forfour.co.uk

Forum => General Smart Chat => Topic started by: JoL25000 on August 13, 2016, 03:37:42 AM

Title: French ForFour Brabus
Post by: JoL25000 on August 13, 2016, 03:37:42 AM
four pictures of my forfour :

(http://nsa37.casimages.com/img/2016/08/12/160812080734981178.jpg) (http://www.casimages.com/i/160812080734981178.jpg.html)

I really love this sticker!
(http://nsa37.casimages.com/img/2016/08/12/160812080941607693.jpg) (http://www.casimages.com/i/160812080941607693.jpg.html)

Errr.... what can I say? don't try to do the same photo on road...it was just a static test with th MB-star.(http://nsa38.casimages.com/img/2016/08/12/160812080946230438.jpg) (http://www.casimages.com/i/160812080946230438.jpg.html)

Yes, my 17 year-old girl is allowed to drive a 177hp car...(http://nsa38.casimages.com/img/2016/08/12/160812080945485642.jpg) (http://www.casimages.com/i/160812080945485642.jpg.html)
For the magnetic "conduite accompagnée", it was such a good idea to put a metallic tailgate on this plastic car.  :)

Title: Re: french forfour Brabus 177hp
Post by: Brabs on August 13, 2016, 09:15:45 AM
Welcome! Great to hear from another fan of the brilliant Brabus forfour! Looks great.  :) I love the low level photo. Hope that you put the can in the recycling after the shot!  ;)
Title: Re: french forfour Brabus 177hp
Post by: JoL25000 on August 13, 2016, 01:52:51 PM
Thank you Brabs... even i I didn't drink the can, of course I put it into the recycling bin.  ;)
Title: Re: french forfour Brabus 177hp
Post by: brulaw on August 13, 2016, 02:20:19 PM
Hi , welcome to the site ...... Nice car  :)
Title: Re: french forfour Brabus 177hp
Post by: JoL25000 on August 13, 2016, 08:19:09 PM
Hi , welcome to the site ...... Nice car
Thank you, brulaw... I hope my car will look better in a few weeks, when it will receive its 17". They are actually in a wheel repairing workshop.

(http://nsa37.casimages.com/img/2016/08/13/160813093329366149.jpg) (http://www.casimages.com/i/160813093329366149.jpg.html)
Title: Re: french forfour Brabus 177hp
Post by: JoL25000 on August 13, 2016, 09:38:39 PM
My first question :
When I bought my smart, I thought the  gear knob wasn't nice. In fact, the leather is missing. Does anybody can explain how to disassemble the aluminium part, in order to replace the leather, please?

(http://nsa38.casimages.com/img/2016/08/13/16081310300034786.jpg) (http://www.casimages.com/i/16081310300034786.jpg.html)
Title: Re: french forfour Brabus 177hp
Post by: Brabs on August 13, 2016, 09:56:03 PM
You can remove the gear lever by sharply pulling up on it. Be very careful that you don't smack yourself in the face with it!!
The top half of the gear knob can simply be unscrewed.
 :)
Title: Re: french forfour Brabus 177hp
Post by: Wangswong on August 14, 2016, 12:32:33 AM
There's meant to be leather on there? I thought it was an aftermarket part people were putting on. Not been one on mine since purchase
Title: Re: french forfour Brabus 177hp
Post by: steddie eddie on August 14, 2016, 12:38:26 AM
G'day Jol25000, very nice Brabus but i dont think it does 235kmh as you show on the speedo.....lol.
Greetings,
Eddie.
Title: Re: french forfour Brabus 177hp
Post by: JoL25000 on August 14, 2016, 07:30:52 AM
The top half of the gear knob can simply be unscrewed.
Thank you... I thought so, but it's really really hard, I didn't want to use cobra pliers, not to damage inferior part.

There's meant to be leather on there?
Yes I think so. we can see traces of glue, and it seems to have an offset for the thickness of the leather.
(http://nsa37.casimages.com/img/2016/08/14/16081408270638278.jpg) (http://www.casimages.com/i/16081408270638278.jpg.html)

(http://nsa38.casimages.com/img/2016/08/14/160814082726372531.jpg) (http://www.casimages.com/i/160814082726372531.jpg.html)

...i dont think it does 235kmh...
I'll try only on German Autobahn, and with 4 good tyres.  ;)
Title: Re: french forfour Brabus 177hp
Post by: JoL25000 on August 14, 2016, 08:01:23 AM
I've always love 2CV... but I keep my smart ^^
(http://nsa37.casimages.com/img/2016/08/14/16081408255787115.jpg) (http://www.casimages.com/i/16081408255787115.jpg.html)

