What have you done today/recently to your 5?

3gress · Postby **3gress** » Mon Jun 25, 2018 9:11 pm

The 615's have been updated for 2018. There is a + suffix attached to the 615K noting the newer design.
Only made in small batches, they disappear quickly. I contacted head office to pre-order but they said the best they could do was to inform local dealer of availability.
The only other reasonable option was the Bridgestone RE71R with a 4 month lead time on orders in 14" sizing, or face radical freight charges and impossible 'search and destroy' missions trying to import a set of Dunlop star specs.
That or settle for a set of all rounders that would not do the car... or rims justice

bruce · Postby **bruce** » Mon Jun 25, 2018 9:18 pm

Astounding how unloved 14 inch tyres are. My (much) older car had 13 inch steelies! I wanted to fit NA daisies but were the wrong PCD.

bruce · Postby **bruce** » Mon Jun 25, 2018 9:21 pm

Archi wrote: Fairly pleased with the outcome, no rattles and stable at speed with a cross wind.

Are we talking about your bike rack or your cycling knees!

hks_kansei · Postby **hks_kansei** » Tue Jun 26, 2018 11:27 am

Put in a new battery, and replaced the terminals since the existing ones had cracked and werent clamping properly.

And then dropped it at the tuner for winter cold starts to be worked on.
So yeah, hopefully it comes home later in the week able to start in winter (without flooding and spewing flames out of the exhaust/intake)

93_Clubman · Postby **93_Clubman** » Tue Jun 26, 2018 11:34 am

3gress wrote:The 615's have been updated for 2018. There is a + suffix attached to the 615K noting the newer design.
The only other reasonable option was the Bridgestone RE71R with a 4 month lead time on orders in 14" sizing

Tks, good to know :beer:

apsilon · Postby **apsilon** » Tue Jun 26, 2018 12:09 pm

bruce wrote:Astounding how unloved 14 inch tyres are. My (much) older car had 13 inch steelies! I wanted to fit NA daisies but were the wrong PCD.

Yeah, you can find 14" tyres but not street performance rubber, just comfort/everyday user type things. That's why I went with 15" wheels and will put the 14" ones away in storage. Have to wonder though how long before 15" performance tyres disappear. There's already a lot of choices that don't go below 16" or even 18"

bruce · Postby **bruce** » Tue Jun 26, 2018 1:14 pm

I remember when 17 inch wheels were cool. Now Golf GTIs get 19s stock. Standard rim sizes are getting bigger and bigger.

manga_blue · Postby **manga_blue** » Wed Jun 27, 2018 11:03 am

bruce wrote:I remember when 17 inch wheels were cool. Now Golf GTIs get 19s stock. Standard rim sizes are getting stupider and stupider.

FTFY

3gress · Postby **3gress** » Wed Jun 27, 2018 2:37 pm

Trying to centre a rebuilt/refurbished non power rack and steer column to allow roughly equal adjustment range on both tie rod ends. Column and rack in and out numerous times, readjusted and fettled with, i couldn't work out why it seemed to bias heavily toward driver's side when tie rod ends pulled in tight. Face palm moment when i noticed the newly installed lower inner control arm alignment bolts were loosely installed at opposite extremes, enough to throw everything out.
Being an old car with new suspension, ball joints, tie rods, rod ends, bushes bolts and all, everything is all over the place and its been a real b##ch trying to rough adjust and avoid issues when sent for proper alignment.
Time to pull up for a break.

hks_kansei · Postby **hks_kansei** » Wed Jun 27, 2018 3:02 pm

That sounds awful.

Is there any reason you've had the column in and out so many times?

Usually i've just done the centering at the steering wheel end (centre rack, remove steering wheel, reattach wheel in straight ahead direction)

3gress · Postby **3gress** » Wed Jun 27, 2018 3:43 pm

Because the column and rack came from different donor cars the intermediate joints werent able to be marked for reinstallation. Trying to get rack/lock and clock spring centered has been fun.
I'd centre wheel, centre rack, attach the two, wind rod ends in tight and end up with an alignment bias toward right. The lower control arm bolts were loose and at opposite ends of range so made any fine adjustment walk about throwing a spanner in the works. It's all figured now, just fussing over getting rod ends close to equal adjustment range.

Edit to answer q: reclocking steer wheel splines would have solved it a few hours ago. Was worried it'd throw out indicator return for some dumb reason.
Little sleep last night..

NA6089 · Postby **NA6089** » Fri Jun 29, 2018 7:33 pm

Installed a Carbon Fibre headlight cover inlet breather.

Looks good eh?

3gress · Postby **3gress** » Fri Jun 29, 2018 9:16 pm

Looks neat. Certainly envious of your paint condition.

NA6089 · Postby **NA6089** » Fri Jun 29, 2018 11:33 pm

The paint is in very good nick but enhanced by a good photo processing program.

3gress · Postby **3gress** » Sat Jun 30, 2018 7:46 am

Pulled an all nighter fitting dba rotors, new pads and corns rims with Falken RT615K+ tyres. Still awake so photos are dodge and ride height, camber etc all over the place...but happy as a pig in the proverbial fecal wallow!!