AnnoyingPentium's Adventures - Fabia Fettling and Other Nonsense

[beko1987]

I can't see how it would, I remember @Lord Sterling loosing a balljoint on his merc whilst driving and it looked pretty scary but wasn't too horrific in the end, and a case of TADTS

 

Could be worse, if you had a xantia or XM you'd have probablyp unched the strut through the bonnet doing that....

[AnnoyingPentium]

1 minute ago, Cookiesouwest said:

Fabias are brilliant. Buy another.

Then fix the Focus, cause they are brill too.

I like your thinking...

1 minute ago, beko1987 said:

I can't see how it would, I remember @Lord Sterling loosing a balljoint on his merc whilst driving and it looked pretty scary but wasn't too horrific in the end, and a case of TADTS

 

Could be worse, if you had a xantia or XM you'd have probablyp unched the strut through the bonnet doing that....

The first thing I'd checked was that the strut hadn't ejected itself from the bit where it's mounted, but that's all complete. It's a lower end issue it seems, e.g., the wishbone or similar. The best sign was the fact it'll move under it's own power, and does still steer, but the passenger side front wheel rubs to buggery. Still "stanced" though, for the youth brigade...

[Markeh]

42 minutes ago, AnnoyingPentium said:

Calendar pic for sure.

I did something similar in the Megane quite a few years ago, on the way to pick up my cousin before my Masters graduation. Hit a massive pothole on a country lane, burst the front passenger tyre, and managed to do this to the alloy too. In the pissing rain, in a suit. Ironically, as I hit the pothole the radio was playing Lucky by Britney Spears... Car ended up being abandoned there for the day given we had places to be, we came back to it that night and chucked the spare on (although this had sod all tread) to get it home, off to the village scrapyard for a replacement alloy (thankfully it was just a regular 16" Nervastella as fitted to a large amount of Mk2 Meganes and Scenics, pretty much every scrapyard in the land has at least one kicking about!) and then for a new tyre - fortunately didn't do any untoward damage to the suspension (car itself passed another MOT shortly after I got rid and ran for another 8 or so months after that according to Carbaba).

Hopefully your wheels have survived although one suspects appropriate fitment wheels shouldn't be too tricky to come by if not!

[AnnoyingPentium]

Just now, Markeh said:

Hopefully your wheels have survived although one suspects appropriate fitment wheels shouldn't be too tricky to come by if not!

Even if they haven't I've got a steel spare that is the same overall size with a good tyre. Plus as above, they're the same alloys as Mk4 Golf based platform cars as well as the ones that the Fabia shares a platform with (Mk4 Polo, the uglier Ibiza etc)...

[big_al_granvia]

haud the bus, nobody at shitrfest had a empty juice can and gaffer tape to fix your tent pole

[PicantoJon]

Ah yes, the giffers day out trying to find our way back to the campsite using the 1980s? road atlas @AnnoyingPentium had just acquired...

Think I was still a bit dazed at the point I took this picture... 🥴

I will say though that the airbed definitely wasn't worth the damage!

Full credit to A.R.S.E. members @Sunny Jim, @Ghosty and of course @KruJoe for their stellar assistance on that godforsaken Welsh hillside. 

[JMotor]

I'm also going for fixable too.

After witnessing T'other Ryan work on his over the years. He gave his front subframe a fair wallop and it was fine after a replacement one was fitted. Even the console bushes weren't much hassle to remove and install poly replacements.

[RoverFolkUs]

Like you say, the bottom arm is designed as the weakest point to protect the subframe in the event of an impact. It's entirely possible for the knuckle itself to deform, and of course the shock. But the damages are usually isolated to any combination out of those 3 components. Usually..

[LoftyvRS]

Like I said earlier Ryan it'll need a bottom arm (they are disposable on Fabias anyway) and at a push tie rod. I'd suggest replacing the track rod end & ball joint as they are almost service items on these things as well and they are cheap.

The alloy consoles the bottom arms bolt into rarely bend, although I have seen a broken one but that was in a big shunt. 

A few hours work if you've got the bits round you. As you have PSB console bushes that'll make it even easier and I'd go for a pair of bottom arms if you are replacing one side and poly bushes.

No where near a big enough bump to bend anything chassis or subframe wise. Tough old bastards these are.

[AnnoyingPentium]

6 minutes ago, LoftyvRS said:

Like I said earlier Ryan it'll need a bottom arm (they are disposable on Fabias anyway) and at a push tie rod. I'd suggest replacing the track rod end & ball joint as they are almost service items on these things as well and they are cheap.

