2024 Edinburgh preparations

On the ramp again

With the Edinburgh Trial next week, the Arkley-MG (Vintage Thing No. 151) is almost ready. Having won two golds in a row, I felt compelled to enter this year. 

Although called the Edinburgh Trial, it doesn't go there any more. It takes place in the Peak District but keeps the name for historical reasons and is much more difficult than (merely) driving to the Scottish capital from the English one these days.

A Triple – three golds in a row – is theoretically within my grasp and possibly a once in a lifetime opportunity. Realistically, however, I have to manage my expectations (which was what we used to say when we had to disappoint someone at work).  Mr Graham Beddoe and I will adopt our usual approach and enjoy ourselves with our mud brothers and sisters.

The lovely Sally has found us accommodation in Crowdicote and I’ve hired a truck to haul the three of us, the car and Sal’s electric bike up to the Peak District. Usually, we drive to the start from my secret hideout at Boogie Wundaland but it’s a 5 hour drive and we can fit three of us in the cab.

I hope the persistent tyre wear is cured now

Chronic front tyre continued during this year’s LET and we wore out another pair of brand new tyres. This first showed up on the Exeter Trial in January. After that event, it was obvious that the front springs were “hors de combat” after some twenty-five years of service. Despite new springs and re-tracking the front wheels, it happened again.

Closer inspection revealed significant wear in the lower wishbone bushes. There was no appreciable movement when everything was assembled but once in pieces the slack was obvious.

Adrian Booth welded up the crack but the bushes are not off-the-self items. I had a go at turning some up from a different form of nylon. Delrin is not water absorbent so should have a longer life. The metal sleeves around the bolts had also worn away their hard outer chrome surface. Adrian usually makes these out of old damper rods but we couldn’t find any of the right size so I ordered some chrome bar and, with Adrian’s guidance and the use of his collet chuck and lathe, I made new inserts for the new bushes.

Lower wishbone brackets were also worn

I also had to build up grooves in the brackets on the chassis where the steel inserts had been waggling about and grind these back down flat. That was a very fiddly job.

Trouble with wheel bearings

I’d fitted new wheel bearings for the LET as well but on attempting to idly twiddle them with the hubs off the car found I couldn’t. They were incredibly stiff as if the brakes were binding – except I’d removed the calipers. The specified torque setting is 310 to 350 Nm and on stripping them down the bearings freed up. Adrian was able to surface grind a thou or two off the back of the roller races but he still wasn’t happy with then even when they freed off. Close inspection revealed score marks on the surfaces of the needle races and Age said he could feel little notches as he span the bearing.

Learned hands can feel the notchiness those little wiggly lines incur. The needle rollers must have been crushed slightly

I wish I had such experienced engineering fingers.

New bearings had the same problem. On tightening they nipped up. Cue another conflab with Wicked Uncle Adrian who deployed his surface grinding equipment again to take a thou or two off the back of the outer bearing race  

At last he was happy with the feel of the bearings and I went to fit the new bespoke springs. Trouble was they didn’t fit. They were too wide by 5mm for the spacers and spring mounts and liable to move around when we go abouncing. I don’t know why because they had the old ones as patterns. This only became apparent last week so I’ve fitted the standard 1500 Midget springs which are stiffer but served okay on the LET.

Anyway, the car is back together and with just a few fluid checks and electrical tidying, we should be good for the start on Friday 27^th September 2024 for the 120^th anniversary of this event.