using plywood on the underside of the slip plates and checked the levels of each slip plate with a spirit level. It took a long time to sort this – I recommend using a better level surface like a garage floor if you can.

I made my slip plates from pieces of aluminium sheet with grease in between. You can use other stuff, it doesn't have to be aluminium. For example, I thought of melamine backed wood. Make sure that what ever you use it won't crush / splinter / break under the weight of the car. You just need two flat smooth surfaces with grease in between.

I planned to put the car on four slip plates, but as Internet shopping isn't always as reliable as it should be, only 7 of the 8 aluminium plates turned up... so I put the car on 3 slip plates. The right hand rear wheel was on the ground. This turned out to be a fortunate compromise. I've found that having the car on 3 slip plates works fine. The wheels move nicely on the slip plates and there is a sense of security that the car won't slip off and crush something. It is very easy to push the car about when it is on slip plates – I understand the warning given in this link now!

http://www.elantragtclub.com/id554.html

(This was found from this thread http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/showthread.php?t=134630 )

I'll say it again => Working with a car on slip plates is dangerous: I found that a good check is to turn the steering wheel from lock to lock to see if the car slips off the slip plates. If it slips off then your car will not be on a level surface – you need to go back to the start and correct this.

Once the car was in position I bounced it up and down to get it to sit properly.
Attached Thumbnails
How I adjusted the toe in / out, camber and caster on my W123 300D-state-my-driveway.jpg   How I adjusted the toe in / out, camber and caster on my W123 300D-making-grease-plates.jpg  
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1992 W201 190E 1.8 171,000 km - Daily driver
1981 W123 300D ~ 100,000 miles / 160,000 km - project car stripped to the bone
1965 Land Rover Series 2a Station Wagon CIS recovery therapy!
1961 Volvo PV544 Bare metal rat rod-ish thing

I'm here to chat about cars and to help others - I'm not here "to always be right" like an internet warrior



Don't leave that there - I'll take it to bits!
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