rockinroyston

Thanks all just going through my bloggs & hadn't seen these replies, I thought you got an e-mail when people commented but obviously not!

Yes good luck! I'm just behind Jerry in my build... first time for me & its been 'interesting' but touch wood no disasters as yet & progress is being made!

So had a few random 3 hrs sessions over the last few days so a quick summation... Dion tube: Brake line attached & built up the ears & stuff. Can I just thank Andrew Bissell & his fantastic Blogg! I have to say without this I would have ground to a halt really really quickly. The photo's with the bolts for the ears & brakes is invaluable. I have used his blogg for lots of things but this bit saved the day. http://caterhamsevenbuild.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/build-day-11-rear-wheels-left.html One thing I hadn't picked up on, the nut that holds on the 3 way brake adapter to the Dion tube stud is not metric.... after a bit of searching I found a suitable lock nut with a white insert... Didn't do too much damage when I was attempting to put on a metric nut... I had purchased a brake line bending tool... waste of time when you already have a fixing on the end of the tube as you have no room to use it...used a large socket to bend it around like everyone else seems to! Next stage the manual says insert the tube from the right hand side of the car as if its really important. I was a bit worried about this as I had no room on the right hand side. Inserted it from the left with no issues at all... who knows... A frame, after fannying about got this loosely connected. Shock absorbers Disconnected A frame.... feeling well pleased with myself that I'd put on my roll bar & then suddenly remembered I hadn't torqued the bolts up... well remembered me!... mucked about for a good 10 minutes trying to find an Allen key that fitted with no joy, I then finally peered up the tube & noticed I hadn't put a bolt in... for gods sake... this is the trouble with doing short sessions... anyway... bolt inserted, & torqued up... job done. I can now see why you are warned not to strip the lower bolts of the shocks. After mucking about for a while I got the bolts in & managed not to strip them. Then re connected the A frame with no issues. Radius arms Checked with Derek & these go in the bottom hole he also advised that the pressing should go next to the caliper... I obviously ignored this snippet of info & found out why you do this when I tried to assemble the brakes...Had to drill a hole through the bottom hole as there was no corresponding hole in the steel behind it. A frame Forgot to mention that before I did the radius arms I put the washers on the end of the A frame. By some miracle I ended up with 4 on the LH side & 3 on the right hand side (which is what it says in the manual!) & the ends of the Dion tube were identical each side when measured to the chassis... wonders will never cease. I was getting a bit tired now & started losing the plot a bit... Started assembling the ears & brakes & inserting the half shaft... Struggled a bit & called a halt when Derek pointed out I'd not put on my rear brake disc... update: also noticed from photos on Jerrys Blogg (https://jigthecat.tumblr.com/) that I left off the two spacers from the brake caliper... oops... but better to find out now anyway! I probably would have noticed when the disc didn't fit in the gap... So I sort of have a rear suspension installed just need to get the brake bit sorted & make a start on the rear ARB... One thing I did find out.. the hub nuts are different sizes! The one with the LH thread (nearside) has a 41mm nut which I had previous bought a socket for.. the RH (RH thread) side has a 41.5mm nut... Derek has said he will send me one which is very nice of him!

That's me out of idea's then LOl, I'd try the tech area for a more informed diagnosis tho.

Flat battery?

Suffered from displacement 'top bolt' avoidance today but in the end crept into the garage... Previously had an e-mail from Derek confirming my bottom spacer arrangement was 'fine' & not an issue.. so no excuses not to continue... After dropping a few spacers covered in copper slip into my eyes I finally got 2 in a side, any attempt at putting a 3rd in wasn't going to happen & they seemed to fill the space. Access was a nightmare & this job comes under the heading of 'annoying'... First attempt at putting the bolt in resulted in a very solid 'thunk' which didn't sound very hopeful. Had a squint down the hole & it looked like the diff needed raising a smidge. Using the engine hoist I gave it a tentative pump, not much happened but the bolt that was previously tight became loose so that was a good sign. gave the big bolt another tap & presto... few more light taps & then heard the satisfying clank of a bolt falling out the other side... result! So job done & well happy! I quickly torqued up all the boltsnuts (in case they suddenly leapt out for no reason obviously...). Attached the prop shaft (which I had remembered to put in!), needed to take of the grease nipple to get the torque wrench on one of the bolts. Then pottered around & did a few random jobs like the accelerator cable... Gave myself a fright when I was bending the lever on top of the pedal (quite a lot...) as my wooden block fell out from under the pedal mid bend & I thought I'd snapped it off... so I now have two functioning pedals! (Clutch & accelerator). Used a drift inside the tube, a perfect fit but I was a bit concerned about breaking the pedal... seems a random way of taking up slack in a cable but there you go... Well chuffed to get this Diff job off my list, I now need to read the manual to work out what needs to be done on the back end...

