Ask a Shiter

[320touring]

Wuv,

 

I've had success using a cooling fan spanner like below - they're thin jawed so can get in the gap betwixt rack end and rod - on a BMW E36, it worked superbly.

 

Obvs, check whether the distance between the flats is either 32 or 36mm

 

[Eddie Honda]

Yours looks to take a C-spanner, but as twosmoke300 says, you can get a cheap universal tool for the job:

 

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/272333923355

[5speedracer]

As mentioned yesterday I've brake judder despite new discs/pads. Boy at work reckons a buckled wheel could feel like fucked brakes despite feeling ok in normal driving. Anyone got experience?

Bloody state of the roads a buckled alloy seems distinctly possible.

 

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[Guest Hooli]

How well did you clean the mating face the discs sit on? Sticky caliper, either piston or slider?

[5speedracer]

How well did you clean the mating face the discs sit on? Sticky caliper, either piston or slider?

No sticky caliper, checked. Going to have one side off tonight as I can't remember if I cleaned the face on it. I can remember doing the other though.

Fingers crossed for easy fix

 

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[Guest VicN]

As mentioned yesterday I've brake judder despite new discs/pads. Boy at work reckons a buckled wheel could feel like fucked brakes despite feeling ok in normal driving. Anyone got experience?

Bloody state of the roads a buckled alloy seems distinctly possible.

 

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Was the judder there before you changed the discs and pads?

 

To check the wheels swap front to rear.

[5speedracer]

Was the judder there before you changed the discs and pads?

 

To check the wheels swap front to rear.

Felt judder coming on from mid Jan sort of time but original discs that needed a clean last year. 6 months of fucking salted roads this winter hasn't helped one bit. Once off it was obvious they were gone, intrusive rust on inside face.

I'll check mating face first, if that doesn't help I'll do a wheel swap.

Cheers for the info gents.

 

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[steveo3002]

anyone found a uk colour match for snap on red ?  got a tool box that could use some touch ins , several u.s results on google but the stuff isnt sold here  

[5speedracer]

Have you tried Snap On themselves?

 

 

O/S front disc off, face cleaned (hub, not mine), reassembled and so far no bloody judder.

Hard to believe some stuck paint and and a film of rust make so much difference! In the absence of an actual newly caught mackerel I've smacked myself round the face with a virtual mackerel as an aide memoire for next time.

 

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[666jjp]

hopefully going to look at this tomorrow, anything I need to be wary of? already had some work for mot

 

Ford Focus estate 2004 Focus 1.8 Diesel. TDCi 100 LX 138000 miles. Estate. Manual. Cental locking. Electric windows PAS Air Con alloys tow bar. Heated front screen. Air con. 9 service stamps last @121000 miles may 2014 MOT March 2019. £850

exempt. Find out more

Date tested10 April 2018 PASS

Mileage138,398 miles

MOT test number6336 6257 3371

Test locationunavailable until further notice

Expiry date9 April 2019

Advisory notice item(s)

• Nearside Rear Outer Suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive Sill (2.4.A.3)

 What are advisories?

Date tested29 March 2018 FAIL

Mileage138,395 miles

MOT test number4886 2646 9171

Test locationunavailable until further notice

Reason(s) for failure

• Offside Outer Seat belt anchorage prescribed area is excessively corroded Sill (5.2.6)
• Offside Rear Outer Suspension component mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded Sill (2.4.A.3)
• Nearside Rear Brake pipe excessively corroded (3.6.B.2c) Dangerous
• Offside Rear Brake pipe excessively corroded (3.6.B.2c) Dangerous
• Nearside Front Brake pipe excessively corroded (3.6.B.2c) Dangerous
• Offside Front Brake pipe excessively corroded (3.6.B.2c) Dangerous

Advisory notice item(s)

• Nearside Rear Outer Suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive Sill (2.4.A.3)

[wuvvum]

Well I stuck the 205 up on the ramps when I got in from work and had a quick crawl underneath.  There is no way in arse I am going to be able to get at the ball joint from underneath, with Stilsons or anything else - I can barely get at it with my fingers.

 

 

I reckon if I put it on full left lock I might just be able to get my big f*ck off adjustable pliers up through a gap in the wishbone and grab a hold of it, although how much movement I'd then have remains to be seen.  This is going to have to be done on axle stands though as I don't fancy driving up onto my flimsy ramps and then full locking it - the car would probably fall off.  I will give it a go at the weekend, and if not I'm going to have to give up and take it to a garage - which would piss me right off after the time I've spent, and also put the cost to get the car back on the road way over what I had budgeted, but that's the way the cookie crumbles sometimes.

