Alley Cat 151

A place to post pics and descriptions of ongoing restoration projects

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m3a1
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Re: Alley Cat 151

Unread post by m3a1 » June 6th, 2017, 6:51 pm

Nearly ready to get everything back together. It's time to reassemble the brake.

Here's what you need. A 7/16" wrench, a 3/8" wrench, a pair of medium duty needle nose pliers, a pair of regular pliers.

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Install the wheel cylinder with two 7/16" bolts. The 3/8" wrench is for the bleeder valve.

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Place the lower spring on the shoe set and lay the top of the left shoe over the right.

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Place one end of the star wheel adjuster on the shoe.

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And then the other.. and then by returning the shoes to their normal layout position the adjuster will remain in place. I gave my springs a light brushing with a wire wheel. Even a wire wheel can harden the surface of metal, so go easy on things like springs.

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Place the brake shoe assembly upon the brake backing plate.

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Insert the anchor springs through the brake shoes.

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Locate the anchor through the brake backing plate, supporting it with your fingers. Then extend the anchor spring and hook it through the anchor eye. One side, then the other.

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So far, so good!

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The pliers and a good firm grip will get those large springs over the stud.

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And here we have one fully assembled brake. Remember, this isn't an overhauled brake or even a functional brake at this time. It's simply a cleanup and reassembly. Old parts that need to be replaced (particularly the springs) are kept looking old because if and when anyone gets back into this there will be no question as to the quality of these components.

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Last edited by m3a1 on May 12th, 2018, 10:20 pm, edited 5 times in total.

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Re: Alley Cat 151

Unread post by m3a1 » June 6th, 2017, 7:03 pm

Here are some shots of the Alley Cat for Vzike, since he's interested.

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Last edited by m3a1 on May 12th, 2018, 10:29 pm, edited 2 times in total.

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Re: Alley Cat 151

Unread post by m3a1 » June 6th, 2017, 7:34 pm

I was going to power wash the lower control arm before putting everything back together but a friend had borrowed it, so I forged ahead in other areas.

I recoated the parts I overlooked earlier.

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Cleaned up the mating surfaces on the control arm with a wire wheel on a drill and painted them.

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Installing the inner bearing in the carrier - Put plenty of grease on the bearing race in the carrier before laying in the bearing but not so much that it slobbers out the other side. Just put it on the bearing race and let the bearing push it in. With that done, lay in a little more grease around the outer edges of the bearing before laying in the seal. Having a little bit of grease on the mating surface of the carrier and seal is OK because once that spindle is in place, that seal isn't going anywhere.

The side of the seal you see in my hand in the photo goes toward the bearing.

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The seal can be drifted in by carefully working around the edges with a drift so that it goes in evenly. By "evenly" I mean that the seal should be going in fairly level. If it gets much beyond level then STOP... you will NOT get it in if it is not level! If it's getting off level, just gently tap it back off from behind (in the same manner we removed the old one) and start again.

If you choose to make a tool to press it in all at once, the external diameter of the seal is 3" and the internal diameter is 2 1/2".

This is what it looks like when properly seated. You may have noticed the rubber collar of the seal is a little bit deformed from storage. In this case it will make no difference as the seal sleeve on the spindle rides within the seal collar and the collar will take the shape of the sleeve once everything is reassembled. If you have any doubt, such as in the case of a more severely deformed seal collar, you should inspect it carefully after reassembly.

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The old seal can be used to ensure the new seal is adequately seated. Simply trim out the old rubber and use the metal part of the seal as an anvil. Lay it directly over the new seal and tap around the edges. Once the seal is properly seated, add a little more grease around the inside edges if you like but leave only a very thin film on the inner face of the seal so that when it is pushed against the metal of the seal sleeve for the first time, friction will be kept to a minimum.

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Turn the carrier over. Now you can lay in a bit more grease behind the inner bearing. Bearing carriers need not be packed completely full of grease when assembled. Leave room for expansion. So long as there is an adequate supply of grease to lubricate the bearing and help conduct heat away from the bearing and race, that is sufficient.

