nuxx.net
Making, baking, and (un-)breaking things in Southeast Michigan.

Category automotive

Broken U Bolt On Hitch

April 6, 2008

This is what happens when one uses a torque wrench expecting it to work right, without a understanding of what 20 foot pounds feels like. Before heading off to the park with Danielle, I decided to take my new (and admittedly cheap) Michigan Industrial Tools torque wrench and check the torque on the bolts on my hitch (photo gallery retired).

I set the wrench for 20 foot pounds, put it on the bolt, and pushed. Since the torque wrench is supposed to click when it reaches the amount of torque specified, and I didn’t hear any click, I figured it had to be tighter, so I pushed a bit more. The bolt turned, then I pushed a bit more. Suddenly there was a BANG and the bolt clattered to the ground having broken off.

Later in the evening I hooked the torque wrench to another wrench and tried it out, applying force every way I could think of, and it wouldn’t click. I played with it a bunch, turned the adjustment all the way in and out a few times, applied more force to it, and after about 20 minutes of playing it finally freed up and started working. I then found out how little force 20 foot pounds actually is.

It took my working the adjustment part of the tool back and forth a few times, and then applying a solid amount of force opposite the direction the torque wrench should be used in (that is, against the arrow) before I felt something loosen up inside the tool and it started working.

So, it turns out that the problem seems to have been caused by my lack of knowledge and the torque wrench’s generally being crap. I’m still torn as to whether or not I should return it. Sure, it only cost ~$30, but if it’s not reliable it’s not particularly useful.

The bigger problem is finding another bolt. What I need is a 3/8-16 u-bolt, for 9/16″ outside diameter pipe, but I can’t seem to find it. Checking both McMaster-Carr and Grainger, all I can find is 1/4-20 parts at that spacing. McMaster-Carr lists the 1/4-20 stainless steel part as having a working load limit of 435 pounds, which is probably 4x or 5x what the bikes and hitch weigh. I’m not sure if it’s enough, but it might be my only choice.

automotivecyclingmaking things

Weird Drivers…

March 22, 2008

Tonight when Danielle and I were driving back from my parents’ house while heading west down M-59 towards my house, I just so happened to have a police officer behind me. I don’t think he was following me specifically, he just happened to be behind me in a bit of traffic.

Suddenly, as we approached the Meijer at M-59 and Hayes, a Ford Explorer came flying over the top of one of the 8′ grass berms, airborne, straight at the road. It bounced a couple of times in the easement, turned sharply across the grass just avoiding the road, then took off back into the Meijer parking lot. The police offer understandably headed right into the lot behind them.

We drove around, then back into the Meijer parking lot to see if the person was being detained, but the police officer and the Explorer were gone. I imagine the police followed them out of the lot or something before pulling them over.

While still in the parking lot, after taking the opportunity to once again remove the piles of ice in the wheel well, we had to leave via a carefully chosen entrance. It had to be one plenty far away from the other individuals still in the who were driving full size pickups across the lot at high speeds, then sliding them sideways or backwards for 100′ or so. I was hoping to see of them hit a light pole, a sign, or maybe even a curb sideways and break a wheel or tie rod or something.

automotivemoved from livejournal

Bike Rack

March 6, 2008

Danielle’s Townie and my bike on my car.

Today the gigantic box containing the Thule 917 T2 bike rack which I had ordered from backcountry.com arrived today. Upon opening the box I found that the contents were a bit disshoveled and the instruction manual was missing. Also, a few of the parts were scratched a bit, and there was a rather scuffed up, but spare, pipe end cap in the box. After looking the rack over, based on the wear on the nuts, I figured that someone had purchased it, assembled it up to the point where it had to be put on the car, then put it back as it was, and returned it. This meant that it really didn’t have any wear except. The parts kit hadn’t even been opened.

The scratches (example) aren’t too bad, and being a car part I figured it would eventually get a few scratches on it anyway, so I decided to go ahead with assembling it.

I finished putting things together, fit both Danielle’s bike and mine on there, then used a plumb bob (really, a washer and some sort of high tension fishing line I found in a park) to measure the distance between the end of each wheel and the center post. I then moved the bike racks side to side, and now both bikes fit, nicely centered on the vehicle, with plenty of clearance between them.

All in all, I’m quite happy with it. The rack doesn’t take a standard hitch pin, instead coming with a bolt and lock washer which should hold the rack very securely in the hitch. One particularly great part is the fit of Danielle’s bike. Because of the fender on it I was afraid that the mechanism for holding the front wheel down would require removal of the fender. Well, as can be seen here, I was able to securely fit the clamp in front of the fender where it still securely holds the wheel. Yay!

If you’d like to see more photos of the bike rack on my car, please take a look at then end of this page (photo gallery retired) and all of this page.

automotivecyclingmoved from livejournal

Gettin’ Hitched

March 1, 2008

Exhaust Mounting around New Hitch

Earlier this week I received the new hitch for my car. Despite being sick I spent a couple of hours today getting it installed. The directions claimed 30 minutes for an installation, but I imagine that’s for an experienced hitch installer with a lift. I just had a ~45°F garage, a tarp to lay on, and a fluorescent light to set on the ground beneath the car.