I have one of these, its amazing. I keep it in the glovebox of my dodge ram (v8 5.7l...) first time I used it on a completely dead battery it started first time, you wouldn't believe it when you look at the size but it works! very solid & seems well made. I now have a new proper battery for the RAM... its a discontinued battery model & trying to get one in the UK was a challenge... https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01BEZV0IA/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

After two days of meetings in Cardiff I got back at 5pm & needed some R & R so decided to go for the other elephant in the room & attack the diff on my own... Decided to go for using the crane hoist to take the weight of the diff. Thought it would help to level the diff on the crane. It soom became apparent that this wasnt going to work as I couldnt get the angle on the top bolts with ths straps in the way. Reverted to attaching by the rear of the diff & then using my trolley jack to level the diff. So the order of play: 1) Got in two drifts into the top holes 2) Once the top was secured was able to fiddle around with the diff until the lower bolts went in (easy as the main weight was still on the crane) 3) Did up the bottom bolts (no washers) 4) Took out the drifts one at at time & lightly banged in twao bolts that were the same diameter as the long top bolt (these were the bolts that came with the gearbox that weren't needed 5) Took out the bottom bolts one at a time a fannied around with washers (see my email to Derek below...) Once I have a reply from Derek re the washers hopefully I will fill in the gaps on the top mounts with washers & hopefully the top bolt will just go in with minimal issues as one bolt will always be in place so everything should line up... famous last words! in my head I'm almost there but I'm well confused re the handbrake cable & my mind cant deal with it at the moment... hopefully its an easy fix... The aluminum strip that holds the boot floor is touching (firmly) the diff... obviously those self tapping screws are going back in a different place.... not sure if this is an issue but unless my chassis is completely up the creak... which I'm sure it isn't... Hi Derek Well I couldn't help myself when I got back & made a start.... needless to say I have a few questions (see photo's attached) 1) Hand brake cable I thought I'd understood this but I clearly don't... before I put the top bolt in (& then cry if I have to take it out) can you explain how the white plastic bits work (2) on the right hand side of the car & where they go? a picture may paint a thousand words... Also I mistakenly thought the silver metal cable would just slot into the mounts... it clearly doesn't as its too fat & I don't want to hit it with a hammer to get it in... with the plastic bits on the cable I'm very confused how you get them on the mounts (not helped by the fact I don't really understand their final resting place... 2) Bottom mounts I got these bolted on but try as I may I can only get 2 washers on one side & one on the other. I tried swapping sides to see if it would settle but its 2 on one side & one on the other which ever way I do it. I was expecting to have 2 a side. As far as centering the diff swapping the washers makes so little difference its pretty much within 'experimental error' which ever way they go? I'm using washers (21) which are fairly thin anyway? every time I measure it I get a different result... It looks like I have a much bigger gap on the top mounts I assume this is normal? I haven't tried packing with washers as yet (21's again?) but I'm pretty pleased with my progress tonight so am calling it a day.... I've temporarily put bolts in the top mounts that are the same size as the long bolt (they are the ones that went on the gearbox that I didn't need) One of these is loose(ish) so I'm hoping if I put the big bolt in this end it will just drive out the other bolt & job done! here's hoping... anyway... I've probably made a horrible error on the bottom mounts so let me know your thoughts & about the hand brake which I have a mental block on...

My Red Cross parcel of a new radiator & a bag of random bolts arrived from Caterham so a power e-mail session in the morning & then hot footed it to the garage... Front suspension.... finally done... correctly this time.. replaced special bolts with new ones & two new spacers. Did them up to the correct torque this time.. Front brake pipes done but not tightened yet... pretty sure they are OK but want to double check. Radiator... in & connected just leaving a few random pipes that I need to check with Derek on the correct routing as my engine seems to be at variance with a lot of the other bloggs set ups... fan seems to spin freely.. Starter solenoid wired up... what a bitch of a job! glad I don't have fat fingers! finally used a socket on a long extension & pushed all the wires into the right location & prayed the nut would catch which it did... glad I didn't connect all the modine pipes until I'd done this... Air filter fitted, (so I could check water pipe routes more than anything) I do seem to be left with two large random aluminum pipes which don't seem to have a home... e-mailed Derek. update: They go inside the rubber tube to stop it collapsing... obvious really... been a long day... Things broken today = 0