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If you final assembly is going to be delayed, as mine was, protect your work. You don't want your fresh grease to be contaminated.

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Last edited by m3a1 on May 12th, 2018, 10:32 pm, edited 4 times in total.

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Re: Alley Cat 151

Unread post by rickf » June 6th, 2017, 8:39 pm

Looking at that side shot of it sitting on the block with the rear control arm on an angle looks like it is just waiting to slide off of there. No chocks behind any tire to prevent it.
If you lose that 400 lb. rear bumper then you could go with lighter rear springs!
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Re: Alley Cat 151

Unread post by m3a1 » June 6th, 2017, 8:49 pm

Looks like it from that angle but consider the spacious area forming the underside of the control arm. There's plenty of block under there and the other three wheels are totally "chocked" as they are all settled down in the gravel. Ain't goin' anywhere. I know as I've tried to push it from its present position. Feels like it grew roots! 8)

You're certainly right about the rear bumper. It's a heavy thing and it doubles as an air tank but, I think we are beyond trimming weight at this stage of the game, though I could stand to lose a few pounds. :lol: :lol:

I've never driven this monster but I'm guessing it's going to be a bit of a dog.

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Re: Alley Cat 151

Unread post by Hambone » June 6th, 2017, 9:04 pm

I wonder what that air tank was used for, did you find any tire plugs in the toolbox? :lol:

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Re: Alley Cat 151

Unread post by m3a1 » June 7th, 2017, 1:09 am

In fact, it did have some tire plugs in the tool tray! The Alley Cat came with some stock wheels and monstrously heavy snow tires that were far too big for it. The rims were so rusted on the inside that they were beyond help. I swapped the used wheels/tires off the A2 to the Alley Cat and put new wheels and tires on the A2.

This had been set up as a hunting rig with gun racks, an elevated rear seat (Think- Granny and the Beverly Hillbillies) and an ad-hoc roll cage and a spare tire that had once been rubber and had now turned to stone. I peeled several hundred pounds or so off of it straightaway by removing that junk and the wheels and tires.

Frankly, I'm at a bit of a loss as to what direction to go with this truck since it's “neither fish, nor flesh, nor good red herring”, as they used to say. Anyway, I'll tease it back to life and once that's accomplished maybe the answer will become obvious. Or maybe I'll just sell it, though I haven't given that much thought.

Cheers,
TJ
Last edited by m3a1 on August 31st, 2017, 5:35 am, edited 4 times in total.

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Re: Alley Cat 151

Unread post by on-to-berlin » June 7th, 2017, 1:27 am

You could build one of those fast attack vehicles they still had at the beginning of the 90s. By this you could "disuise" the civilian modifications a little.
Just a thought.
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Re: Alley Cat 151

Unread post by m3a1 » June 7th, 2017, 10:36 am

Well, I don't think very highly of the MUTTs dressed up as FAVs.....even the original FAVs. If MUTT FAVs had never existed and if one of us took it upon ourselves to build one as they did I'd bet we'd get thumbs down all around from our mates here on the 838. And, I dare say Rick would have something to say if one of us announced we had constructed roll-over protection from threaded pipe as they did! I know for a fact that's a no-no!

In my opinion the FAVs were simply permitted only because they were highly disposable. Lose a MUTT from your TO&E and nobody is gonna make a peep about it and at higher levels where the bean counters reside, the QM would rather have to write off a lowly M151 rather than something like a really expensive Chenoweth. The really unique thing about the MUTT FAV is it goes against the normal military methodology which begins and ends with MAKE NO MODIFICATIONS. I'm pretty sure someone essentially told these guys, "We don't have anything else to give you so here are some old 1/4-tons. Do as you please. It's your ass!"

Having no other resources, we had some versions of farmer armor in Afghanistan on our stuff. It looked like crap, and it wasn't as well thought out as I might have been, but it worked....most of the time....so I'm not speaking against the validity of the true MUTT FAVs. There's no denying they exist but they are more a testament to a time when the military couldn't (or wouldn't) provide the right tools for the job and the simple soldier had to (once again) step up in order to get the job done. As an institution, it wasn't the military's finest hour.

