Boring CMax gone over the bridge

[rainagain]

Finally got the new wishbone fitted this afternoon. It wasn’t too bad, I did find the anti roll bar got in the way again. I tried to jack up the hub as I’d seen online but when I started to do this it pushed the strut away from the car and it was threatening to pull the shift out the gearbox. 
 

I pulled the hub forward and this let me slot in the wishbone. I used medium threadlock on the bolts and I jacked it up to approx horizontal before I tightened all the bolts as I knew I wouldn’t be able to get to them once it was on the ground. 
 

Here’s the really annoying bit, I took it for a test drive tonight and it’s exactly the same. I’ve never had a car like it before. You feel every bump through the steering wheel as in the steering wheel shakes in your hand over every bump. Once you get to about 55 the steering wheel starts to shake, as does the front of the car.  
 

I’ve got a new wishbone to fit on the OH side but when got my OH to wiggle the steering wheel whilst I looked underneath only the O/S wishbone rear bush looked like it was moving. 
 

It’s the steering wheel bit I can’t understand. It feels almost notchy as you turn the wheel. Does it sound like the other wishbone is toast or does sound more like the steering rack bushes or the subframe bushes? The sub frame bushes need done in my Saab and all I get is clunking over bumps. Any ideas but I punt this over the bridge would be appreciated. 

[rainagain]

I even spent today giving it a wash and I started sorting some of the bodywork. Ungrateful little bastard that it is. 

[JMotor]

Perhaps I'd maybe go for wheel balancing and spin the front wheels to see if there was wheel bearing on the way out? Or maybe the top mount is gubbed as well? 

Quick and easy to check. 

Otherwise, sorry I don't know beyond that. 

[Barry Cade]

@rainagain Can you feel the notchyness with the front jacked up and moving the steering lock to lock from the wheel? Wheel balance wouldn't make the steering notchy,or make the wheel shake over bumps, subframe would have to be hanging off to give these symptoms, as probably would the wishbones.

Rule out in order of seriousness/ amount of work

twisted tyre

Coil spring broken- check top and bottom of both springs carefully.

Top mounts.. remove the track rod end from the hub and move wheel lock to lock, should be smooth,quiet and notch free

Inner and outer CV joints and shaft bearing on long shaft

[rainagain]

Thanks for the info, it’s the vibrating above 55 which is worrying as well. Im not sure what could be causing that. It actually feels like the car is going to fall apart. Like I say I’ve driven some shit heaps in my time but nothing as bad as this. 

[Barry Cade]

4 minutes ago, rainagain said:

Thanks for the info, it’s the vibrating above 55 which is worrying as well. Im not sure what could be causing that. It actually feels like the car is going to fall apart. Like I say I’ve driven some shit heaps in my time but nothing as bad as this. 

Happy to come and point at stuff for a bit if you get stuck, don't give up!

[sierraman]

Pointless tracking it until both bottom arms confirmed good. Have you checked the top mounts?

Could be the rack, common weak point on the Mk1/2. Wouldn’t discount that but if you can find a place with an ATL and check the steering on it. If you can hold the axial rods as someone turns the steering.

[RoverFolkUs]

Notchy steering is usually top mounts or a power steering issue

High speed vibration can be tyre balance. Possibly out of shape but you usually feel that at lower speeds. 

Swap wheels front to rear and see if you notice any difference?

[grogee]

+1 for PAS. Are these EPAS or hydraulic?

We had a C-MAX Ghia 2.0 auto. "Top of the range" but still well stingy spec. No pleather, no seat heat, no climate, no sunroof.

I always thought it was less practical than the estate, the boot isn't large and the stupid slidy rear seats are pointless.

It was alright to drive though, if a bit 'American' with 4-speed torque converter auto. Think Mrs Grogee regularly failed to achieve 30mpg. Seem to remember it being a bugger to start when hot.

I still see it bombing about locally, so it's still going. 

[rainagain]

I jacked this up last night, as I suspected the n/s spring is snapped but only the very bottom coil

Also the tracking is out

I’m going to have to drop the strut to change the spring which means trying to undo these nuts. 

I wonder if I’ll be better off just cutting them and fitting new ones. It will be new wiper mech time if they sheer. 
 

Also like everything else on this car I tried to top up the coolant only to find the cap is broken. Unless it’s supposed to do this. 

you can see the gearbox leak here, I’m assuming the hex headed bolt is where I top it up? I ordered a new seal for it but typically I can’t find it now. 

 

The steering is so strange it feels like there is a giant spring between the steering wheel and the wheels. Whenever you hit a bump the steering wheel jumps in your hand then the oscillations die down. I’ve never had this in a car before. I’m really hoping changing the spring, wishbone and sorting the tracking makes it go away. 

[rainagain]

Another hour spend with this ungrateful bastard. I snapped my adapter trying to remove the front wishbone bolt. I’m assuming like the other side it has been bathed in loctite before being fitted. I can’t even see the captive nut in the chassis, anyone got an idea how I can get heat on it? I’ve getting a lend of 3/4” breaker bar and 18mm socket. What the chances of the head just coming off the bolt rather than it undoing? 
 

I did managed to get the lower ball joint nut off so one out of four isn’t so bad.