(http://nsa37.casimages.com/img/2016/08/14/160814082631817956.jpg) (http://www.casimages.com/i/160814082631817956.jpg.html)

(http://nsa38.casimages.com/img/2016/08/14/160814093151563601.jpg) (http://www.casimages.com/i/160814093151563601.jpg.html)
Title: Re: french forfour Brabus 177hp
Post by: F4B on August 14, 2016, 10:23:53 PM
Yes. There is leather on it.
Mine started peeling off, I bought a used one with leather in better conditions, but it was hard too find.
The top half of the gear knob can simply be unscrewed.
 :)
I've never been able to unscrew the top half.
Title: Re: french forfour Brabus 177hp
Post by: JoL25000 on August 14, 2016, 10:49:12 PM

I've never been able to unscrew the top half.
Neither do I  :(
Title: Re: french forfour Brabus 177hp
Post by: mr singh on August 15, 2016, 07:45:36 AM
the knob pull off and the top hemisphere unscrews.

one of them rubber straps to undo tight jar lids might do the trick
Title: Re: french forfour Brabus 177hp
Post by: CrazyG on August 15, 2016, 11:34:52 AM
Has everyone forgotten so soon.... ???  or not searched properly   >:(
As Homer Simpson would say..."Dooohhhhhhhh!"

JJ did a 'Guide' on renovating/fixing the Brab gear knob....
http://www.forfour.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=2194.0
Title: Re: french forfour Brabus 177hp
Post by: JoL25000 on August 15, 2016, 10:41:40 PM
...  or not searched properly   >:( ...

Sorry, my english is really too bad to use searching function... I have a look at your link, And then I can try Mr singh's idea.
Title: Re: french forfour Brabus 177hp
Post by: JoL25000 on August 15, 2016, 10:54:51 PM
 :) work is progressing!
just need to unscrew... (seems to be glued), and to find an appropriate piece of leather.
Thank U for the link, CrazyG, and thank U JJ for the 'guide'
Title: Re: french forfour Brabus 177hp
Post by: JoL25000 on August 16, 2016, 04:28:45 AM
Another stupid question...
Enjoy the forum everyone.............!!   No question is a stupid one.................!!

Ooopssss... sorry... another question, then.
I was looking for a 6 CD player, I did not find it, but.... Can you tell me what is that, please (under my driver's seat... of course I mean left seat ^^)

(http://nsa38.casimages.com/img/2016/08/16/160816054312852018.jpg) (http://www.casimages.com/i/160816054312852018.jpg.html)
Title: Re: French ForFour Brabus
Post by: CrazyG on August 16, 2016, 05:11:22 PM
That 'thing' under your seat is the  factory fit subwoofer.
Title: Re: French ForFour Brabus
Post by: JoL25000 on August 17, 2016, 11:49:38 PM
That 'thing' under your seat is the  factory fit subwoofer.
Thank you for your answer... I didn't know my car had a subwoofer. Please to learn that, even if sound in cars is not really important for me.

News from my gear knob... it's all right, thanks to you, I managed to get it off and to unscrew the top hemisphere. It was very difficult, because the two parts were glued. I put the lower part in a vise, protecting it with a piece of cloth, and I turned the upper part with pliers.

Now, I need to find an appropriate piece of leather. It may be difficult = the problem is in my region, cows doesn't have the good colour.   ;D
(http://img11.hostingpics.net/pics/426758DSC0117.jpg) (http://www.hostingpics.net/viewer.php?id=426758DSC0117.jpg)
Title: Re: French ForFour Brabus
Post by: CrazyG on August 18, 2016, 09:52:21 AM
A bit off topic..but seeing those Roadster's makes me
wish I had never sold my Coupé. I should just have bit
the bullet and fitted the MSD lambo door conversion
and then the problem of parking/opening them when
there was only a small gap would have been solved.
Oh well......  :'(
Title: Re: French ForFour Brabus
Post by: Alex on August 18, 2016, 02:18:10 PM
Now, I need to find an appropriate piece of leather.

Do you have any old gloves? I had to make the seam into a feature because they were a small size :)

(http://img4.hostingpics.net/thumbs/mini_689428WP20160818001.jpg) (http://www.hostingpics.net/viewer.php?id=689428WP20160818001.jpg)

Before this i had used real leather from a good sized off-cut, it was much thicker and harder to work with, and got discoloured and scored pretty quickly from the UVs because i didn't take proper care of the leather.
Title: Re: French ForFour Brabus
Post by: JoL25000 on August 18, 2016, 09:03:08 PM
So good! my boss had a piece of black leather hidden in the factory...
I talk with a friend, at work, who said me it would be better with a seam, or a cutting part.
Can someone tell me how is it on an original which exit from Brabus factory?
Title: Re: French ForFour Brabus
Post by: JoL25000 on October 06, 2016, 07:55:01 PM
Yeahhh! I've got my 17" Brab' wheels!
480€ for repairing 2 of them, and paint all in a grey from VW.

