Quick Jack Bolts

[PaulW]

My body is back on for panel fitting but I do not like the way the quick jack bolts mount. The large rubber backer washer doesn't look good to me. I have seen and like the rubber grommets that ********** sells but it seems they can't be used on a Mark4. Could some one help with the following 2 questions.

1) I have sent ********** an e-mail to see if they are indeed usable with the Mark4. If they are I asume that when using them there is no longer any "clamping" of the body as there is with the 2 piece sleeves and washers as there is with the FFR supplied solution and that the body then more floats on the one piece sleeve that would be substituted.

2) If they are not usable can anyone that has used an alternate method than this or the FFR solution post any pictures and/or an explanation of what they did.

Thanks in advance for any advice or help you can offer.

Paul

[AC Bill]

I presume your talking about the rear quick-jacks, as the front quick-jack bolts/sleeves, aren't designed to offer any body clamping or support.. The ********** grommets are often used on the front quickjacks, just to create a "finished" look, rather than the bolt sleeves simply passing through the open body holes. I presume they still fit the MKIV? At least I haven't heard anything to the contrary..

As to the rears, I think that many builders just used a rubber washer against the body, with a metal washer placed directly over it. This was to protect the body at those points from direct metal to paint contact. The metal washer is still needed to spread the pressure of the sleeve, and to prevent it cutting into the rubber washer when the bolts are tightened. This way you can also still "clamp" the body to keep it secure. FFR didn't provide me with any rubber washers, so that must be new to the MKIV kit. As you suggested, I can't really see how the ********** grommets would allow any clamping effect.

You may also need to trim shorter, or perhaps even lengthen the inner bolt sleeves, to a suitable length, to allow for better trunk lid fitment, along the bottom of it.. They're length will affect the position of the lower body, after the bolts are tightened up. These are the two shorter sleeves inside the trunk, between the inner body and the trunk floor, and the two longer ones on the bottom between the frame and the inner body. Trim the sleeve length a bit at a time, and then try the fit of them, before cutting them further.
Now if you need to move the body out slightly, for a better trunk lid fit along the bottom, (or you cut the sleeves to short), than extra washers can be added between the sleeves and the inner body, as required, to push the body out further.

Although I am using the full hoop bumper, and over-riders, the same principal can be applied to the quick-jack fitting.

Sleeves in trunk
http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m141/12GAGuy/IMG_3140.jpg
Inner sleeves lower,, can be seen here.
http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m141/12GAGuy/IMG_3154.jpg

Hopefully you can understand my directions..lol

[Jeff Kleiner]

I presume your talking about the rear quick-jacks, as the front quick-jack bolts/sleeves, aren't designed to offer any body clamping or support

He's got a Mk4 Bill. The 2 fasteners per side inside of the brake ducts that were used to secure the nose on Mk3 and earlier cars have been eliminated and the body is indeed now positioned and clamped by the front QJ sleeves. BTW, the "Frankenstein bolts" on the side of the body were eliminated on the Mk4 also.

Jeff

[PaulW]

This has been a good learning experience on the differences in the Mark4. I never realized before that the earlier models bolted through the sides of the brake ducts and just assumed that they clamped using the quick jacks now.That means there is no way grommets will work as the holes on mine are only 5/8"+ in diameter where it looks like the Mark 3s where a lot larger. Oh well I think I will look through the local fastener store and find some better front washers and a little thicker rubber washers for under them. The ones supplied are thin and tend to bend as you clamp down the Quick Jacks.

Thanks all for your input. As ueual most helpful.

[3kcarbon]

I used the ********** rubber isolators on the front on my Mk 4 with the FFR override sleeves which are different from the kit parts. The holes have to be oblong to allow it. Seems to work just fine. I agree the rear needs some rubber washers or grommets. I plan to do something along those lines when my body goes back on. For what it may be worth I added rivnuts to the rocker area to bolt the lower body too. That sets body location if that is a concern. I also used a rivnut on the trunk latch post so I don't have to reach between the gas tank and the frame to bolt it on.