So, for now, I think the value of the Alley Cat is going to be kept at it's highest as a blank slate.

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Re: Alley Cat 151

Unread post by Fil Bonica » June 7th, 2017, 10:52 am

While the manual is what most people have to use for various tasks your pics add a new level if clarity..
Can almost smell the grease and paint!
Keep it up.

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Re: Alley Cat 151

Unread post by rickf » June 7th, 2017, 10:56 am

Yes, I would say something about pipe as a ROPS BUT, it was not on a FAV for that purpose, it was a weapons holder in it's capacity there more than anything. Knowing quite a few former Marines I can pretty much guarantee they were not worried about rolling over for two reasons. #1, they were Marines and therefor indestructible, don't believe me? ask one. #2, have you ever seen all the ordnance they piled in there? If it rolled they wanted to fly out first and away from it!
1964 M151A1
1984 M1008
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Re: Alley Cat 151

Unread post by Fil Bonica » June 7th, 2017, 6:22 pm

Pop quiz!
What were the colors of the brake adjusters and retun springs before they were cleaned?

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Re: Alley Cat 151

Unread post by m3a1 » June 7th, 2017, 7:24 pm

Ok, let's wrap this up. You'll need an 11/16" wrench and socket of the same size, and driver. You'll need a medium brass drift or similar tool and a 3/8" line wrench. You'll need a copper mallet or similar. Having the old outer bearing seal will come in very handy. You'll need a 1-1/4" socket and a pair of pliers and a torque wrench (optional)....and you'll obviously need wheel bearing grease and some junk rags for clean-ups.

I painted the mount the the carrier after cleaning it. It would have been a great time to power wash the area but I would have ended up with the ground all wet in my work area so I skipped it altogether. Leaving a filthy area filthy may be a missed opportunity but a little smut isn't going to hurt this truck at all. I like my trucks a little smutty anyway.

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Set up the carrier in such a way that the inner seal (which we have already installed) isn't getting abused while we work at the other end of the carrier. In this case I've supported it on two 4x4s. This is a good time to mention that the carrier does have a 12 and 6 o'clock position. No need to concern ourselves with that at this point.

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Lay the brake assembly onto the carrier. If the bolt holes don't line up rotate the carrier 180 degrees.

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In this photo I've laid out the new flange (that holds the seal) and the new seal in something like an exploded diagram. The flange goes on first. The seal goes on afterwards.

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I'll say this. That flange is a tight fit! I had to abort several attempts to get that thing started on. It was either going on crooked or simply wouldn't start onto the carrier at all despite my best efforts. Grrrr! :evil:

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If things start getting cockeyed, just lever it off. The wheel cylinder makes an excellent fulcrum. No worries!

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Here we have the fully seated flange. This took some doing and I managed it with a copper mallet. I do have a press but I went old school for the benefit of the people who may not have certain specialty tools. First thing I did to get this thing on was to remove the paint from the carrier where the flange goes. Oh boy, did that help! Rust-o-leum Painter's Touch Paint + Primer goes on thick and dries hard as a rock so it had to be removed. The other thing I did was put a thin layer of grease on the flange and that helped as well. Even with all that, that flange really went on with great difficulty. I wasn't wailing on it with the hammer because I didn't want to deform it but it took quite a bit of effort to get it fully seated. It pays to be patient when the going gets tough.

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Remember that we have quite a bit of grease down by the inner bearing and seal. All this fooling around at the other end is going to cause some of that grease to begin to migrate downward. Check that end from time to time. If you look carefully, you will see that in this photo, the carrier needs to be rotated 180 degrees to be oriented properly to the backing plate.

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Here we see the installation of the outer seal into the flange. I am using a brass drift to set the seal in place. Prior to starting this I de-burred the edge of the drift on the wire wheel to eliminate the chance of it harming the seal. Note that I am pressing on the opposite side of the seal with the heel of my hand to keep it in place while starting the seal downward into the flange. The book calls for a seal-compound on this mating surface. I skipped that step as I feel it is altogether unnecessary. Simply tap around the edges evenly until you're satisfied. And then......

