Xsara - £200, worn P bush OX9 3 MOT Sept 25 - Please save it from scrap 😱

[beko1987]

8 minutes ago, somewhatfoolish said:

TBH I'm a little fuzzy on how a steering rack gaiter can be handed anyway; aren't most concentric?

I'm more worried that I'm looking at an image from 20 years ago that probably bears no relation to the actual one... 

Will not touch either with dirty hands until I've confirmed one will fit 🤣 Apparently the pass side has to be manhandled over the steering dmper rod so it's picked the easy side to tear thank goodness

[RoverFolkUs]

The design of the rack gaitors on these are typically french. They're not a typical design. 

Some of them used to be somewhat moulded as part of the rack. They were fun* to replace.. 

Yes right is drivers side, left is passenger side [for a RHD vehicle, as sat in the driver's seat ]

[beko1987]

Quiet morning at work so I got all the tools out, and emptied, cleaned out and sorted my spanner box! 

Threw 6 things away, and vacuumed a load of rust out of the bottom and even sorted stuff! 

Imperial spanners (bar 1/2 and 3/4) are cable tied together as I rarely use them, and I found my set of flare spanners and bundled those up too. 

This gave me more space to shove more things in the box and now everything's held nicely in place when it gets stood upright! 

Far too many tools to just pop a wheel and track rod end off, especially as dad's neighbor has a load of tools too (borrowing his jack) but it's good to be prepared, and bar my caliper rewind kit and socket set and breaker bar (those 2 live in the car anyway) the 2 right boxes are all my tools that I've done every and any car job with! 

Doing pc stuff and dad wants help dismantling some furniture hence my drill, the pc shit and my general not dirty toolbox! 

Means everything can be kept together ready to possibly do my brakes at the FoD if it doesn't rain too. 

Collecting the parts in the morning and hopefully after lunch I can start

[beko1987]

Well this isn't going well, I can't get the bastard track rod end off! And I'm failing to clamp the inner tie rod enough to do much else... 

And it's raining! 

[rainagain]

put some heat on the tie rod, even a heat gun will do. Also get two hammers and smack them together with the rod between them. Shock and heat are your friends. 
 

Once you finally get the new gaiter on if the access is anything like my 307 which I believe shares parts with the Xsara you won’t be able to get a cable tie tight enough on the gaiter, I used a jubilee clip and lots of extensions to reach in and tighten it. I couldn’t get a cable tie to hold. 

[320touring]

4 minutes ago, beko1987 said:

Well this isn't going well, I can't get the bastard track rod end off! And I'm failing to clamp the inner tie rod enough to do much else... 

And it's raining! 

Can you not pass the boot over the track rod end?

 

Put it in hot water to make it pliable then should be able to stretch it over?

[beko1987]

I've given up for today. Before I damage anything I can't drive home on... 

I think I've got to get an inner tie rod end for sheer ease. But I can't see any flats in the inner where it screws onto the steering box... 

Do I just grip that bit and it cracks off? Driving home bootless too, best not do that too much

[grogee]

25 minutes ago, beko1987 said:

Do I just grip that bit and it cracks off

Yes. With one of these. Other designs are available. 

[beko1987]

3 minutes ago, grogee said:

Yes. With one of these. Other designs are available. 

I've got one of those too, it tried it's best to twist the track rod end off. Was just expecting flats, the lagunas had them! 

Will get an inner rod ordered. Tbh the old boot was fucked and in 3 bits, probably didn't do the grease in the joint any good

[beko1987]

1 hour ago, rainagain said:

put some heat on the tie rod, even a heat gun will do. Also get two hammers and smack them together with the rod between them. Shock and heat are your friends. 
 

Once you finally get the new gaiter on if the access is anything like my 307 which I believe shares parts with the Xsara you won’t be able to get a cable tie tight enough on the gaiter, I used a jubilee clip and lots of extensions to reach in and tighten it. I couldn’t get a cable tie to hold. 

Don't have access to heat, and looking at the new track rod end I have there's shit loads of thread inside the rod 😂

Fitting the cable tie hopefully won't ve terrible, if I take the undertray off I can see the fitting bit on the steering rack. 

[Tickman]

Got access to Stilsons?

They have worked well for me in the past where Vice grips just slip.

[EyesWeldedShut]

1 minute ago, Tickman said:

Got access to Stilsons?

They have worked well for me in the past where Vice grips just slip.

^^ this if there's no flat on the inner edge of the drumstick?
Funnily enough I bought two stilsons for my Laguna as I couldn't find any flats on that one?

[beko1987]

No, had 4 different vice grips and waterpump pliers on it, was just causing more damage and slipping everywhere and I've got to drive home yet 😂

[Tickman]

Stilsons are designed to bight in and I've managed to shift stuff that wouldn't budge any other way.

 

[beko1987]

Will treat myself one day,my cheap Chinese grips were chewing themselves and the inner rod down. 