Had a spare hour allocated to me by the project manager so went for a glamor job & put the exhaust on. No issues, the clips were a bit of a struggle but using the cable tie method managed it in the end. One of them I had to loop a heavy duty cable tie around so I could give it a good pull over its clip. I was a bit concerned that the collector would be a struggle but it just slipped on to the other pipes with no issues. Left the rear silencer off until I've put the rear wing on which is the suggested method. When I got the pipes polished I forgot to identify them with a mark so had to work out which one was which. Not very hard but putting them in is a bit like doing one of those metal puzzles in a Christmas cracker. Started at the back & worked forward, got there in the end with some help from number one son who has good spatial skills! Still mystified by my breather bottle & thanks to Jig (Jerry Brown) for his input, its well handy having someone who is doing things roughly the same time as me! (& ahead...). I'm sure I already have a breather pipe fitted & don't need to install a separate bottle & pipework. e-mailed Derek for guidance before I drill any holes... Things broken today = 0 update: Derek has confirmed I don't need the breather bottle & it will be sent back with my dented radiator. The replacement radiator arrived today (Tuesday) along with a collection of missing bolts etc & replacements for the stuff I broke or destroyed... very efficient! I now have enough to be getting on with & can ignore the Diff project for a while.... living in denial... Further up date: When the car got taken in for its final checks etc etc (310 upgrade) it came back with a breather bottle installed... no mention of this on the final bill which was a bit strange as everything else was... to the last nut & bolt all rounded up to the nearest 30m mins grrr

Almost had a full day today which was great, progress a bit slow & it was pretty cold in the garage today! Clutch: Decided to bleed this while access was 'good', had a bit of a panic when I turned the bleed nipple & the whole silver tube started to turn... ran to Derek & he confirmed this was normal. Tested out my new brake bleeding tool that worked a treat, job done. Also was a bit thrown by the brass bolt in the clutch cylinder, Derek told me to bin it so I did & then everything was fine! Plumbing: Unwrapped the radiator... found it had a massive dent in it that was not caused by me... assembled what I could to familarise myself & then moved onto pipes. No major issues & it sort of made sense, the T piece through me for a while & I need to finish that connection off. Dont seem to have a thin pipe from the water bottle at the front to the back of the engine.. & I'm mystified where the engine breather bottle attaches too... I have a molded in pipe & it doesn't seem long enough to reach any suitable engine connection points... Heater controls all connected with no issues Accelerator cable: seems very long? & looks like you have to snip off the stop one end & then reattach a cable stop... I'll investigate what others have done... Not a bad day, abit it slow but at least I didn't break anything... but someone has taken a hammer to my radiator during its journey to me...

Just had a few mini sessions in the garage when I can sneak off... its not the most efficient way of working as re reading stuff all the time is a bit of a pain.. but needs must... Spent more time than I should have done trying to find the bolts for the bottom UJ on the steering... & then took a while to realise they wouldn't fit because I hadn't lined up the groove in the steering rod... got there in the end. I did have to check with Derek why the steering lock wasn't working... answer it doesn't when you have a removable steering wheel... hhhhmmm, thanks... I'll be on my way then.. So... deliberate mistake of the day caused by me doing short sessions & losing track... Finally got a deep socket to do up the special nut underneath the upright which has been an on going saga. misread the instructions & tightened up to 80 nm (should be 54 or thereabouts, without consulting the manual). One of them did do up this tight but on the other side the spacer collapsed, probably good it did otherwise I would not have known... damn.. I wasn't happy, had been within a whisker of finally getting the front suspension put to bed... e-mail to Derek admitting my failings & asking for two replacement spacers... I think he will have my name flagged on the wall by now... I intend to have a full day in the garage tomorrow as I think I have spun enough plates to go off the radar for a day... I'll just have to ignore the up right hanging off... I really need to get a good consistent run rather than popping in & out which I don't think helped the situation. Hopefully the spacers wont be a 'special order'... Found out a few other things, the hole in the Centre console on the drivers side isn't needed for anything with my gearbox, thats good because I couldn't see what on earth it was for. The back of the interior heater goes the wrong way up nowadays, which is good as there was no way it was going to fit the right way. So I'd say all in all, one step forward & one step back....

