I replaced the whole steering system last weekend. It was meant to last another week, as last weekend was meant to be the weekend to fully move out of the old house and get it ready for inspection. As it turned out, I had to do it during the week after work.
The job was really easy. I just got the front of the car up on chassis stands, removed the hydraulic lines and reservior from the pump, removed the steering linkage and hydraulic lines from the steering rack, then replaced the rack and pump, and hooked up the hydraulic lines again.
The old rack was really worn, with one of the steering rods having over 2mm of play. When the new rack went on, setting the toe-in was quite difficult. I got it near enough and went down to the wheel alignment place and got it done properly. The only other hassle was doing up the rods without breaking the rubber boots on the rack. Where the boot goes over the rod, it fits quite tight. As the rod has to be turned to tighten it, the boot tends to twist. The boots are crucial for keeping dust and road muck out of the rack. I removed the clips on the end of the boots pushed them back a bit and put WD-40 under the boot. This allowed the steering rod to turn inside the boot without damaging it.
The car now feels much better. I hadn't realised that rod was loose. The car now doesn't tend to take it's own course when it hits an irregularity in the road. Now I'm not fighting the car, it's much more relaxing to drive and gives me much more confidence at speed.
Now to do the rest of the suspension, in the next few weeks I'm getting Kings springs, Koni shocks and Nolethane bushes all round. Upgraded swaybars and a strut brace will soon follow, all in preparation for the new power plant.
Friday, March 31, 2006
Thursday, March 23, 2006
Power Steering Failure
My power steering has finally decided to die. It has had major fluid leaks for a few weeks, which have slowly been getting worse. Now the pump has seized because of no power steering fluid, and the belt just makes smoke because the pully won't turn. I've just sourced a reco rack and pump for $470 from the local power steering place.
It's a common problem with the older Commodores as they are quite heavy on the front and have a sharp rack and pinion set up which relies quite heavily on hydraulics. I have been driving without power steering for a week or two which has been interesting, and has really helped build up my arm strength.
I'm looking forward to installing a nice new (reco) pump, rack, tie rod ends and I'll get a much needed wheel alignment on the weekend.
The guys at Ryde Power Steering Pty Ltd have been great. They didn't realise I needed one today, as I probably didn't explain my self properly on the phone, but they are flatout getting one ready for me before close of play today (Friday afternoon).
Here's a free plug for them, I'd give them a link, but they have no website.
It's a common problem with the older Commodores as they are quite heavy on the front and have a sharp rack and pinion set up which relies quite heavily on hydraulics. I have been driving without power steering for a week or two which has been interesting, and has really helped build up my arm strength.
I'm looking forward to installing a nice new (reco) pump, rack, tie rod ends and I'll get a much needed wheel alignment on the weekend.
The guys at Ryde Power Steering Pty Ltd have been great. They didn't realise I needed one today, as I probably didn't explain my self properly on the phone, but they are flatout getting one ready for me before close of play today (Friday afternoon).
Here's a free plug for them, I'd give them a link, but they have no website.
Wednesday, March 22, 2006
M7 Toll Set To Increase Next Saturday
The toll on the M7 is set to increase next Saturday as is explained in a small obscure place on their website, which I'm not going to link to. Nice scheme. Make it cheap, get people used to it, then, when it's percieved as a good thing, fleece them for all they're worth, then a bit. This makes me glad that I never started using it.
Speed Cameras. Another Reason To Avoid Sydney's TollRoads
I am hearing from more and more people who are being booked for minor speed offences (10km over the limit) or less while using Sydney's privately owned tollroads. Namely the cross city tunnel. I just heard from a guy who was booked for doing 90 in the tunnel. The speed limit is 80 apparently.
All reports indicate that there is usually no one in the tunnel for obvious reasons. When I see stuff like this day in and day out, and premier Iemma comes on the radio saying "We only put cameras in black spots" and such meaningless idiotic statements as "There's no such thing as safe speeding", I fail to see how these cameras exist for any other reason than to make money.