The alloy consoles the bottom arms bolt into rarely bend, although I have seen a broken one but that was in a big shunt. 

A few hours work if you've got the bits round you. As you have PSB console bushes that'll make it even easier and I'd go for a pair of bottom arms if you are replacing one side and poly bushes.

No where near a big enough bump to bend anything chassis or subframe wise. Tough old bastards these are.

Thanks Matt, as said earlier, I do reckon you (and others above) will be right about it, considering they're tough old things right enough.

[big_al_granvia]

If it goes to your grandfather's place I'll give you a hand the the spannering. If you want that is

[JJ0063]

Shit news but as said it’ll be a simple fix, you’ve written it off in your head way quicker than needs be and it’ll probably fix that wandering you mentioned it had with a new lower arm on it! 
 

Hope you sort it soon 🙌

[AnnoyingPentium]

1 hour ago, big_al_granvia said:

If it goes to your grandfather's place I'll give you a hand the the spannering. If you want that is

Ach sadly it'll be going back to the hoose. I've got enough room there (double drive) so I can get better access for work on the passenger side. Thank you though Al.

10 minutes ago, JJ0063 said:

Shit news but as said it’ll be a simple fix, you’ve written it off in your head way quicker than needs be and it’ll probably fix that wandering you mentioned it had with a new lower arm on it! 
 

Hope you sort it soon 🙌

Cheers JJ, head has just been a bit amiss since it happened really. Preparing for the worst case etc. However, you'd be right about the wandering, wishbone bushes had started clonking on my way down to Shitefest anyway. Got my poly bushes here for it, so will replace them as I do the arms, and potentially a ball joint as Matt suggested above.

Thanks for all the support and advice guys.

[beko1987]

We'll all be cheering you on as you lay in a puddle in the rain fitting it all in a few weeks time 👍🤞

[Yoss]

Sorry to see this but like others said hopefully it'll not be too bad.

If it makes you feel better I too once hit a big pothole in Wales that was not entirely without consequence. South Wales this time, Monmouthshire. I was in the Triumph and like you it was a narrow lane and I didn't see it. A hell of a bang went through the car. Doesn't help that I have stiffened suspension but at least I have reasonably compliant 70 profile tyres.

Stopped and had a look round and couldn't see any damage. Drove off gingerly, braked gently, all felt normal. Started picking up speed, still okay so continued from Monmouthshire to Southampton at normal speeds. That's my normal speed, not average Triumph driver normal speed. 

Got home, parked out side to open the gate then put it on full lock to swing round 270° in to the drive and there was, well it's hard to describe, but the noise a driveshaft makes when it pops out of the CV joint and continues to rattle around in the hole in the subframe that it goes through. 

After pushing it in to the drive I found the circlip on the end of the driveshaft had broken in two. I found the bits in the grease inside the CV joint. So I'd driven 110 miles at considerable speed with the driveshaft just floating in the CV joint. Fortunately I hadn't used full lock all the way home because that was just enough to pop it out. It was an easy enough fix at home where I had spare driveshafts and tools but it's not something I could have done by the roadside.

[yes oui si]

You can rebuild it. 

Make it better*, stronger**, faster********

[EyesWeldedShut]

14 minutes ago, yes oui si said:

Make it better*, stronger**, faster********

Is that an age test?
Daft Punk
Kayne West
Steve Austin
Which one dates you (or your leisure viewing/listening habits)?

[PicantoJon]

26 minutes ago, EyesWeldedShut said:

Is that an age test?
Daft Punk
Kayne West
Steve Austin
Which one dates you (or your leisure viewing/listening habits)?

Arthritis? No, just me... 🙈

[EyesWeldedShut]

10 minutes ago, PicantoJon said:

Arthritis? No, just me... 🙈

Dunno, just finished painting a skirting board and there's something un-bionic about my knees and hips these days - I think you may have company.

[yes oui si]

45 minutes ago, EyesWeldedShut said:

Steve Austin
Which one dates you (or your leisure viewing/listening habits)?

Same as any other millennial. 

[AnnoyingPentium]

So, a further update on my stupidity. The car was returned on Saturday morning, with me being at work, my Granda cracked on with disassembly. So far I've assessed and ordered the FUBAR bits, namely a wishbone, and a shock absorber. The tie rod was also bent, but has been masterfully* corrected with much fire, many hammer, and lots of swearing. It's still as crooked as the average set of teeth in Kilwinning however it'll do so I can farm out the tie rod replacement to the trusted shite friendly bit up the road.

We only set fire to the wet cloth a few times with the blowtorch...

