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Thread: DIY - Looking good for the long haul! (Rust protection front/rear wheel well areas)

  1. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by MetroMPG View Post
    You earned one right there!

    And what's the story of the white stripe? I like it.
    Great!!! Part II is on the way shortly....
    The dealer where I got the Mirage has these stripes on many of the cars there. The stripes are a contrasting but complimentary color (depending on the body color) and only appear on the bottom (nothing on the hood / roof / etc..). I'm guessing these are a local addition and not a factory option (although initially I thought they were...) There's a better pic at the end of Part II DIY. The trailing end of the stripe on the lower rear passenger doors spells out "MIRAGE" There is a break between the R and A and a palm tree is depicted... Between the color of the car and the addition of the stripe, I feel like I'm always on vacation (even though it's been decades since one of those!!)

    ~CrazyJerry



  2. #12
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    Part II - DIY - Looking good for the long haul!

    Welcome back to Part II of the DIY - Looking good for the long haul!

    In Part I we took a closer look at the rear wheel well area and went the extra mile with some preventive maintenance to give it a better shot at looking good years from now.

    In Part II we'll take a similar approach to the front wheel well area.

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    ***DISCLAIMER***
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    What follows is the removal of the front wheels to get a better look at what we're dealing with. The procedures for this segment will be general and probably not all-inclusive so if in doubt about anything, ask questions or do a little research before you permanently disable your car or something more serious. In the same way there are those who should never carry anything sharper than a cotton ball, there are those that should never attempt to hands-on repair an automobile. Going one step further, please consider this writeup for entertainment purposes only - I assume no liability - CrazyJerry

    Moving on - Let's look at the the front wheel well area!

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    153 miles - Will this be a repeat of what we saw in the rear?
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    To answer this and other questions most folks are generally too disinterested to ask, we must remove the front wheels. For factory alloy wheels, A 1/2 drive 13/16 socket will fit both the lug nuts and the hex head for the anti-theft lug nut socket. Like the fasteners on the rear wheels, some lugs were incredibly tight, some cracked loose as expected. Raise the front wheel(s) off the ground in a safe manner and remove them.

    With a front wheel out of the way the initial inspection looks pretty decent:
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    The axle shafts could be cleaned up a bit though:
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    For this part of the project the front brake caliper and rotor should be removed. This is very easy to do and is a breath of fresh air compared to some setups I've worked with over the years. Tools needed will be a 12mm open end/closed end wrench or socket/ratchet, and 3/8" (or 1/2") drive ratchet and corresponding 14mm socket. The 12mm will be used to free the caliper brake line clamp, and the 14mm will be used to loosen/remove the two caliper retaining bolts. If you're not in love with the idea of having the rubber brake line support the weight of a dangling caliper, then find a one-gallon paint can or something similar in height to provide a temporary parking spot for the removed caliper.
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    The factory did a nice job greasing the caliper bolts so-much-so that when you attempt to pull them out, they may try to magically go back in. If you twirl them the entire time you are pulling them out you may lessen this effect. As you pull the bolts out, notice the shafts of both the upper and lower caliper bolts. The lower one in particular has a couple of rubber seals recessed into it - so try to remember that for reassembly (Which Witch is Which?). The brake pads are easily removed from the caliper by hand although a small screwdriver might be easier for some. And, since we will be painting the caliper, the caliper bolt boots (rubber) should be removed and set to the side. They are shown to the left of the brake pads in the photo below.
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    Caliper aside, the rotors should easily pull off by hand. All previously painted areas may need a good scrubbing with the gray scratch pad for cleanup and good paint adhesion. The non-painted areas (rotor braking surface, wheel studs, caliper piston dust seal and bleed cap, etc) should be taped up to avoid being painted. Paint is the same rattle can as used for the rear drums in Part I and I generously applied it to the rotors cooling fins.
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    **NOTE** I drive at the speed of really cold molasses so rotor cooling should not be an issue. If you are doing autocross or are a heavy-footed braker, skip painting the rotor's cooling fins.
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    Outer/curbside view:
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    Inner/backside view:
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    The caliper, backing plate and hub all got a blast of drab green rattle can paint. The camera makes it look yellow but it is a few shades different to off-set the car's actual color. In today's world it's no longer necessary for the carpet to match the drapes for something to look good. Tape off the items you do not want painted. More blue tape here for the rubber brake line, wheel studs, and caliper piston dust boot.. Also notice the lower plastic inner fender/splash shield (near where the mudflap would go) is now detached. (More on that in a second.)
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    While the painted items are drying, let's take a look behind the inner fender splash sheild!
    A small screwdriver and a little finesse will allow you to pry each of the three plastic rivets heads up about 1/4 of an inch or so and then they can be pulled right out.
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    Pulling the plastic sheild aside we can now look behind it.
    Nothing there except a dead fly!
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    Looking from the top of the fender down (with the hood open) you can see how accessible this area will be to falling debris like pine needles, leaves, etc.
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    Win-lose-or-draw, this pocket is going to get undercoated:
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    ***Note***
    Although I don't have a pic, if you shine a flashlight waaaaay up into the top of the inner front wheelwell, look up into the shock tower area, you may see it lacks undercoating. Surely the salt and sand from the spinning tire will be hurled up there. Give it a blast!
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    A da Vinci is born!
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    The paint is dry and it's time to untape everything and reassemble. Don't forget to torque the front wheel lugs! (Minimum at 65ft/lbs here.)
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    The color on this digital da Vinci masterpiece doesn't look nearly as nice as the real McCoy. The finishing touch is the Mona Alloy's smile - the center cap Mitsubishi recess. Using just a bit more paint, we fill in that area and VOILA!
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    All assembled and back where we started, this Mirage is now better prepared to battle the salt, sand, slush and slop of its first New England winter!
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    Until next time, enjoy the drive and exceptional fuel economy in your Mitsubishi Mirage!!