Had a few 3 hrs sessions & managed to achieve something: Torqued up a few bolts on the front suspension & then discovered i'd ordered the wrong size deep socket for the 'special nut' under the upright... doh... quick amazon order & should be with me tomorrow... Put in the gearshift & changed gear! Had a potter around with the steering rods & then decided to go for it... smothered it in washing up liquid & it just slipped in with no issues at all. Pretty sure the top grommet went in ok, it seemed to seat ok... hard to tell but it didn't move but quite difficult with washing up liquid everywhere... I seem to have a left over steering grommet but I cant see where it would go as the bottom one is pre installed at the factory (& I didn't knock out the white insert... hooray!) I did have to completely disconnect the steering rack from the chassis to get the lower rod in but it was loose anyway so no drama Couldn't work out which bolts went in the steering UJ or the clamp that connects the upper & lower rods & no lock nut from the grub screw... e-mail to Derek... Very initial look at the front brake hoses but unsure which outer washer & lock washer to use at the body work end as they weren't in the brake pack...another e-mail to Derek... Picked up my exhaust from the local polishers & it looks lovely! much better than how it arrived it has to be said. So far I have avoided any electrics or plumbing....

Well the day came.... A few minor jobs to complete: 1) Put the earth lead onto the bell housing as per the new method approved by CC 2) As suggested by a few people attempted to loosen the oil filter rather than doing it at a later date with the engine in the car... someone with arms like a gorilla must have put it on! broke one oil filer removing tool (rubber strap one) & had to move up a grade i.e one with a bicycle chain on it. Even checked with Derek that it didn't have a left handed thread on... eventually shifted it but I'd say the filters condition could now be described as 'used' but fortunately didn't puncture it so hopefully it will be OK until the first oil change. Done up hand tight? really?.... by a gorilla. Good I got this out of the way prior to it being in the engine bay anyway... Troops arrived & off we went! started at 10-30 & engine in by 12-00! very pleased. A bit of shoving & pushing but it eventually slipped in... I wont go into all the gory detail but if I was going to do it again (not any time soon....). 1) I'd reduce the amount of pipe lagging & maybe use a couple of layers of masking tape. We had to remove a lot of it as it was in the way.. 2) The cardboard is fine in the tunnel to prevent the initial side swipes but you have to remove it to get the engine in 3) Biggest issue I had was caused because the engine did not lift correctly (i.e. it was not level with the block) the covers are at about a 10 per cent angle not flat as you might expect. I did know this but in the end we had to put the gearbox mount on & then just hang the engine from one point on the front of the engine so we could lean it over correctly (with a bit of help from a jack underneath the engine). Once it was at the correct angle everything suddenly went in fine... But not sure how I would have improved the initial hang as there aren't many attachment options to hang the engine from the crane. How you would insert the engine without an engine leveler?... no idea... with difficulty! glad I bought one... Once the engine was in plenty of tea & back slapping & then close operations for the day as I wanted to 'read the manual' re the next stage.. not that this will help but may as well show willing... Sunday: Bit of torquing up & noticed one of the engine mounts (holding on the rubber blocks) was noticeable longer than the other 3. I'm guessing this is to account for the earth strap which no longer goes on the mount. Being OCD & not wanting one bolt to be hanging out further underneath the car e-mailed Derek to confirm & to send me a matching bolt... Not sure what I want to do next but may go for some lo tech jobs front brake pipes, hand brake cable & chase the metal polisher to see if he's finished my exhausts yet... oh & think about plugging some of the wiring in... maybe some plumbing...

Not too much to report today... Protected engine bay with pipe lagging & cardboard, ran out so will need some more pipe lagging Thanks to Jig's info I didnt dremmel my chassis as the earth wire goes to the bell housing & another one goes from the battery to a bolt hole to the left of the battery holder. Fitted the rubber engine mounts Took off the mounts from the engine. Fitted the water tube at the back of the engine (I hope I've cut it down enough as I can see this will be 'awkward' to get to once the engine is in. Calm before the storm...