Imagine paying through the nose to use an inadequately built tollroad such as the cross city tunnel, an you have only paid to use it because the roads you used to use have been closed off, and then you get pinged again with a $200 fine for going 10km/h too fast on a road with no one else on it.
Another thing that worries me, is that if one of these cameras were faulty, and I get a ticket, even though I'm not actually speeding, what comeback do I have? I get a ticket in the mail a few weeks later, and I can't even remember the trip. Most punters will get the ticket in the mail, and say "Oh, well, I must have been speeding because the camera says so", and pay the money. I would probably do the same because I don't have the time or money to fight it.
If I know a road has a speed camera, I will always choose an alternate route for this very reason, tollway or no tollway. Even if it means backstreets and speed humps. Again, I'd rather pay for tyres and suspension than give money to the government for free (well, more than I already do anyway).
I have only lost one point from my license, and that was in Melbourne, by a speed camera that was mounted within 200m of a speed limit change, and I was booked for doing 84km/h in an 80 zone. After an experience like that, one does tend to see the whole "speed kills" campaign as nothing more than propaganda to justify the rorting of motorists in this way. Safety doesn't have anything to do with it.
I would have lost many more points from my license (maybe all of them) if I had not chosen to avoid all roads with speed cameras installed. Especially when you see all the court cases being raised recently because of their alleged innacuracies.
If the government cared at all about road safety, they would make it harder to get a license, they would fix the inadequate roads and the numerous dangerous intersections that exist in Sydney. You only have to look at the on-going issues with expansion joints on the M4, and the RTA's refusal to install flashing lights around schools to inform motorists when they should slow down during shool hours to see how much the RTA and the government care about your safety.
All reports indicate that there is usually no one in the tunnel for obvious reasons. When I see stuff like this day in and day out, and premier Iemma comes on the radio saying "We only put cameras in black spots" and such meaningless idiotic statements as "There's no such thing as safe speeding", I fail to see how these cameras exist for any other reason than to make money.
Imagine paying through the nose to use an inadequately built tollroad such as the cross city tunnel, an you have only paid to use it because the roads you used to use have been closed off, and then you get pinged again with a $200 fine for going 10km/h too fast on a road with no one else on it.
Another thing that worries me, is that if one of these cameras were faulty, and I get a ticket, even though I'm not actually speeding, what comeback do I have? I get a ticket in the mail a few weeks later, and I can't even remember the trip. Most punters will get the ticket in the mail, and say "Oh, well, I must have been speeding because the camera says so", and pay the money. I would probably do the same because I don't have the time or money to fight it.
If I know a road has a speed camera, I will always choose an alternate route for this very reason, tollway or no tollway. Even if it means backstreets and speed humps. Again, I'd rather pay for tyres and suspension than give money to the government for free (well, more than I already do anyway).
I have only lost one point from my license, and that was in Melbourne, by a speed camera that was mounted within 200m of a speed limit change, and I was booked for doing 84km/h in an 80 zone. After an experience like that, one does tend to see the whole "speed kills" campaign as nothing more than propaganda to justify the rorting of motorists in this way. Safety doesn't have anything to do with it.
I would have lost many more points from my license (maybe all of them) if I had not chosen to avoid all roads with speed cameras installed. Especially when you see all the court cases being raised recently because of their alleged innacuracies.
If the government cared at all about road safety, they would make it harder to get a license, they would fix the inadequate roads and the numerous dangerous intersections that exist in Sydney. You only have to look at the on-going issues with expansion joints on the M4, and the RTA's refusal to install flashing lights around schools to inform motorists when they should slow down during shool hours to see how much the RTA and the government care about your safety.
Monday, March 20, 2006
Labor Plans to Restrict Internet In Australia
In the news today, Labor has put forward that they want to force all ISPs in Australia to filter all traffic. The plan is to filter all internet users, unless they opt out of the filter. The result of this, is that all uneducated computer users will be prevented from seeing websites that our government don't want them to see. Child protection has, of course been raised as the reason for this.