[Eddie Honda]

Get one of these type (in the correct diameter range) then that slip over the rod.

 

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/BERGEN-Professional-Steering-Removal-Tool/dp/B006B3PT42

[twosmoke300]

Still have to take the track rod end off

[twosmoke300]

Oh and 666 - run a mile from that focus . It’s, like nearly all mk1 foci, is a rotter

[artdjones]

Mister Auto are selling the rod with end included for comfortably less than £20 so there doesn't seem much point in going to a load of trouble to preserve the existing end.

[They_all_do_that_sir]

Battery voltage help....

 

Merc battery disconnected is showing 12.2v after a charge.... Knackered?

 

Should a battery in good order be showing more like 12.6?

 

 

 

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[dozeydustman]

Battery voltage help....

 

Merc battery disconnected is showing 12.2v after a charge.... Knackered?

 

Should a battery in good order be showing more like 12.6?

 

 

 

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Sounds very deaded to me. Looking around 13v for healthy.

[wuvvum]

Mister Auto are selling the rod with end included for comfortably less than £20 so there doesn't seem much point in going to a load of trouble to preserve the existing end.

I have both a new rod and a new end ready to go on.  My concern is that if I chop off the end and then still can't get the rod off, the car is then immobile and will be stuck where it is until I can get someone to recover it, which would add even more expense.

 

 

Another stupid question: how does the lock washer thing work?  I'm assuming it's there to stop the track rod unscrewing itself from the rack - so if I get a pair of Stilsons on the rod and start heaving will I not just be fighting against the lock washer?

[steveo3002]

if you have a welder ive seen folk wipe up the grease then weld the ball into the socket then unwind it all

[sierraman]

That Focus sounds rotten. Once the rear trailing arm mounts have gone its scrap.

[oldcars]

when​ I fixed* mine I removed the vent and popped up through that way, i'd not want to put to much weight on the roof, if you have the option perhaps a large blanket and piece of osb or something across to spread the load?

 

 

When I did ours I laid on a sheet of kingspan dense insulation (think thick polystyrene) to spread the load and kept to where I could feel the ribs were. Use proper non setting mastic not silicon.

Got this done the other evening. Dragged the van out of the drive into the street, and got the big loft ladder down and used that. I could do half from one side and half from the other. Old seal stuff had dried out and was cracking. Cleaned all this off and cleaned the area and resealed with the correct stuff from a caravan mate. Fingers crossed. We have had dry 3 days (Scottish Summer) so when we get rain again time will tell.

[alf892]

Anyone know of a good specialist Jag breaker?

[Mally]

Wuvvum, yes you are fighting against the lock washer, but it's resistance is minimal.

Get the steering turned so its on full lock i.e joint that needs removing is as far out as possible.

Check underneath if it is possible to get stilsons on the round lump.

If it sticks out far enough jack the car as high as possible and support it well.

A pit or ramp is ideal really.

You should be able to undo the rack end without disturbing the track rod end, and take the rest off afterwards. They are verrrrrry tight.

New one needs loctite and tightening well.

Edit, grips close to the rack, it is possible but not ideal to remove the ball dome and still leave the threaded bit in.

[meggersdog]

Suggest me up for wheels / tyres for land rover 88" ?

 

I have a set of LWB wheels (5.5" wide?), and a set of disco 1 steel wheels (wider?). My daily disco 2 has 235/70/16 AT's that are looking a bit tired but still have plenty of tread. Can / should I bung these on the series and buy new AT's for disco 2?

 

I used to run 205/16 shonky remoulds, but I'm too old for ditch finding now.

 

Yo Kryten detective jakebullet.

 

that series came in today and it's running Avon rangemaster 7.50/16s all round.Must be quite old as the rear ones are perished.

[666jjp]

Oh and 666 - run a mile from that focus . It’s, like nearly all mk1 foci, is a rotter

took your advice, bought an 02 Vectra with 56000 on the clock instead

[wuvvum]

/\ Billy will be along to like this post shortly.

[Bren]

Audi electronic rear calipers.

 

New caliper or replace the motor?

[Slowsilver]

Electronic calipers ??!!

Whatever next?

The world has officially gone mad.

"Sigh"

 

[Slartibartfast]

Electronic calipers ??!!

Whatever next?

The world has officially gone mad.

"Sigh"

A lot of moderns have electronic parking brakes now, I assume that's what's being referred to.

[dozeydustman]

Confused about the fault code I've identified on the Saab. P1530 - Haynes book is packed away for house move, OBD machine said ignition timing sensor, googling says crank sensor OR pedal position sensor.