Trabi/IFA Chat Forum

Okay, thankyou kindly. I will bear that in mind.

So far I've got the passenger side wheel bearings pressed in. I brought it in on nightshirts when management wasn't around.:p

I haven't got it installed on the car yet.

Knocking the old bearings out of the hub and off the stub shaft with a hammer and punch was no big deal. Pressing the bearings into the hub with a piece pipe against the outer race was no big deal. Not mucking them up trying to press the hub shaft though both bearings is the tricky part. Having to balance the hub on a piece of pipe against the inner race and all.

As for the driver's side, I'm thinking about using my Subaru and floor jack as a bearing press. The hitch has a nice flat surface to press against. I'll see if I can rig something up by drilling some holes through some 2X4s and insert a piece of pipe.

Hi guys. Lots to tell you about since I last posted. Most exciting is I have purchased another Trabbi, a 1989 or maybe 1990 Universal, glacier blue, drives well and good condition. Only needs a little TLC to make it sparkle (photos to follow). I can't remember the website where you find the month and year of manufacture with just the vin number. Anybody help?
So because of space limitations and to placate the good lady, I have to sell one of the two Trabbis. Looks like it will be the older one so I will be putting details up on the forum soon.
The upcoming charity trip from John o groats to Lands End is happening in April next year over a week stopping about every 150 miles or thereabouts. The pitch is 'Sponsor the car with the reputation as being the worst car in the world to make it from John o groats to Lands End without breaking down'. We will be trying to get media coverage and get sponsored by some local or maybe national companies. Anyone can donate to the charities which are Prostate cancer UK, and Asthma UK. Go online to justgiving.com and search for Trabbi Travels. Thanks.

Sounds like a good project. If you come down the M5 past Bristol, I'll come out and run a few miles with you...

Last week fixed a very small fuel leak at the banjo bolt to the carb with 2 new seals. Also clean the fuel filter and cap oooo it was bad. Did a deep clean with purple power under the car to clean off some road and grease off the motor.
Then i drained the trans it was so over full and dirty i should have done that a long time ago. Car is so much more pepy now. it will pull hills like it should and shifts like butter. I think from now on every year it will get a fuel filter cleaning and a trans drain and refill no matter how many miles i did.

That would be cool. We intend to keep off the motorways as much as possible to get more audience close up and for insurance against possible breakdown, so I think A38 to junction 16 then off again at the river Avon and back up towards the A38 again, to continue south. I will make a note and contact you nearer the time.

Finally got the front wheel bearing job wrapped up! WOW what a difference new wheel bearings makes.

The flat spot/tire rumbling sound is gone. The vibration from the floorboards, gone.

Some other unexpected improvements which I'm not sure if are related to the worn bearings or not. It maybe from repacking the hinge joints.

1) Car is easier to steer
2) Doesn't seem to pull to the right anymore
3) It feels like there is less resistance on the drivetrain. Not a huge increase in power but something just feels different now.

I have been driving my Citroen for a few weeks so it may just be the difference between the two cars.

If you guys have been keeping up with my thread here's some points of interest.

I used modern sealed bearings, like the ones used on other front wheel drives with CV joints. Grease can't get out, dirt can't get in.

Some of the hardware found between the bearings no longer fits or seems to have no purpose. I think these pieces were used to hold the grease seals up against the older style bearings.

So this is how it all went back together:

Outer grease seal
Snap ring
Outer bearing
Spring
Plastic washer
Inner bearing

Well sort of. You have to pop bearings, spring/washer in first, snap ring then the outer grease seal then push the hub piece is pressed through the bearings.,

If anybody plans on doing this. I have some pipe which I used to press against the outer race when pushing the bearings in the hubs. Then a smaller diameter pipe that fits against the inner race that the stud can pass through.

Attached are the SKF part numbers for bearings and the grease seals. 4 bearings, 2 grease seals.

I got Igor registered and took him out today around Kent. He's driving very nicely, especially now I've fixed the broken speedometer. I just need to replace the passenger window winder, which I may have broken...

Here are some pics!

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Along with my newly purchased Trabant 601 Universal, included was an original first aid kit with two clips on the back for locating somewhere in the car. Can anyone tell me where that location should be please??

Kind of an old thread but I was at a local car show I go to every year and someone had brought an English Ford. I'm wanting to say it's a 1938 model. Can someone tell me what those "things" behind the doors are? Are these the "indicators" used on European cars before everyone decided on blinkers?

yea they look like the side makers
https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjYjYme9LnWAhUO02MKHZzmDQAQjRwIBw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcartype.com%2Fpages%2F4315%2Fvolkswagen_beetle_karmann_kabriolett__1955&psig=AFQjCNGMxTPcofbjierJCExSedlNV50vRg&ust=1506208002865854

Agree, these are called either semaphore or trafficator

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trafficators

theyre also called idiot sticks,theyre indicators and were used upto the mid 50s

Semaphore, that was the word I was looking for. The first time I had ever heard of these was on American Pickers where they were buying this split window VW Type I that had been up in a barn loft for 40 years. And it had those.
This wasn't something ever used on American cars. I'm not sure when blinkers became mandatory.

Hi Steve, Did you get the gearbox/freewheel sorted? By the way, how much is the road tax? I think should be £150 (at Sept 2017) but have heard of some paying the full whack of £250, which should be for 1500cc+.