How To Dismantle An Elemack Spyder Dolly
- If your dolly is in good condition then it really doesn’t matter whether you choose to dismantle the leg mechanics before the column or not.
- By removing the column first you have less weight in the base when it comes to putting it on blocks to drain the oil and when it comes to dismantling the legs. It is however more convenient to drain the oil from the sump and remove the bottom access to the hydraulics with the legs in place, as you can drain the oil into a bucket and oil pan while the legs are supported on stage boxes or similar.
- Have lots of Garage Grade Latex gloves handy, you are going to need them if you are to have any hope of staying clean! Though as we used to say, getting dirty hands comes with the territory!
- Unless the dolly has been subject to any ‘convenient’ parts replacements, all securing screws are metric. However, some hydraulic parts may require imperial size spanners.
- The lock nuts used to secure shafts and bearings in the Spyder Dolly and other Elemack products are available from SKF the bearing manufacturer. Spanners to the various sizes required are available as sets or individually from SKF and a variety of third-party vendors. Note, though metric, there are some weird sizes.
- You will need a good selection of tools, including spanners, wrenches and grips, screwdrivers, allen keys, punches, and a rubber mallet has often proved useful.
- Solvents and cleaners such as TF90 and WD40 are useful to have around. However, note, while they are useful to have around during a strip down, they should be used with care during a rebuild as solvents can destroy the properties of rubber seals, degrade grease and contaminate hydraulic oil.
- The following pages will take you through the process of dismantling an Elemack Spyder Dolly.