 

 

[rainagain]

Also how the hell do you get the wiper arms off. You can’t get decent access to them with the bonnet opened or closed. I don’t have to remove the bonnet do I? 
 

[sierraman]

51 minutes ago, rainagain said:

Another hour spend with this ungrateful bastard. I snapped my adapter trying to remove the front wishbone bolt. I’m assuming like the other side it has been bathed in loctite before being fitted. I can’t even see the captive nut in the chassis, anyone got an idea how I can get heat on it? I’ve getting a lend of 3/4” breaker bar and 18mm socket. What the chances of the head just coming off the bolt rather than it undoing? 
 

I did managed to get the lower ball joint nut off so one out of four isn’t so bad.

 

 

Personally I’d be going at it with the rattle gun on the other bolts. Probably telling you to suck eggs here but cleaning all the shit off the threads will help get the nyloc nut off a bit. 

[sierraman]

52 minutes ago, rainagain said:

Also how the hell do you get the wiper arms off. You can’t get decent access to them with the bonnet opened or closed. I don’t have to remove the bonnet do I? 
 

Both, bonnet up to undo bolts then a puller on them. 

[rainagain]

6 minutes ago, sierraman said:

Personally I’d be going at it with the rattle gun on the other bolts. Probably telling you to suck eggs here but cleaning all the shit off the threads will help get the nyloc nut off a bit. 

That's the problem I can't get to the nut as it's captive in the chassis unless it's sticking out the back and I can't see it looking down. I think it's somewhere in the red circled area inside the subframe.

[sierraman]

Is the bolt seized or the captive spinning? I’ve always if possible just used the rattle gun on the forward facing bolt assuming you can get to it. 

[rainagain]

Just now, sierraman said:

Is the bolt seized or the captive spinning? I’ve always if possible just used the rattle gun on the forward facing bolt assuming you can get to it. 

I’ve only got my Aldi “400Nm” rattle gun but I’ll stick that on it when my new impact sockets arrive. 

[sierraman]

They’re never close to 400nm. If you can get an air or mains one on it. 

[rainagain]

8 minutes ago, sierraman said:

They’re never close to 400nm. If you can get an air or mains one on it. 

And neither is the Aldi rattle gun! Annoyingly as I’m doing this at my house I don’t have access to my compressor, unless I stick it the Saab and lug it round. 

[RoverFolkUs]

No captive nut on the front bush, you need to get a spanner on it. 18mm off memory

Those wiper nuts look fine. Spray them up, doubt the studs will shear, the threads look fine

To get to the bottom of your steering issue you need to get both front wheels in the air and turn the wheels left to right. If it's smooth then it's a power steering issue. 

Based on the level of corrosion under there I bet the top mount bearings are seized and causing your issue

[rainagain]

Picked up some nice new 1/2” drive impact sockets from Halfords and set to remove the wishbone bolt. My Aldi gun still can’t touch it. However joys upon joys the bolt is undoing but the insert for the bush is stuck to the bolt. As you undo it it feels like it’s going to rip the subframe apart. 

As you can see the head is barely proud of the subframe so rather than just undoing, the metal inset from the bush is pushing the subframe mounting out of shape. I’m not sure if I should keep undoing it and hope as some point the insert will release from the bolt or will it burst open the subframe? I can’t really get heat in here as the cv boot sits right above this. I’m tempted to see if I can break the insert up with a cold chisel. 

[sierraman]

Cut either side with the grinder. 

[RoverFolkUs]

Ah that's a shitter. Yep you're going to need to cut that. You've got a nice bit of access there but I've spent 4 hours with a reciprocating saw and a pack of blades on a Navara once due to access so best of luck !!!

[sierraman]

If you can, cut the arm off then you’ll have more access to get the grinder to cut either side of the Bush. Obviously you’ll be left with a bit of bolt in the captive but you might be able to back that out or weld a nut on. 

[rainagain]

I think I’m going shove a heat gun in the space and keep an eye on the cv boot above it. 

[sierraman]

3 minutes ago, rainagain said:

I think I’m going shove a heat gun in the space and keep an eye on the cv boot above it. 

I’m sorry to say that will have fuck all effect. The boot has fused to the inner sleeve, reciprocating saw either side and have done with it. If the other side looks equally fucked bear in mind a used subframe is £50-60. 

[rainagain]

Just now, sierraman said:

I’m sorry to say that will have fuck all effect. The boot has fused to the inner sleeve, reciprocating saw either side and have done with it. If the other side looks equally fucked bear in mind a used subframe is £50-60. 

The other side was a piece of piss compared to this one and is already changed. Problem is if I cut it out I won’t have anything to undo the bolt with. I don’t have a welder to weld a nut to it. 

[RoverFolkUs]

Glowing red hot with oxyacetylene might sometimes help but even that sometimes makes it worse as it melts the bush and then the sleeve has nothing to resist against. 

You might as well use a pocket lighter or a hairdryer instead of a heatgun 😆

[RoverFolkUs]

Is the bolt spinning with the gun or not? Happy to be corrected but I'm 90% sure it's not a captive nut on the other end.

[rainagain]

A pocket lighter and five litres of petrol seem more appealing. The worst thing is in my head I think I’m still in less than the  scrap price so every day I’m more and more tempted to have it taking across the bridge.