Lug nuts, parking brake and oil ?'s

[StLouisSinger]

I am bringing my 52 4AD to an all British car show that is about 12 miles from my house. These miles are like dog years for my Singer. So I am preparing for this journey. (The farthest from home this car has been in the past 30 years is about 2 miles.) Anyway I'm preparing the safety items. I did a front and rear brake adjust and inspection, I am adjusting the parking brake, I lubed everything, and now I am looking into transmission and differential oil top offs. I have run into a few issues any help would be appreciated.

1)I am in search of two lug nuts. Any one know where these can be found?
2)Also I am adjusting the parking brake or at least trying. I see an adjustable fork with cotter pin under the front of car that connects at the bottom of the long parking brake arm. I assume this is where I can take up the slack but the whole fork is jammed into a channel in the frame and the area has been bent by an impact of something preventing me from easily lowering the fork. The odd thing is the parking brake arm moves fine in the channel it just never tightens the brake much at all.Just wanted to make sure this is the correct thing to adjust before I go bending the frame rail to get at it.
3) I want to add some oil to the differential, transmission and maybe steering box. Any recommendations on modern oils that can safely replace the old? Just anything that works. This is a 30 mph top speed auto used for short drives so the oil can just be basic stuff. For the transmission I'm thinking of using SAE 40 motor oil Rotella T or I can get some non-detergent SAE 40 at Tractor Supply and for the differential SAE 80 off the shelf oil.I have read differing opinions on modern oils in old cars.
Thanks a bunch,
ALso I'm working on some pics a bio for the site. Just need a nice day to get some pics. Maybe Ican get some good ones at the show.(If I make it.)
Tom

[mikeyr]

That is a 4AD you have, that is like a Honda, drive it and love driving it, quit worrying, until I sold my 4AD I regularly drove it to Monterey for the Historics, that put a 1,000 miles on it that weekend and many of those I did nothing special prior to the trip, check the oil, get in turn the key, pull the starter and drive. In 2 decades of doing that, I only one issue, I took a detour through Bakersfield and in 105 degree heat with no top and windshield down, I overheated, not the car, just me. Ended up on the side of road desperately drinking hot water trying to get back to normal. For a few of my 34 years with the car it was also my only transportation, it was drive the 4AD or walk and it was my daily driver then I got a Fiat and the Singer became the backup car, a very reliable backup car.

1. Lug nuts, what is your address ?

2. download http://www.singercars.com/4ax/motortrader.pdf and read up on adjusting the brakes, yes it sounds like you are doing right from your description. I would check the balance between front and rear brakes it sounds like your rears are not properly adjusted so the parking brake can't take effect on them.

3. I don't see why non-detergent oil in the motor, yes if that is what was in the car you should stay with it but the car is new enough that it most likely had detergent in it and that is better. I would stay away from pure 40 and put in good old 20-50 but that is me. Rottela is good in that it still has ZDDP and stuff like that, I ran Castrol GTX WITH a bottle of ZDDP Plus, its also what I run in my Dino. For the gearbox, just whatever you put in the motor is fine, I would not mind Rottela 40 in the gearbox, I think that would be fine, I ran straight 30 in mine for years. For the rear end, GL4 90 or close to it, I have heard the same thing that GL5 can harm the bronze bushings, so I stayed with GL4.

But while answering this, I came up with a nasty issue...what do you mean a 30MPH car ? the front fenders don't start flapping until 75MPH so you are good to go to that speed at least, mine was a twin-carb so 85MPH was top speed if I could handle the front fenders trying to get the car off the ground, a Single carb top speed will be a little less but still modern day freeway speeds.

[StLouisSinger]

Thanks Mike the trader article is great. I just got the oil you recommneded this evening. Also I like your thinking about the car and more driving and more speed...BUT let me tell you a bit more about the car. The tires were last replaced in 1964 and virtually every rubber bushing on this car has turned to some stange form of black goo. Infact the steering is loose enough that at about 25 mph I feel like I'm going 75. So I get the thrill when I drive it (or at least a good scare?) But seriously I will tranform the car into a safer, faster vehicle but for now I think I'll stay below 30 mph.
Thanks again,
Tom

[mikeyr]

with tires older than about 7 or 8 years, I would be scared too... time for new tires !

[Paul Bouchard]

Tom,

I know the feeling! My Super Ten handles the road like a druken sailor (no offence to drunken sailors) because of a worn steering nut (an not the one behind the steering wheel). Better safe than sorry is always a good one to follow.

Post us something about the show when you get back!

Paul

[BRG]

St Louis,

Get the tires replaced ASAP. Moss Motors has rubber bushings that should fit part #282-848. NASOC also has the metal bushings for the front end. BTW the rubber bushes for the rear springs are the same as the front end.
Be Safe!
BRG