GTV-6 ride height saga continues

[Jake Thomas <jakest@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

After last week's instalment I received several mails pointing out that a
pickle fork is not a ball joint separator.  Thank you all for those.. I get
the picture.  It's unfortunate that Sears does not agree: the package is
marked "Ball Joint Separator" and, below, "Remove ball joints from spindle
support arms without damaging other components,.."  Wonder which other
components they had in mind.  The engine, maybe.

With the car back together, the front height appears right in that the
various lines that run from front to back (sills, trim, bottom of windows
etc) are horizontal now and the bumpers are about the same distance off the
ground.  But one thing seems strange.  In order to reassemble the spindle
supports to the A-arms I had to remove the upper bump rubbers and now, when
I try to put them back, the upper arms are actually touching them with the
car just sitting on the ground.  What's up with that??

The other thing that's preventing me from finishing is those pesky rubber
boots that cover the ball joints.  One of these is in reasonable shape
apart from a slight cut I made with the pickle fork but the other was
already split halfway round the circumference and the rubber is dry and
cracked.  They needs replacing but, after trying Alfa Parts, APE, my 2
local mechanics, Cammissa, 4 generic parts stores and a couple of other
dealers, the boots appear to be completely unobtainable.  I'm amazed Alfa
doesn't sell them separately.  The ball joints are $85 each and I'll bet
that replacing them isn't as simple as undoing the nut on the top.  IAP has
them for a lot less though they're probably not original.  Maybe the boots
will swap over.  At this point, that's starting to look like my best bet.
You know things are bad when the parts guy says "Have you thought of
silicon sealant?"

Replaced a bad vacuum switch on the Spider this morning- it's running
really well again- the SPICA system is so much easier to work on.  At least
one thing went right this week.  Just as well this isn't my day job.

                            Jake

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