"That is not good enough when research suggests that the exposure of children and others in the community to this sickening content can lead to aggression towards women and child abuse." said Kim Beazley. What research? Who paid for that research? When was the research done? What was the nature of the study?
Too often the mainstream media sweepingly quotes "research", and that is not good enough. Government sponsored research is a crock at the best of times. We only have to look at the "research" that says I'm more likely to die if I'm breaking the speed limit by 5 km/h. It's not research, it's bollocks put forward as research to support their method of revenue raising.
Australia already has some of the tightest internet regulation in the world. Many sites were forced to move off shore because of our draconian internet censorship scheme, taking jobs with them. These wern't all porn sites either. These planned changes will bring us even closer to China.
There are already filtering program available to parents. The government's excuse is that these are too hard for most parents to install. Well, if parents are stupid enough to let their kids loose on the internet, and they don't know how to use it themselves or watch what their kids are doing, then they are negligent. I'm sorry but I just don't buy it. This is nothing to do with kids, it's about restricting information.
I don't care about the filters, I will just use encryption via a proxy, and most kids will do the same. I know of school kids that are more proficient on computers and the internet than myself, and I've been doing this a long time now. It's almost scary how good some of them are. Once everyone is using proxies, the ISPs and the government will have no way of knowing what data is being transmitted and recieved, let alone where it is going.
The internet is the last (first?) medium of free information exchange among the world's citizens. Lets not let the clowns who run this place into the ground destroy the internet for us aswell. Hopefully Labor will not get elected federally. We can only hope the rest of Australia will see what Labor has done to NSW and not let them do the same to the whole country.
"That is not good enough when research suggests that the exposure of children and others in the community to this sickening content can lead to aggression towards women and child abuse." said Kim Beazley. What research? Who paid for that research? When was the research done? What was the nature of the study?
Too often the mainstream media sweepingly quotes "research", and that is not good enough. Government sponsored research is a crock at the best of times. We only have to look at the "research" that says I'm more likely to die if I'm breaking the speed limit by 5 km/h. It's not research, it's bollocks put forward as research to support their method of revenue raising.
Australia already has some of the tightest internet regulation in the world. Many sites were forced to move off shore because of our draconian internet censorship scheme, taking jobs with them. These wern't all porn sites either. These planned changes will bring us even closer to China.
There are already filtering program available to parents. The government's excuse is that these are too hard for most parents to install. Well, if parents are stupid enough to let their kids loose on the internet, and they don't know how to use it themselves or watch what their kids are doing, then they are negligent. I'm sorry but I just don't buy it. This is nothing to do with kids, it's about restricting information.
I don't care about the filters, I will just use encryption via a proxy, and most kids will do the same. I know of school kids that are more proficient on computers and the internet than myself, and I've been doing this a long time now. It's almost scary how good some of them are. Once everyone is using proxies, the ISPs and the government will have no way of knowing what data is being transmitted and recieved, let alone where it is going.
The internet is the last (first?) medium of free information exchange among the world's citizens. Lets not let the clowns who run this place into the ground destroy the internet for us aswell. Hopefully Labor will not get elected federally. We can only hope the rest of Australia will see what Labor has done to NSW and not let them do the same to the whole country.
Sunday, March 19, 2006
Harold Scruby Nominated for Bent Spoon Award
Harold Scruby has been nominated for a Bent Spoon Award on the Australian Skeptics website.
The reasons for nomination are well explained:
Nominee: Harold Scruby
Nominated by: David Perkins
Date: 21/12/2005
The reasons for nomination are well explained:
Nominee: Harold Scruby
Nominated by: David Perkins
Date: 21/12/2005
For his constant refusal to let facts get in the way of an argument. This guy:
* ran over a jogger in his car, then got off because it was the joggers fault,
* created a rule to not allow Japanese or Korean people into the exclusive Cabbage Treet club (not only has the rule been overturned, so has his membership),
* was the whole Ausflag debate from a few years ago....,
* is currently the president of the Pedestrian Council of One. He is anti 4WD at the moment (despite driving one himself), anti bullbar (despite being the spokesperson for a type of bull bar!)(see Smartbar), and just basically a pain in the neck.