[PaulW]

I used the ********** rubber isolators on the front on my Mk 4 with the FFR override sleeves which are different from the kit parts. The holes have to be oblong to allow it. Seems to work just fine. I agree the rear needs some rubber washers or grommets. I plan to do something along those lines when my body goes back on. For what it may be worth I added rivnuts to the rocker area to bolt the lower body too. That sets body location if that is a concern. I also used a rivnut on the trunk latch post so I don't have to reach between the gas tank and the frame to bolt it on.

Are the FFR override sleeves listed in the Parts Catalog? I already had to oval one hole as it was mis-aligned so doing the rest would not be a problem and certainly save some fibreglass filling. So far my body seems to be fitting well. Everything is centred without much adjustment. I do like the rivnut idea though.

Interesting that you should mention the trunk latch pin as I just put it in today and so far have only set it in place as that little rear nut looks to be PITA to get on. So a rivnut it will probably be. I already solved the issue of the rear quick jacks as I installed a 2" threaded union onto the face of the union using a 3/4" bolt from the back. This way I am able to use bolts through the quick jacks and can remove everything as I wish without lowering the tank. Never thought about the trunk latch tho' so Thanks for the tip.

[3kcarbon]

THe tubes came with my FFR overrides, call 'em they like to sell stuff even if its not in the catalog. The Finishine ones would work as well and are priced reasonably but are a larger diameter which may look better to you. I did the same thing on the rear with a 7/16 14 threaded coupler. I wasn't at all interested in dropping the tank everytime the body came off.

[PaulW]

THe tubes came with my FFR overrides, call 'em they like to sell stuff even if its not in the catalog. The Finishine ones would work as well and are priced reasonably but are a larger diameter which may look better to you. I did the same thing on the rear with a 7/16 14 threaded coupler. I wasn't at all interested in dropping the tank everytime the body came off.

Well I'll be danged. My kit came with the over-riders as part of last falls special. I did the inventory and repacked the box and haven't looked at it since. Sure enough there are the sleeves (front and back) you talked about!!

Now what confuses me is the fact that the sleeves are there and they are shown on the packing slip as well however the instructions for mounting the bumpers has a list of parts and they are not shown. The instructions don't even mention them. They indicate that i simply remove the quick jacks and replace them with the over-riders on the front. For the rear it does talk about the longer bolts and the use of the 1" spacers. Oh well there is a lot to do between now and when I will need to mount them.

[AC Bill]

He's got a Mk4 Bill. The 2 fasteners per side inside of the brake ducts that were used to secure the nose on Mk3 and earlier cars have been eliminated and the body is indeed now positioned and clamped by the front QJ sleeves.
Jeff

Huh!.. Anyone have any pictures of how that is accomplished? Are the front holes still at angle cut in the body, or are they now squared up? I just can't see how you could pinch the body with the holes designed as they were on the MKIII, unless you had some very odd shaped washer's, and angle cut sleeves, or the holes where no longer at an angle?

The one advantage on the MKIII design, is that the body mounting bolts at the brake ducts, can also be used to help secure the brake duct screens. Without them, do MKIV builders now just silicone the screens on??

[Jeff Kleiner]

Are the front holes still at angle cut in the body, YES or are they now squared up? I just can't see how you could pinch the body with the holes designed as they were on the MKIII, unless you had some very odd shaped washer's, and angle cut sleeves,YOU GOT IT BILL. THE QJ SLEEVES ARE ANGLE CUT AND THE HOLE IN THE CENTER OF THE WASHERS IS OVALED or the holes where no longer at an angle?


It actually works quite well. Note to Mk4 builders; make note of which sleeves go where when removing the body for the first time. They are different side to side, top to bottom and inside to outside.

Jeff

[JimiD]

It actually works quite well. Note to Mk4 builders; make note of which sleeves go where when removing the body for the first time. They are different side to side, top to bottom and inside to outside.

Jeff

oops!:p

[Snakely]

From someone who's not building for a while...

Can you still do without quickjacks, or are they kinda required on the MKIV? I really liked the look of not having them.