Return to the BUILD
“In this issue, you will finish assembling the front left suspension and fix the wheel on the front axle. Then, you will add the front left chassis beam to the assembly.“
Contents
Parts
Materials: Everything in this stage is metal, except for the two plastic Front Reinforcements.
Magazine
- The Series – Deadly Maneuvers
- Build Your KI.T.T. – Step by Step
- Secret Files – The ComLink
Build
Front Suspension Assembly (3)
Step 1
Retrieve your Front Axle Crossmember assembly from the previous stage and place it on your work surface upside down. Fit the Front Left Suspension Mount (marked ‘L’) and the Front Right Suspension Mount (marked ‘R’) to these locations on the Crossmember.
I have marked the ‘front’ of this Crossmember here for future reference:
Secure these Mounts to the Crossmember with four (4) KM screws, two on each side as shown.
This is your friendly reminder to try using 3-in-One Oil on all screws going into metal:
Step 2
Drop the Front Left Suspension Spring down into this left-side circular recess of the Front Axle Crossmember:
Place the Front Left Suspension Lower Control Arm over the Spring as shown, fitting the tabs of the Arm into the matching recess in the Crossmember and in the Mount we just installed:
Secure the front of the Control Arm to the Crossmember with one (1) IM screw.
Make sure the hole through the tab of the Control Arm is aligned to the holes in the Crossmember as you drive this screw into place:
Secure the rear of the Control Arm to the Mount with one (1) JM screw.
The same applies here – make sure the hole through the tab of the Control Arm is aligned to the holes in the Mount as you drive this screw into place:
Step 3
Fit the tab of the Front Suspension Lower Joint down through this hole of the Front Left Suspension Lower Control Arm, as shown:
On my model, this Lower Joint did not want to fit all the way in. Therefore, I sanded off some of the paint with a needle file:
Step 4
Retrieve your Front Left Wheel/Knuckle assembly from Stage 3. Align the two short square tabs of the Front Left Knuckle around the tab of the Lower Joint we just installed, align the screw holes through these parts, and secure them together with one (1) KM screw.
This screw should be driven into place from the rear side of the Knuckle (the side with the Brake Caliper), as shown:
Step 5
Fit the rounded tab of the Front Left Shock Absorber Body between the two brackets of the Front Suspension Upper Joint as shown, then secure these parts together with one (1) KM screw:
Step 6
Turn your entire Front Axle Crossmember assembly right side up and slide the tab of the Front Suspension Upper Joint down through this hole in the Front Left Suspension Upper Control Arm. The tab of the Upper Joint needs to be aligned with the long tabs of the Front Left Knuckle, as shown:
Secure the Upper Joint to the Knuckle, again from the rear, with one (1) KM screw:
Step 7
Press the two pins of each Front Reinforcement Mount into the matching holes along the front surface of the Front Axle Crossmember assembly. These parts are marked ‘L’ and ‘R’ for Left and Right, so they need to be installed correctly, as shown:
Step 8
Retrieve your Front Left Chassis Beam assembly from the previous stage. Align the left side of the Front Axle Crossmember assembly to this location on the bottom of the Chassis Beam:
Secure the Front Left Suspension Mount to the Chassis Beam with one (1) KM screw:
Secure the Front Left Reinforcement to the Chassis Beam with one (1) GM screw:
Step 9
Secure the Crossmember to the Chassis Beam with two (2) GM screws.
The holes for these screws are located down inside the large hole of the Front Left Suspension Lower Control Arm. It can be tricky to get these screws where they need to go, so I recommend making sure your screwdriver is well magnetized for this step:
That step completes this issue. However, to keep my Steering Column from flopping around as we work on this part of the model, I taped it down:
Thoughts
We have completed the first large chunk of our Knight Rider K.I.T.T. partwork model! I am truly grateful that these first stages have had a good amount of work to do in each one. Many times, partwork models have two or three parts in a stage and there is perhaps one step of assembly.
Next Up
Stage 9 – Front Right Lower Control Arm/Spring/Joints, Dust Shield, Right Brake Disc/Caliper/Steering Knuckle, Shock Absorber Body