All his facts are taken from surveys of his mates, or statistics selected specifically to suit his needs. For example, one of his oft quoted facts is that 90% of 4WD's never see dirt, despite 32% of 4WD's being registered in Rural/ non-urban postcodes.... Another example would be the misguided opinion that 4WD's are responsible for most pedestrian accidents. RTA statistics prove that 4WD's, Utes and Vans together account for 15% of pedestrian fatalities (despite being around 25% of the vehicles on the road), wheras 66% of fatalities are caused by sedans!
See www.trac.com.au for confirmation of facts.
Friday, March 17, 2006
SpyFalcon :: Spyware That Poses as Anti Spyware
I have recently fallen victim to this hidious program that is quite difficult to remove. SpyFalcon is a spyware program that installs it's self into your machine when you visit certain websites. The thing about SpyFalcon is that it installs, and then proceeds to issue fake warning pop-ups telling you that you have spyware on your computer. They then tell you that you need to purchase the SpyFalcon software to remove these security breaches. SpyFalcon IS the security breach. The software it's self MAY work, but the way it is distributed, by installing scripts on machines with out permission is wrong, and the company deserves to be sent to the wall, or sued for more than they are worth.
In the meantime, there is a good way to remove SpyFalcon from your machine, so you will not get these pop-ups any more. The full procedure to remove SpyFalcon is listed here.
For a bit more info about SpyFalcon and the deceptive way it works:
"SpyFalcon is a rogue anti-spyware program that uses a Trojan horse to infect computers. It produces a task bar balloon pop-up warning about a spyware threat that in most cases does not exist, unless you count its own Trojan. The pop-up is actually a deceptive advertisement designed to prompt the user into downloading SpyFalcon." As quoted from this site.
For those who are more academically inclined, Wikipedia also have an entry dedicated to SpyFalcon, which explains this security threat and some of the earlier malicious spyware programs that it originated from, such as SpyAxe and SpyWareStrike, which, although I have never come across, seem to have worked in the same or similar way. Here is the WikiPedia article on SpyFalcon.
The clowns who wrote SpyFalcon need to be shut down and prosecuted. For the integrity of the internet, they need to be tracked down, fined for 50% more than the net value of all their assets, and then locked up for a good 5-10 years. I call on the governement to make an example of these kind of people. Unfortunately, they are probably operating from a 3rd world country where decent laws do not apply. As the internet develops, they will be dealt with eventually, I'm sure.
Here is some more great information on SpyFalcon.
In the meantime, there is a good way to remove SpyFalcon from your machine, so you will not get these pop-ups any more. The full procedure to remove SpyFalcon is listed here.
For a bit more info about SpyFalcon and the deceptive way it works:
"SpyFalcon is a rogue anti-spyware program that uses a Trojan horse to infect computers. It produces a task bar balloon pop-up warning about a spyware threat that in most cases does not exist, unless you count its own Trojan. The pop-up is actually a deceptive advertisement designed to prompt the user into downloading SpyFalcon." As quoted from this site.
For those who are more academically inclined, Wikipedia also have an entry dedicated to SpyFalcon, which explains this security threat and some of the earlier malicious spyware programs that it originated from, such as SpyAxe and SpyWareStrike, which, although I have never come across, seem to have worked in the same or similar way. Here is the WikiPedia article on SpyFalcon.
The clowns who wrote SpyFalcon need to be shut down and prosecuted. For the integrity of the internet, they need to be tracked down, fined for 50% more than the net value of all their assets, and then locked up for a good 5-10 years. I call on the governement to make an example of these kind of people. Unfortunately, they are probably operating from a 3rd world country where decent laws do not apply. As the internet develops, they will be dealt with eventually, I'm sure.
