MOT failure :(

bb1boy · Post by **bb1boy** » Tue Aug 13, 2013 2:58 pm

@Merlin, I agree, he has given me notice of things that might fail in the future, but he could have called them advisories instead of failure points then I would have done the bits as necessary and as I could afford them whilst still being able to get from place to place. Now though I have had to SORN my perfectly good car (apart from a couple of little rattles) because I can't afford the parts at the moment and my tax has also expired.

Post by **Merlin** » Tue Aug 13, 2013 3:04 pm

I do get you and completely understand.

bb1boy · Post by **bb1boy** » Tue Aug 13, 2013 3:10 pm

Cheers mate.

Post by **Merlin** » Tue Aug 13, 2013 3:55 pm

See if you can scrounge some of the bits that are easily replaceable and you can do yourself on a driveway, drop links etc.., you know how generous fellow LG'ers are. Save your cash for the bits that are a right pain in the ass to replace, ie jobs you only want to do once.

bb1boy · Post by **bb1boy** » Tue Aug 13, 2013 4:02 pm

Good plan Merlin, I will have to raid my old donor 'lude first to see if there is anything salvageable on that.. general consensus seems to be replace the tie rod end ball joint with brand new. Fingers crossed the drop links aren't too corroded/worn..

Post by **Merlin** » Tue Aug 13, 2013 4:11 pm

bb1boy wrote:general consensus seems to be replace the tie rod end ball joint with brand new.

Yeah deffo. Drop links and bits are 10 mins to swap over so I would just get something to tide you over and get you back on the road.

bb1boy · Post by **bb1boy** » Tue Aug 13, 2013 4:15 pm

Ok thanks mate

89 UKDM BA4 4WS (resto job!) · Post by **wurlycorner** » Wed Aug 14, 2013 9:27 am

bb1boy wrote:Thanks @wurlycorner, that doesn't actually sound too bad.. quick question though, once I have slackened off the lock nut on the track rod end, do I need to seperate the ball joint from the hub assembly to remove the track rod end completely or can I just split it in the middle by unscrewing the threaded piece? Is this job doable on axle stands or is this a 'take my car to the garage and put it on ramps' scenario?

Sorry for late reply, busy yesterday.

The method I described was with the outer track rod end left attached to the knuckle.
Either way works and with the outer track rod end removed it's arguably easier to count the number of turns off/on. All depends what you reckon to the condition of the outer ball joint really, sometimes 'if it ain't broke don't fix it' applies, sometimes it's easier to remove the outer... Just go with whichever method you prefer.
If you do take the out track rod end off, remember if it's got a nyloc nut you'll need to replace it (the originals are metric fine thread with castle nut and split pin - you can re-use castle nuts).
To seperate the ball joint, loosen the nut and wind it down so the end of the thread is covered by the nut, then whack the nut upwards with a hammer and get it out (leaving nut on avoids damaging the threads). If it's a castle nut and you want to re-use it, best to use a hard plastic mallet or stick a bit of wood on the end to avoid damaging the nut too much.

This is an easy axle stands job, not a garage ramp.

I checked last night and I don't have a spare track rod I'm afraid, so can't confirm if they come with a new tab washer or not.

bb1boy · Post by **bb1boy** » Wed Aug 14, 2013 9:34 am

Thanks Iain, most helpful. I better order the bits today..