Today I had set aside as a 'proper work day' (i.e. stuff other people pay me for LOL), wandered in the garage as you do with my morning cupper & whilst admiring my work something struck me that was not right at all.... On the top up rights the thread to the track rod end was very different each side... I'd followed the IKEA instructions & there was no mention of this & as the top track rods arrive pre installed on the upper wish bone I'd just bolted them on to the car like the pretty picture.... bad move... The old instructions specify how much thread should be showing (8) I had about 3 on one side & about 23 on the other.... Whilst I hadn't torqued up the track rod end it soon became apparent it didn't want to come out depressing.... e-mail to Derek... response 'hit it with a hammer & a drift'... that didn't work. Gave up for a while & went into the office to sulk. Later on phoned Derek & he confirmed that you hit it from the side... ahhh... tried that... didn't seem to work & I was just about to give up when pop.. out it came... Back to the office e-mailed thanks to Derek & got on with some paid work feeling a lot happier. So today we have: Disaster averted but I'm glad I hadn't rushed the build & missed this Top up rights dismantled & re-assembled correctly Bin the IKEA instructions as a disaster area... Replacement plastic ball arrived for the ARB, & then man handled the ARB in place with no issues at all! So for a day when I hadn't intended doing anything I seem to have made progress & averted an expensive Caterham re-build when they spotted it!

Thanks to a photo supplied by JIG I found the 'special Bolts' they were helpfully in the bag with all the rear brake pads... should have realised.. Also got another set in the post from Caterham so now I have spares.... So set to work on the front. No real issues & everything went on as expected. Only drama of any note was the front ARB... as per everyones instructions I soaked with rubber lubricant & got the 1st rubber halfway down the first straight & then it seized solid... refused to move in any direction. Had it in the workmate & I could see I was starting to damage the powder coat... time to stop & have a cup of tea... once the brain cells picked up I decided to have a go on the other mount & this time I heated it up in some boiling water & the good idea of the day was to use washing up liquid instead of rubber lubricant. It almost ran onto the tube on its own! Just had to get the other one off so I tried the washing up liquid trick & eventually got it moving. My theory is the rubber lubricant is so thin it gets wiped off the inside of the rubber as you push it down the tube & then everything gets solid... the washing up liquid is thicker & creates better lubrication, well it did in my case! So filled with over confidence I rushed to insert the plastic balls into the cups (which in my head would be easy...). First issue was the ball didn't want to go in at all.. pushed & shoved to the extent I almost knocked the car of its axle stands.. right stop... think. It appeared once I (cleaned the cup of grease) there was some powder coat getting in the way & also the ball had a bit of a casting mark around it... so out with the dremmel to do away with the excess. Tried again & it slid in fairly easily (unexpectedly)... but I hadn't put much grease in so I decided to take it out again... I must have twisted it & the ball crumbled into two halves... great... I had assumed the ball would be made of some high tensile nylon, but no it seems to be made with a hard crumbly plastic. e-mail to Derek admitting my failure & asking for another one :-( Managed to get the unbroken one in once I had de painted (& greased up!). Not looking forward to putting the other one in tho. I hadn't taken on board how non compliant the ARB is, think I need to look at a few blogs before I try it... So what else: Horns... wow... Dinotrolled most of the underneath of the car, few more cans required but the bulk has been done Attached gearbox to engine, no issues Attached engine to engine hoist & its apparent I need a couple of extra shackles for the engine leveler. All in all a bit of progress made today & only one failure requiring Derek...

Enjoying it so far & have not set myself any particular finish date & am taking each day as it comes! trying to involve my lads as much as possible (9 & 12) even if its just explaining to them what I'm doing (or attempting to do LOL... if I even know myself...). I've done a really efficient job at protecting all the body work so I don't have a nervous breakdown when they are diddling around holding spanners... its bad enough me doing it....

Found them! they were in a random bag (at the bottom of my pack filing box) that just had the rear brake pads in it & what I imagine may be the plastic balls to go on the end of the front roll bar....I cant believe I didn't look in that bag first...anyway thanks for the picture, knowing what I was looking for was a great help!!!

Thanks! I rushed into the garage with new vigor as I was expecting something a bit more spectacular in the 'special' department but still no joy unless I've mislaid a whole 'misc bag' but I doubt it :-( Found all the hand brake stuff in the end...lol.