Here is some more great information on SpyFalcon.
Monday, March 13, 2006
Cross City Funnel - I Still Won't Use It
In a cynical attempt to drag motorists into the failed Cross City Tunnel, they have halved the toll and reversed some road changes.
Not good enough. Forget the tunnel. I'm not going into the city full stop, until the traffic light changes are reversed, and ALL the roads are re-opened. It's quite funny, I used to go into the city a bit, but since this tunnel opened, I just don't have the time to sit in traffic. I avoid it at all costs. I even know some tradesmen who do not take jobs on if they are in the city, just because it is unviable to spend 2 hours sitting in traffic just to get there.
Clover Moore can have her "garden city" with no roads or cars. There just won't be anybody there. As a 25 year old male, I will not get on a train in this city for fear of being mugged. Even in the day. I just know too many people that have run into trouble, and some of those people are much better able to defend themselves than I am. I'm just a skinny computer guy:)
Same goes for the M7. Everyone is raving about how good it is. I disagree. It should be a public road, funded by the government out of the massive taxes we pay to them. It doesn't have enough lanes, and therefore is nothing more than another inadequate piece of rubbish designed to make money for some corporation (Macquarie Bank, I believe. Surprise surprise.) I can't verify this, but I used to use Old Windsor Rd, which joins to the M7 every day, and ever since the M7 was opened, the traffic lights on Old Windsor Rd were more often red than green. I wonder what the reason for that would be. Couldn't be to force more people onto the tollroad could it?
I will continue to punch through the back streets to avoid these toll roads, and I'm currently modifying my car to handle chicanes, roundabouts and speed humps more quickly so I don't lose much time as I take my alternate routes. The cost of the petrol I use while hooning through the back streets is far less than the cost of paying the tolls. Tyres may be a different story, but I'd rather pay a bit more to tyre companies for actual tyres than to be rorted by Macquarie Bank for using a road. It's more fun to roar through backstreets than to sit on a tollway which is gridlocked with traffic anyway. They all have inadequate lanes, so this is always the case.
Make the Cross City Tunnel free, remove all traffic light changes and road closures, and then maybe I'll think about using it.
Not good enough. Forget the tunnel. I'm not going into the city full stop, until the traffic light changes are reversed, and ALL the roads are re-opened. It's quite funny, I used to go into the city a bit, but since this tunnel opened, I just don't have the time to sit in traffic. I avoid it at all costs. I even know some tradesmen who do not take jobs on if they are in the city, just because it is unviable to spend 2 hours sitting in traffic just to get there.
Clover Moore can have her "garden city" with no roads or cars. There just won't be anybody there. As a 25 year old male, I will not get on a train in this city for fear of being mugged. Even in the day. I just know too many people that have run into trouble, and some of those people are much better able to defend themselves than I am. I'm just a skinny computer guy:)
Same goes for the M7. Everyone is raving about how good it is. I disagree. It should be a public road, funded by the government out of the massive taxes we pay to them. It doesn't have enough lanes, and therefore is nothing more than another inadequate piece of rubbish designed to make money for some corporation (Macquarie Bank, I believe. Surprise surprise.) I can't verify this, but I used to use Old Windsor Rd, which joins to the M7 every day, and ever since the M7 was opened, the traffic lights on Old Windsor Rd were more often red than green. I wonder what the reason for that would be. Couldn't be to force more people onto the tollroad could it?
I will continue to punch through the back streets to avoid these toll roads, and I'm currently modifying my car to handle chicanes, roundabouts and speed humps more quickly so I don't lose much time as I take my alternate routes. The cost of the petrol I use while hooning through the back streets is far less than the cost of paying the tolls. Tyres may be a different story, but I'd rather pay a bit more to tyre companies for actual tyres than to be rorted by Macquarie Bank for using a road. It's more fun to roar through backstreets than to sit on a tollway which is gridlocked with traffic anyway. They all have inadequate lanes, so this is always the case.