Inner rod is ordered, will duck out of the office Tuesday and fetch it at luchtime

[RoverFolkUs]

I see 2 options here -

1 is to replace the complete drumstick. That will certainly require tracking afterwards though and if the other side is also seized up you're going to be in for a world of pain. (You should get the tracking done afterwards even if you could count the number of turns of the track rod end. But it's not essential because you can get it close enough)

The other much easier option is to buy a universal rubber stretchy rack gaiter which you can warm up and smother with lube to stretch and slide over the track rod end..

[beko1987]

8 hours ago, RoverFolkUs said:

I see 2 options here -

1 is to replace the complete drumstick. That will certainly require tracking afterwards though and if the other side is also seized up you're going to be in for a world of pain. (You should get the tracking done afterwards even if you could count the number of turns of the track rod end. But it's not essential because you can get it close enough)

The other much easier option is to buy a universal rubber stretchy rack gaiter which you can warm up and smother with lube to stretch and slide over the track rod end..

If I hadn't ripped the the gaitor off trying then maybe... Will remember this for next time though 😂

As is now I'm going to change it all,, I guess an silver lining is I should be bale to measure the new length from the old... 

Happy to get it tracked afterwards anyway, it was done a few years ago, they probably had better tools for the job than I do 😂

Still need to return the other gaitor I don't need so the cost will be about a fiver for the part after everything

[beko1987]

I now own a stilson! 

Told Grandad the story and he went 'do you want a blue one or a red one? Then out we went to the big shed and he gave me the red one as its not as chewed up! 

Still going to fetch the inner rod tomorrow (and return the other gaitor I don't need) as it needs a retest Friday no matter how I bloody fix it and I'll give it a go when I've got the wheel off and try it! 

Then I'll probably still replace both, the ball joint on the inner doesn't look too healthy after it's exposure to nature, but at least I'll know the stilson trick for next time 👌

Zero new knocks though the 95 miles home which was brill! Was mildly worried about that as I spent some time going at the track rod end with vice grips... 

Granny was horrified, grandad chuckled

[MorrisItalSLX]

15 hours ago, beko1987 said:

Told Grandad the story and he went 'do you want a blue one or a red one? Then out we went to the big shed and he gave me the red one as its not as chewed up! 

That sounds like most, if not all, visits to see my grandad. He’s a retired builder and carpenter, so we get chatting about whatever projects we’re doing, then out to the garage/workshop where I look at what he’s working on and he gives me things to use on my projects.

Last visit I left with a cupboard door knob, some router bits and a filing cabinet.

[beko1987]

If anyone's got any diy tips for ensuring alright enough wheel wheel alignment, I'm just putting the new parts on and might need that shortly... 

I'm measuring 1cm of threads from the top of the locknut to the end of the thread off the  tre's with a metal rule, which might get me 30% there. Any other bits to think about? 

[beko1987]

OK, 3.30 I assumed the position again

And for a laugh did try Grandads stilson. Which did rock the inner rod around on the tre but was faaaaar too long to be of any use here. 

So after smashing my thumb once and fetching the 2nd extension to make the removal tool sit straight we had progress

[beko1987]

I mean it might have come out with heat and a good vice, but would it be worth it? I'm not that poor anymore, I feel quite happy to be able to afford to change it with zero checking figures. I've come along way in a few years with that! 

New one came with bits the old one didn't have on it so I ignored them 

And got the other bits together

[beko1987]

The inner rods seemed an identical* length so that was noted 

And on she went! 

Scooched under and checked the clearance for refitting the boot and gave the surface a clean

Shit photo but it's almost in the centre of the subframe holes, cable tie went on easy peasy! And there's a protruding lip so I'm confident of it staying attached until at least Friday 🤞

[beko1987]

This was gonna be no use either 😂

So another cable tie, and thanks for rhe hot water trick Neil, I used that to good effect! Track rod end on then adjusted with the rod the proper way until it was as close to 1mm of exposed thread before the backed off locknut as I could and smashed everything else back together. Although not before a few lock to locks to check the boot stayed on. Which it did. 

Drove up the road and on the few straight bits I could manage it all seemed OK, no warning lights came on like they did when I did the Laguna 2's inners (got exciting dash animations and angry beeping about the srs then!) and I got out and checked on clean tarmac and see no scuffing. My eyeballs ain't gonna do shit confirming it so I'm gonna see when I can get it booked in for tracking, national tyres sent me a voucher for it recently I think... But also worst case it'll get me 0.8 miles to the mot station and back Friday! 

Old boot was fuckerated. I tore it clean in half yes, but it's plastic and hard and end of life. Fair play old boot. 

[320touring]

Yaaas! Great work man😁

[beko1987]

And I think she just passed 👌

[Datsuncog]

Excellent news!!

[beko1987]

Ffs just looked again at the cert, he's put 117k down not 171 😂

Probably doesn't matter enough to get it corrected, but lol! 

Tracking Saturday. It drove OK to Wycombe and back but is tugging to the side a touch. Bloody tracking is costing £2 less than the new parts did... 

[beko1987]

44 minutes ago, Datsuncog said:

Excellent news!!

Thanks! You next... 🤞🤞

[Datsuncog]

Heh, here's hoping - enjoy your win!