The wishbone took the brunt of it as expected, so all is looking okay at that... (well beyond having to replace a wishbone)

Here it as it stands, a bit sad, but it'll be on the mend soon.

In the meantime, I'm dailying the Duster, and having loads of fun. 100hp turbo engine is a hoot, you don't get bullied as much, and I managed nearly 51mpg average over 184 miles between Largs and Fenwick and some other bits.

So aye, not all is lost then, which is good. Should hopefully have my own car running soon

[AnnoyingPentium]

It's only fucking running.

Steel wheel on the front as one of my alloys is in the hands of David Fowler by now I think. The other that took the brunt is pretty badly damaged. 

Oh well, it's running and driving very straight despite a mildly bent tie rod. All is well. I haz car noo.

[Sunny Jim]

Aye, @davidfowler2000gave me my spare back and took your alloy in a hotel car park in Peterborough on Friday night so it should be back in Scotland by now.

Congratulations on getting the Fabia fixed up.

[davidfowler2000]

Aye I've got the spare alloy to be delivered... *gestures*... at some point.

[AnnoyingPentium]

3 hours ago, Sunny Jim said:

Aye, @davidfowler2000gave me my spare back and took your alloy in a hotel car park in Peterborough on Friday night so it should be back in Scotland by now.

Congratulations on getting the Fabia fixed up.

 

2 hours ago, davidfowler2000 said:

Aye I've got the spare alloy to be delivered... *gestures*... at some point.

Thanks to both of yous for relaying the wheel.

@davidfowler2000 I'll send you a PM after work and we can arrange something so I can get it back here.

[LoftyvRS]

Glad it's back mobile Ryan and hats off to the fellow shitters in helping arrange wheels etc. Community spirit and all that.

[beko1987]

Awesome, glad it was an easy fix as we all hoped! 

Just don't do it again... 😂

[AnnoyingPentium]

19 minutes ago, beko1987 said:

Awesome, glad it was an easy fix as we all hoped! 

Just don't do it again... 😂

I'll come in something more disposable next year... 😂

[AnnoyingPentium]

Updates, people, updates! ... or something.

Yet again, I find myself writing random dribblings about the automobiles that seem to haunt me like a cludgie (1) after a ropey vindaloo. Since you last joined me, I have achieved approximately 1,000 miles since the Skoda of much problems got intimate with a verge in Wales. However, the problem child, is still running faultlessly* as always, provided we ignore the warped boot carpet/MDF thing and the leaky driver's door. Beyond that, though, she's mint* m9. All non-issues at the moment, anyway.

I've got my wheel back, thanks to Davie Fowler and Jim for managing to shuffle it about to get it home. I just need to put a tyre on it now.

As a thank you for not quite going boom yet, I washed the car, shock horror. It makes me feel better though.

The bulk of my mileage has been as a result of my best friend's Mum passing away, so I've been helping where I can to help with appointments and moving and suchlike. Hence also the child's car seat in the car - it isn't mine, honest!

All things aside, this is most likely the cleanest this car has been. Ever. Well, since I removed all the shite hanging around to try and isolate the rattles and creaks, which are definitely from the interior trim.

Oh yeah, I bought a snazzy little footrest thing to make it look superior* to your standard Fabia types...

So aye, I think that rounds off my tales of nonsense for yet another instalment. Bonus photos...

(1) Scots word of the day - Cludgie: the shitter/toilet.

Oh yeah, I have a Focus, whoops!

So yeah, the Focus. This is the time where I'm brutally honest, as a project this has stalled. I'm working quite a lot of shifts at the moment, and days off are spent helping out my best mate as above. So yeah, this unfortunately is at the bottom of my list of priorities right now, as much as I'd like to have it running, but time has said nope.

In all honesty, I'd toyed with the idea of punting it on as it's on my mind and bugging my happiness, but the odds of finding someone who wouldn't send it to the oval are slimmer than Rizla papers. So yeah, the Focus hasn't seen much attention lately, and I really should do something about that. At least running, MOT'd, and punted on somewhere that isn't quite a circuit quite yet - it's just getting over all of the hurdles to get to that point. I'll work it out, but right now I've got other things to be dealing with. I've potentially got a home for it in the future, with someone I know well, so it'll get a second, second chance really, and it'll be in good hands and used as intended. Fingers crossed.

So for now, as it stands...: Fabia works. Trailer works. Focus still non-functional.

[RoverFolkUs]

I hadn't noticed in previous pictures, I'm sure you've said before but what are those seats from? They look brilliant and far better than standard Fabia seats!