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Finish seating the new seal by using the old seal as an anvil. I put a used zip-loc bag over the work to keep junk from the old seal from getting into my carrier.

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Here we have the new seal and new flange both successfully seated on the carrier. Now is the time to check your carrier for anything that doesn't belong....things that might have found its way into your new grease.

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Almost time to put the carrier back on the lower control arm. Remember we had a nut and bolt that had been rethreaded and because of that, it was going to require a lock washer or thread locker or, it would need to be staked. The reason I am going into this is because it is important to understand that any project may require specific hardware with specific qualities and sometimes ignoring that fact can cause you a lot of grief down the road. In this case, these nuts are lock-nuts. When I rethreaded it, it no longer was capable of self-locking so the options are to add a lock washer or replace the nut. I'm going to use a lock washer rather than staking because at some point, I'm probably going to have this off again.
If you don't know what staking is, it is a method of preventing a nut from coming loose by taking a small punch and driving it into the interface of bolt and nut at the threads. Done properly, it is a very effective method of locking down a nut that is meant to remain secured for some time. Notice the three small triangle-shaped indentations on the face of the nut? These lock nuts are constructed in a manner similar to staking in that those indentations grab the threads more aggressively at those three points.

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In this photo, the top assembly shows that the regular nut only goes on as far as the end of the bolt before additional force is needed to thread it further. On the lower nut and bolt, the nut threads on without resistance because it has been re-threaded. Simply put, I had to keep track of that particular nut/bolt combination in order to make sure it had a lock washer.

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I'll admit, this is a lousy photo but it was meant to represent the relieved (or inset) areas on the back of the control arm mount where the carrier attaches. Each bolt hole has an area machined into the back side of the casting for the nut. I elected to use a lock washer on my rethreaded bolt but had to check to ensure that 1 - the bolt was long enough and 2 - that the lock washer would fit into the relieved area.

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I'm getting tired of this project! Let's put this darned thing on!
At this point you should have the carrier properly oriented to the backing plate. Put two bolts through the brake backing plate and the carrier and attach the carrier to the mount on the lower control arm. These bolts have very close tolerances. Loosely nut the back of those bolts and put the remaining bolts in. Likely as not they'll require a little persuasion.
Just one more remark about ensuring those bolts have their nuts securely locked down. If a nut comes off, and the bolt comes out, it's going to end up tumbling around inside your brake drum and you know what that means!

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You may have to move the brake shoes a little bit to get the top ones in.

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Get that brake line on and use a line wrench! Had I been completely focused on what I was doing it would have been intelligent to take a small wire brush and clean up the nut on the brake line, eh? This is a much better photo of the relieved areas around the bolts and it is in that space that I'll be putting my solitary lock washer.

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My work areas are generally fairly clean (though I wouldn't recommend working on gravel like this owing to the possibly of lost hardware) but as luck would have it, these guys started working right at the end of my driveway and that meant a certain amount of dust was in the air which wasn't good for my fresh grease.

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So I had to cover things up between each iteration.

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This is how I removed the mounting bolts, and how I put them back. The book doesn't say what the torque settings are for these bolts. Mine are nice and tight but not gorilla tight. I suppose one could check the torque on other carrier bolts elsewhere on the truck but who is to say those haven't been tampered with....particularly on rebuilt vehicles like the Alley Cat!

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Ok, it's time for the spindle and the drive flange but first let's tidy up the back side. Grease has started to wander around back there.

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Apply a very thin layer of grease on the seal sleeve (by my index finger) and more up the shaft of the spindle.

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This is how the spindle and the drive flange come together within the carrier. My finger points to the surface upon which the inner bearing rides. We want just enough lubricant to get that bearing onto the spindle. It's a close fit and the internal collar of the bearing isn't supposed to rotate on the spindle. They are supposed to turn together.