    ~CrazyJerry
    Last edited by CrazyJerry; 01-21-2019 at 10:19 PM. Reason: added pic.. and another pic

  3. The Following 4 Users Say Thank You to CrazyJerry For This Useful Post:

    Charlie (07-30-2014),Donut (07-28-2014),MetroMPG (07-29-2014),ToXiQ (10-18-2014)

  4. #13
    Quote Originally Posted by CrazyJerry View Post
    The dealer where I got the Mirage has these stripes on many of the cars there. ... Between the color of the car and the addition of the stripe, I feel like I'm always on vacation (even though it's been decades since one of those!!)
    Thanks. like the palm tree too - nice touch.

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2014 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 63.2 mpg (US) ... 26.9 km/L ... 3.7 L/100 km ... 75.9 mpg (Imp)


  5. #14
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    Thanks for the write up! How much time did it take you to do all of this?

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    Quote Originally Posted by cookiemonster View Post
    Thanks for the write up! How much time did it take you to do all of this?
    You're very welcome!
    The rear from start to finish on both sides in the driveway took about 2.5 hours total. Keep in mind I was the customer, mechanic, photographer, etc...

    The front took about 3.5 hours total with the removal/painting of the calipers / rotors/ wheel centers and area of the lower fender pocket.

    The rear was on a Saturday and the Front on a Sunday so I didn't kill too much of any single day. I took a couple of breaks to transfer a full camera of pics to computer too so there's that time too... And of course there's one eye on Dottie....

    ~CrazyJerry

  7. The Following User Says Thank You to CrazyJerry For This Useful Post:

    MetroMPG (07-29-2014)

  8. #16
    Senior Member Charlie's Avatar
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    Do you recommend doing this (protection from corrosion, rusting) if you live in a hot climate where it does not snow (roads not treated with salt)?

    Good job with the DIY. Love seeing the DIY database grow on this forum, one of the big reasons I joined!

    Can't wait till someone writes up a DIY for transmission servicing on our vehicles! Good job again!

    -Charlie-

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    Quote Originally Posted by Charlie View Post
    Do you recommend doing this (protection from corrosion, rusting) if you live in a hot climate where it does not snow (roads not treated with salt)?

    Good job with the DIY. Love seeing the DIY database grow on this forum, one of the big reasons I joined!

    Can't wait till someone writes up a DIY for transmission servicing on our vehicles! Good job again!

    -Charlie-
    Hi Charlie,
    Good question! We could use your info (Florida?) as an example. It is warm there and the winters are certainly not what they are in northern NY, however, are you inland or near the coastal areas? Reason for asking is I've seen plenty of cars from coastal areas where the salt in the air from the sea/ocean can wreak havoc on any exposed metal. So whereas the undersides of our cars here may dissolve, other geographical areas prone to salt water oxidation can show up along places like pinch welds (front of hood, around doors). Axle shafts, suspension, etc can also be greatly affected. Other examples can be where mirrors, mouldings, emblems attach. Chrome can end up a mess especially the backside you seldom see, and then there's exposed wiring ends or light sockets, etc..

    Drive around your area and look for the cars that are roughly 7-10 years old. If they look relatively rust free then the factory undercoating is probably just fine. (look for the alloy wheels for signs of white puffy corrosion corrosion ) These are all tell tale signs of how a car will fare that has lived locally.

    Not too long ago I had a much smaller version of the Mirage:

    See it here

    Most of these cars dissolved. The one I referenced had an excellent swath of undercoating in all the areas I outlined with the Mirage and it was as solid as the day it was new. So it do believe there is value especially if I were looking for a good used Mirage...

    Another angle: the car is is a warm climate now - but will it always be? If for some reason there is a relocation to the liquid abrasive salt flats of a place like northern NY, then it would be prepared for battle.

    There's a long answer to a short question and I hope that helps.

    ~CrazyJerry
    Last edited by CrazyJerry; 01-21-2019 at 10:20 PM.

  10. #18
    Not too long ago I had a much smaller version of the Mirage:

    See it here
    Wow. I've seen photos of that Honda before, but had no idea how small it really was.

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2014 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 63.2 mpg (US) ... 26.9 km/L ... 3.7 L/100 km ... 75.9 mpg (Imp)


  11. #19
    Senior Member kerc's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by MetroMPG View Post
    Wow. I've seen photos of that Honda before, but had no idea how small it really was.
    Same here. That's almost Peel P50 tiny!

  12. #20
    Senior Member Charlie's Avatar
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    @CrazyJerry
    Thanks for the 'long' reply! Those are the best kind, you get the best explanation that way since you get more info!

    Thankfully, I live in central FL, so not in a coastal area. I didn't know just being in a coastal area would do that too!

    Someone please explain that to me. When you distill water, minerals and of course salt, are left behind since their heavier weight will not allow them to travel with the water vapor. This is of course why rain water, even when evaporated from the sea, is not salty. So..how can there be salt in the air??

    I was thinking if you live in Miami, but you don't actually go to the beach, just stay in the city, you should be fine?

    -Charlie-



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