It took a bit of effort to get installed, but it was overall simpler than the Honda Music Link. There was some manipulating of the exhaust to be done (namely, lowering it and fitting the hitch over it), and some odd position lifting of an awkward 38 pound steel beam, but I’m happy with it. I’m really glad I was able to talk to about it, who installed a practically identical hitch on his 2007 Civic.

There are a bunch more photos of the installation here (photo gallery retired), or just click the image up top. The rack itself, a Thule 917 (1 1/4″ T2) is scheduled for delivery on Thursday. That should be a lot easier to get together, as it shouldn’t require any laying on the ground / wrenching on the car. Photos of that will be up once it’s here.

Also, I need to clean my camera’s sensor. And take another shower.

automotivemaking thingsmoved from livejournal

Bike Rack

February 24, 2008

So, now that Danielle has a bike, I need a bike rack for carrying them. I can’t really use hang-on-trunk rack, nor do I want a roof rack. After seeing ‘s experiences installing a hitch on his Civic I think a rear hitch mount rack would be best. But, what kind?

There are two kinds of hitch racks; those which the bikes hang from and those which cradle the wheels. With Danielle’s bike not having any horizontal pieces, I can’t really get a hanging type. That leaves me with the wheel nestling type. Unfortunately those all use a bar to hold down the front wheel, which may have issues with the fender on Danielle’s bike.

That all said, I came across these photos of someone using a Thule T2 wheel-nestling-type-rack on a Civic Si. I think this is the bike rack I’m going to end up with, even if I have to sort things out with the fender.

This should be good for taking bikes up north, to local parks, or things like that. It’ll cost a bit more than I wanted to spend (about $450 total), but it should be nicely usable. And, thankfully, the rack can be moved to other vehicles in the future.

automotivecyclingmoved from livejournal

Tires, etc.

February 9, 2008

New Tires!

On Wednesday I left work at about 11:00 PM, and took almost an hour to drive home, turning my car almost sideways on M-59 twice. It was only once I got home that I noticed the main reason: my tires are down to the wear marks, leaving very little tread.

So, I hurriedly sorted out getting new tires and had them installed Friday morning. By the way, if you are in my area and need car work done, I suggest Shelby Tire over in Utica. Their prices are reasonable, and they are an independent shop which does both tires and other car repairs. This is where Danielle had a new wheel bearing done as well, and the price was good and the service was really quick (~2.5 hours).

Anyway, here’s a bunch more moblog photos which I uploaded this morning:

· Mushrooms on toast, farmhouse cheddar, and cheap red wine. This is the perfect dinner after working until 11pm. Danielle prepared the mushrooms while I was at work.
· The Burger King breakfast menu board, as I stopped on the way to work after getting new tires on my car.
· My car at about 11pm after leaving work really late one evening in the middle of a snow storm.
· Lil Tater! at Penn Station in Rochester, MI.
· Two hunks of farmhouse cheddar, a dulce de leche brownie, and some jamón ibérico, all from Zingerman’s in Ann Arbor.
· The coffee roaster at Nino Salvaggio in Troy, MI.
· Sending the lens for Danielle back to the person I bought it from via eBay. It doesn’t work right (front element is loose).
· Wow. A Mac running OS 9. I haven’t seen one of these in years. (In Bob’s basement at IPM.)
· Inside of the U of M Dearborn SLRC, where Danielle works.

automotivefoodmoved from livejournal

Cabin Air Filter

January 21, 2008

2006 Honda Civic Cabin Air Filter after 46,344 Miles2006 Honda Civic Cabin Air Filter after 46,344 Miles
(Click for full res…)

While removing the Honda Music Link cable (head unit to interface box cable, specifically) from my car so that I may list the HML on eBay tonight, I happened to have the glove box flipped down. Remembering that the cabin air filter is back there and knowing that I’d never changed it, I decided to give it a look.

I’m really glad I did. After 46,344 miles of driving in all sorts of conditions, it was pretty dirty. As you can see there was everything from cotton wood seeds to a dead bee, an odd lump of something, and loads of road dust packed into it. Even the back side of it looked dirty. Oops.

Oh, yeah, and when brand new those filters are brilliant white.

Here (full res) is a photo of it straight on, if you want to try and figure out what all the gunk in it really is. It looks worse from that angle because the edges of the fins are completely dirty, but the sides of some of them are still (relatively) clean.

automotivemoved from livejournal

Civic Dash

January 21, 2008

Gah. I’d forgotten what a chore it is to open a Civic’s dash, particularly in cold weather when the clips are harder.

At least I’m now half done. The old Honda Music Link cable has been removed from my dash, and now I can begin the process of selling a second one (my first, original one). Then I’ll be completely done with any HML-related work.

automotiveelectronicsmoved from livejournal