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Now it's time to put a little bit of grease on the mating surface of the outer seal. Just a very thin layer is sufficient. Lay grease on the outer bearing race and a fair bit at the bottom of the carrier between the inner and outer bearing races. In this way, the bearings can pick up grease as they rotate within the stationary carrier.

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Carefully insert the spindle through the inner bearing and through the carrier. Note how I've oriented it so that it fits between the bumper and the spring. Anything you can do to make the work easier is generally a good thing and it allows you to pay more attention to other, more important things.

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Once that's in, have a careful look at your inner seal...all the way around, top and bottom and sides, just to make sure nothing is folded over or under. We've come way to far to screw things up now!

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Oh boy! Almost there! And these are the moments when the horrible mistakes are made.... Time to step back, take a sip of whatever you're sippin' and think about what you've done so far. Did we miss anything?

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If the answer is NO, then proceed. Keep one hand on the spindle on the back side so it doesn't slide out and with the other hand, carefully slide the drive flange on over it from the front side. Once again, look over the outer seal - top, bottom and sides, checking for uniformity. No fold-unders or crushing? Good!

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Recheck the inner seal. All good? Good mechanics and good craftsmen check and recheck their work, not only as a matter of best-practice but also as a matter of pride. This is one of the big differences between being an amateur and being a craftsman. As we can see from the quality of focus on some of my photos, I am most definitely and amateur photographer! :lol:

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Ok, let's move on.

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Add that very necessary washer.

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Put the nut on and using a large socket, hand-tighten it down until you feel stiff resistance.

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Now, if you take one more look at your seals, you'll find they've flared out quite nicely, conforming to the seal sleeves.

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Put the brake drum on. I forgot to recoat the lower edge so as soon as I laid on the paint I unmasked it and put it on. No big deal. It'll dry while on the truck. There are two schools of thought on painting brake drums. One is that an unpainted drum will release heat created by friction more efficiently. The other is, that it makes no difference. What we all know is, sooner or later, drums seem to get painted and these are not really high performance brakes.

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Paragraph 2-143 of the book states (with wheel and tire removed) rotate spindle three complete rotations, recheck torque, if not at 30 lb-ft, tighten and repeat. Repeat this until torque can be maintained after rotating. Back nut off one complete rotation to relax the preload without rotating spindle. Tighten nut finger tight, insert cotter pin and secure.

All very nice and impressively technical. Grease takes up a certain amount of space and the bearings have a certain spacial relation with the bearing races (which is why we replace bearings and races in sets). By rotating the whole thing you are essentially redistributing the grease more evenly within and around the bearing.

Now, here's how I was taught many many years ago by....you guessed it...an old Army motor pool man. Tighten the castle nut by hand until you feel stiff resistance. (Next step is performed with the wheel and tire on the truck.) Grasp the tire at the 12 and 6 o'clock position and attempt to wobble it. If you detect wobble by feel (not by sight but by feel) tighten the nut just a little bit. Rotate the wheel two or three times and check again. Rotate and tighten as required until the wobble is eliminated. Back off the nut 1/4 turn, insert and secure the cotter pin. If you do that you won't be too far wrong.

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This is the method I was taught for tightening down lug nuts on a five-lug wheel. No matter how many lugs you have, what is most important is that you snug them down first and then repeat the process to achieve proper torque settings.

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[/img]Torque settings for lug nuts are 80-110 lb-ft.

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Screw in the lifting eye with the locking ring at the top. Properly installed, the lifting eye should be bottomed out. Rotate the lock ring clockwise until it seats and resistance is felt. Done and done!

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The old Alley Cat is back on her feet again!

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Last edited by m3a1 on May 13th, 2018, 1:42 pm, edited 17 times in total.

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Re: Alley Cat 151

Unread post by m3a1 » June 7th, 2017, 7:29 pm

RAPCO just had these on eBay for $35...with $20 shipping! Can you say BARGAIN!!!

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Last edited by m3a1 on May 12th, 2018, 10:49 pm, edited 3 times in total.

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Re: Alley Cat 151

Unread post by m3a1 » June 7th, 2017, 7:32 pm

To answer your question....they were dirt and rust colored. No paint to speak of.

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