Re: huisvlijt

2Rowdy ( snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying :

Use rust to make it *real*...

I'm currently learning to weld by remaking the rear frame for my Mehari.

Message i.d.:, by author Adrian aka inspired me,

You just killed a myth. I though galvanizing stopped rust. Next you tell me the XM rusts.

Welding is fun. A long time ago I have welded with electrodes. If you put the Amp's to high it'll blow straight through the steel. Be sure there is no petrol near when you play with welding. An oncle of mine looked into the arc a bit to long. He was blind for a week. So, don't do that either. For the rest, enjoy. It's fun.

2Rowdy ( snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying :

It does. I meant "For that real Mehari look"...

I'd show you the '95 XM I had last Easter. But I scrapped it. Apart from the rust hole under the LHM tank, the entire front and rear subframes were rusty - oh, and one of the hydraulic pipes burst.

Message i.d.:, by author Adrian aka inspired me,

I'd better not look under my '93 XM, , ,

2Rowdy ( snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying :

This one had lived a lot of the time on a Scottish Island, then sat around for a couple of years unused. Lots of salt and damp.

The spare wheel catches were both rusted solid - the only way I could get the spare out of the tray was to bend the cradle by hand. Which wasn't difficult. Go and look at how thick the steel rods of the cradle are.

Message i.d.:, by author Adrian aka inspired me,

Went outside and had a look. The cradle looks just fine. Not much rust there. Tell you the truth, I have never tried to get the tire out of there. I should practice, for just in case.

2Rowdy ( snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying :

You should also regularly lubricate the screwthread for the release and the safety catch. They're fairly exposed to all the road crap.

You also want to take a very close look at how the jack fits to the sill - it's a rare XM without at least one bent "jacking point". It's a horrible design.

Message i.d.:, by author Adrian aka inspired me,

Thanks for the advice. I'll give it at try.

So there I was trundling home t'other night in my 99 Xantia when all of a sudden I hear ... "clunk rattle tinkle tinkle tinkle ... (you get the picture - lots of scraping metallic noise)" from rear of the car.

"Oh dear" I thought, "there goes the rear silencer mount" , and I pulled over at the next convenient spot. Went round to rear of car - exhaust is fine but the spare wheel carrier is hanging on the road - with no spare wheel! That was still in the middle of the road some 200m away .... luckily no-one (especially m/c) was following me ...

So, remember to tighten the carrier properly when you've finished lubing it etc ...

All the best

Steve

drd ( snipped-for-privacy@CITYZOO.COM) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying :

Are you sure that some light-fingered little scrote didn't try to have it away?

Any Xantia or 406 minicabs round your area?

how wonderfully suspicious of you !

hmmm - you got me thinking though ...

all the best