So decided to look at the elephant in the room... Pleased to find the engine dragged over the floor easily & set to work. First issue 2 sets of bolts (1 set on the gearbox & 1 set on the bell housing) 1 set cup type with split washers the other set normal with flat washers... neither are 70mm as indicated by the manual... my longest were only 50mm. Only been going 20 mins & my first e-mail to Derek.. got a reply in 5 mins 50 mm cup type with split washers are the ones. Next issue I don't have any hex type sockets so cant reach the heads inside the bell housing.... Quick Amazon prime purchase & should be here tomorrow along with some long ones to reach the ones behind the starter motor... Derek confirmed no gasket or sealant required between the bell houseenginegearbox & no rubber gasket required on the end of the shaft. Loosely bolted up & now awaiting Amazon delivery. While I twiddled my thumbs I decided to put a thin smear of grease on the starter & ring gear, this was dry as dust. Derek confirmed that Caterham don't do this on their builds but it wouldn't do any harm. Whilst I was flinging the gear box about trying to work out what all the various plugsbolts did & where to put the oil (which don't seem to match anyone else's gearbox ive seen pictures of) I noticed some oil had dripped out of a small relief valve. hmmm, another e-mail to Derek confirmed that the gearbox comes pre filled (apart from all the oil on the floor obviously...). Needed another project so I put the heater in... no dramas to report on that one. Then had a look at the hand brake... seem to be missing the pulley & assorted clevis pins so that's it for the day... Semi progress... hopefully my 'special nuts' will arrive tomorrow otherwise I'll be at a bit of a loose end over the weekend & wont be able to complete the front uprights :-(

Thanks for the input!, I'm going for Dinitrol underneath & then going to make a decision on the interior floor (probably the black hammerite product) at a later point... At the moment its a storage area & I'd have to decant elsewhere & there is no elsewhere at present...

Thanks, Hadn't really thought of doing the engine bay & quite like the Ali look, any pictures? Also found this which would match the body work sort of... if I rolled it over in a ditch... https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hammerite-Direct-Galvanised-Metal-Paint/dp/B00N4ZC2UO/ref=cm_wl_huc_item I'll see what other feedback I get before I commence operations.

Hi Just a quick question re rust protection on a new build (before I bolt too many bits on...) I've done: Grot traps in engine bay with dintrol dinitroled the inside of the de Dion tube I know to do wings with underseal to prevent cracks So other big ticket items: Do I underseal the whole underside of the floor pan? would seem a good idea but it looks so clean & shiny...at the moment... Do I underseal the Diff enclosure area? this would seem a good idea too.. propshaft tunnel? I have my ACF 50 for the inner ali panels etc Will varnish the wooden boot insert These look like good tasks for my trainee pit crew... & will also distract me from the engine & gearbox project...

Blasted out a few e-mails in the office in the morning to let everyone know I was working hard & then took a sneaky afternoon off in the other office (which was considerably colder..) Took apart pretty much everything I had done so far... shock bolts out to insert the washer I hadn't put in Top wishbone taken off so I could get the headlamp bracket on... Couple of 'adaptations' Had to bend out the clip on the headlamp bracket so it would go over the chassis bracket. Took a while to realise why it wasn't going on but got there in the end. stripped out all the floppy cable cover protruding fro the end of the bracket & replaced it with my new favorite product 'shrink tube'. Pushed it up into the headlamp bracket. Much neater than how it was & no issues with it snagging on anything as I did up the bracket. Did everything up & it looked fine! I'll leave connecting the headlights till 'later' Alll was well & then took a slight turn for the worst. As I've now decided to install the uprights next job was to torque up the wishbones level with the ground as suggested by Derek. Top ones fine no issues apart from access for a torque wrench but got there in the end. Bottoms ones not so well.. front went on torqued up fine, rear ones... after very little pressure the bolt started spining... WTF, took the nut off & I'd stripped it... I've never stripped a nut & this was only the second one I'd done.... took a step back from proceedings, had a think... & then e-mailed Derek... What followed was a comedy of errors. In essence I'd used the nut with a white insert (which is imperial) & not the nut with the blue insert which is metric. I hadn't even noticed the different colours & the nuts look identical. Further confused as Derek got his blues & whites mixed up LOL. After a few e-mails with photo's and a telephone conversation its all sorted... I will now be sent a nut to replace my stripped one with the white insert & an additional nut with a blue insert (as there was only one in the pack...). Also I had put an extra washer on the head of the bolt on the lower wishbone (as shown on the Ikea manual). Apparently this is not needed & if you use it the bolt doesn't extend all the way through the nut past the nyloc grip... So both bottom bolts had to be drifted out & the washer removed. All the fun of the fair, fortunately they came out with no issues & went straight back in again to my relief. So next job the was the uprights... This ground to a halt very quickly as it would appear I don't have 'the special nut' that goes on the bottom of the upright... I gave up at this point & e-mailed Derek... So now I have two headlights anyway so I have something to show for the day.