(http://nsa37.casimages.com/img/2016/10/06/161006082234696113.jpg) (http://www.casimages.com/i/161006082234696113.jpg.html)

(http://nsa38.casimages.com/img/2016/10/06/161006082432822245.jpg) (http://www.casimages.com/i/161006082432822245.jpg.html)

... and a little present for my F4 :  ;D
(http://nsa38.casimages.com/img/2016/10/06/161006082416924657.jpg) (http://www.casimages.com/i/161006082416924657.jpg.html)
Title: Re: French ForFour Brabus
Post by: JoL25000 on October 07, 2016, 06:20:29 PM
Hello... two little problems :
First :
(http://nsa37.casimages.com/img/2016/10/07/16100704154263683.jpg) (http://www.casimages.com/i/16100704154263683.jpg.html)

smart says that I must change the 3 parts n° 10 :
(http://nsa37.casimages.com/img/2016/10/07/161007051656490471.jpg) (http://www.casimages.com/i/161007051656490471.jpg.html)
Really?
Does anybody knows this ref' : 454 350 01 35?
Title: Re: French ForFour Brabus
Post by: Problemchild on October 07, 2016, 07:32:20 PM
wheel bearing?

yeah you need the whole hub really BUT you can replace just the bearing

see the guides

JJ
Title: Re: French ForFour Brabus
Post by: CrazyG on October 07, 2016, 10:35:18 PM
To be able to remove the broken wheel stud you have to remove the
front hub (with bearing), and in doing so it destroys the bearing
sealing ring. MB will only sell you the complete front hub assembly
that consists of the hub+bearing/backplate/hub carrier..or item #10
as you state.

Do not try to get away with buying just one new stud and a new bearing,
buy the hub+bearing made by SKF (it has the studs already fitted).
You then need to find or know someone who has the necessary tool to
remove the original hub+bearing and fit the new one as it is not the sort
of thing you can do without the correct tool.
Ok, there are a few...very few....that have been done by some members,
but there is no actual 'Guide' as such...just a post with a video etc.
That is here :- http://www.forfour.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=5338.0
Title: Re: French ForFour Brabus
Post by: Alex on October 13, 2016, 10:17:12 AM
Could you get away with chopping a piece of tin out of the brake disk guard and hammering the broken stud out? You'd save quite a lot of money and the brake shield could even be patched back up if you care enough.
Title: Re: French ForFour Brabus
Post by: CrazyG on October 13, 2016, 10:26:11 AM
You could possibly hammer the piece of broken stud out...
but I am assured that there is not enough room/clearance
to fit a new stud into place/position as the casting of the
hub/bearing housing is too close to the back of the flange.
Title: Re: French ForFour Brabus
Post by: steddie eddie on October 14, 2016, 04:42:28 AM
G'day JoL25000.
I am with Alex on this one, the cheapest way is to cut a piece out off the brake disc guard or, drill a hole in the right place a little bigger than the head off the stud, and hammer the broken stud out and replace a new one, or replace all of them through that same hole.
Good luck and Greetings,
Eddie.
Title: Re: French ForFour Brabus
Post by: JoL25000 on October 14, 2016, 08:37:01 AM
Thank you for those advises. :)
Title: Re: French ForFour Brabus
Post by: CrazyG on October 14, 2016, 08:52:39 AM
In view of Alex's and steddie eddie's replies I took a look
at a few images from Smart and there may be a way to get
to remove the broken stud as well as fit a new stud without
any cutting of the backplate at all !
In the image below it appears there should be enough room
after one has removed the brake caliper...as it looks like there
will be enough room to 'slip by' the side of the hub unit.

(red arrow shows possible path to take to insert the new stud)

(http://i865.photobucket.com/albums/ab218/CrazyG_photos/Suspension/front-hub-stud-removal_zpsvcly4pwq.jpg)

If this works, then the new stud being an interference fit would have
to be 'drawn'/pulled all the way into the hub flange. The simplest
method to do that is to temporarily refit the wheel, and the wheel nut
on the new stud is then tightened to pull the stud into place.  Once
that is done, remove the nut/s and wheel, refit the brake caliper, and
then finally refit the wheel and torque the wheel nuts up.
Title: Re: French ForFour Brabus
Post by: mr singh on October 14, 2016, 05:59:14 PM
having replaced many broken studs on jags, all i did was tap it in to place and then rebuild the brakes and refit the wheel and torqued the nuts up to the correct setting.