Make the Cross City Tunnel free, remove all traffic light changes and road closures, and then maybe I'll think about using it.
Friday, March 10, 2006
Rental Market in Sydney is Red Hot
As I have written in the last post, I have recently moved house. The couple that I was living with wanted to get their own house togeather and I was ready to move to an older house where I can build engines and partake in other messy persuits without worrying about making a brand new house dirty.
Luckily I found an old friend who has the perfect place, and I am comfortably in there now. My friends that I used to live with are having nothing but trouble finding a place. The market is crazy, and there are simply more people trying to rent than there are houses. Real Estate agents are flat out and most houses are taken the day they are first expected (as ours was) with about eight applicants.
Unfortunately, this makes things difficult for young people, as the houses tend to go to middle aged couples with families, as you would expect. I know if I had a house to rent out, I would be going with the middle aged couple rather than the young people.
When I took out the lease on the last house, the rental market was similarly heated, as Bob Carr had just brought in land tax changes which was forcing many owners to sell their investment properties. This caused many tennants to be displaced at the end of their leases, as happened to us. It seems that the recent downturn in the Sydney property market and reviews to the tax scheme have done little to change the situation.
Part of the problem is the fact that for most middle income earners, especially younger people, it is simply out of the question to purchase any kind of residence in Sydney. This means EVERYONE has to rent.
I'm hoping my friends can find a place, I'm helping them any way I can, because I know they are good tennants. I also hope the rental market in Sydney becomes more balanced because there must be a lot of people at the moment going through major stress trying to find rental accomodation.
Luckily I found an old friend who has the perfect place, and I am comfortably in there now. My friends that I used to live with are having nothing but trouble finding a place. The market is crazy, and there are simply more people trying to rent than there are houses. Real Estate agents are flat out and most houses are taken the day they are first expected (as ours was) with about eight applicants.
Unfortunately, this makes things difficult for young people, as the houses tend to go to middle aged couples with families, as you would expect. I know if I had a house to rent out, I would be going with the middle aged couple rather than the young people.
When I took out the lease on the last house, the rental market was similarly heated, as Bob Carr had just brought in land tax changes which was forcing many owners to sell their investment properties. This caused many tennants to be displaced at the end of their leases, as happened to us. It seems that the recent downturn in the Sydney property market and reviews to the tax scheme have done little to change the situation.
Part of the problem is the fact that for most middle income earners, especially younger people, it is simply out of the question to purchase any kind of residence in Sydney. This means EVERYONE has to rent.
I'm hoping my friends can find a place, I'm helping them any way I can, because I know they are good tennants. I also hope the rental market in Sydney becomes more balanced because there must be a lot of people at the moment going through major stress trying to find rental accomodation.
Thursday, March 09, 2006
PC Power Supply Failure
The power supply of a PC is one of the most common points of failure. My PC had been playing up for a while. When I would power it up, it would turn on momentarily and then switch it's self off. After this, it would require the plug to be pulled (or the power button to be held down) to reset it before powering up again. For a long time it would always fire up on the second go. Interestingly, it only started doing this after I upgraded the graphics card and moved to dual SATA drives, so the extra load must have pushed the old 350 watt PSU over the edge.
I recently moved house, and when I tried to get it going after the move, it would switch off again every time, not allowing me to start it up. In my stupidity, I tried this too many times and ended up corrupting the boot sector on my system drive.
I got a 450watt power supply with built in SATA power plugs, and it's all working well now. I had to load the recovery console and run chkdsk, fixmbr and fixboot, and luckily the hard drives are not physically damaged.
I recently moved house, and when I tried to get it going after the move, it would switch off again every time, not allowing me to start it up. In my stupidity, I tried this too many times and ended up corrupting the boot sector on my system drive.
I got a 450watt power supply with built in SATA power plugs, and it's all working well now. I had to load the recovery console and run chkdsk, fixmbr and fixboot, and luckily the hard drives are not physically damaged.
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