Took my wifes maestro turbo diesel for its MOT yesterday and it failed due to the bottom suspension swivel on the N/S having excessive play.
Set to this morning to replace. You have to remove the bottom suspension arm complete with the offending ball joint swivel. This is riveted in place incidentally by three rivets which have to be drilled and ground out.
The replacement kit contains three nuts and bolts to replace the rivets.
After replacing and torquing up the suspension arm as per Mr Haynes manual everything was done.
However the steering wheel which was perfectly aligned is now out of line by a quarter of a turn approximately. I have studied the book but can not see any reason why this should be so. The track rod ends haven't been touched...the swivel joint was exactly the same so my concern is how can this be so as I have done nothing to affect alignement.
Would anyone have an explanation and how to rectify.
Thanks,
Alvin
|
Alvin,
If this car had been tracked when the wear was present (ie. to compensate) now it is OK again this has put the tracking out.
David
|
Thanks David, but how would the tracking be put out with a suspension swivel replacement??. I have studied the exploded layout in haynes but cannot see the connection. Could you perhaps explain.
regards
Alvin
|
Alvin,
It is common for cars that are driven a fair mileage with worn suspension ball joints/bushes to show edge wear on their tyres because the free play affects the toe-in setting.
So if someone has the tracking set to compensate and save the tyres when you do the replacement the tracking needs setting back again.
David
|
Thanks David, I got yer.....I will be off to ATS at Ashbourne who have the mastertracker equipment to have it reset.
They can set the steering wheel alignment together with tracking with this gadget. I always find it very annoying if the steering wheel is not aligned correctly. thanks for your advice.
Alvin
|
|
|
Alvin,
Imagine that your new swivel in the old suspension arm has it's 'centre' an inch further towards the kerb than the worn one did. If the original length track rod is used it will slightly alter the direction in which the wheel is pointing. The self centering action ensures that both wheels run at the same angles, and the car runs in a straight line. The steering wheel position will move. The answer is to alter the track rod lengths until the tracking is correct and the steering wheel centered.
|
Thanks Steve,
I see the picture now. Will get it fixed at ATS.
regards
Alvin
|
|
|
|
If David W's diagnosis is correct (and I think it usually is) wouldn't it seem sensible to replace both ball-joints rather than set tracking with a new one and a worn one ?
|
|
Andrew, might be a good idea to replace the entire car if bits of it are worn.
|
|
|
Yes - that is an unkind post Tom.
Look at some of the Fords/Vauxhalls etc of that era - rusty as hell!
Not fair to just narrow it down to BL/Rover
Rust on a 1989-on 200/400? Never seen any, let alone any MOT fails on rust.
The Maestro TD is a good workshorse which is simple to work on (excepting that water pump!!) and will go on and on forever.
Parts for the Maestro are dirt cheap too.
It's just those rivets that are a pain!
David
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I cannot see how any Maestro is worth the MoT fee, let alone spending money and time on fixing it.
The MoT will have cost you £30 ish, how much for the parts?, then what price on your time? I cannot believe that it did not fail on other things too!
All BL/AUSTIN/Rover cars of that era have terminal rot. Even if it's now passed, so what, it's book value is zero and it will be totally unsafe in the event of an accident . More protection on a moped!!
You should have driven it to the scrapper. You would have got £30 for it, you would have saved £30 on the MoT and what, £50 on parts? plus several hours of time?
You're over £100 quid down then - it pays to scrap such crap.
Tom
|
Bit unkind Tom, and do let us know where they are still paying for scrap cars. They all charge to take them this way.
Only one advantage in your idea, that TD engine makes a dam good fittment in a Series Land Rover.
David
|
|
in newcastle a scrapyard now has an offer of free collection of your mot failures.
|
|
Any hints as to who that might be?
|
|
|
|
David,
My post was deemed as unkind?
I though that this was Honest John's back room - I was simply being 'Honest' - honest.
Anyone one taking bets on it passing next year?
Alvin never did say how much it finaly cost to get it to pass the MoT.
Tom.
|
|
|
Tom
I think you've missed the point. If an old banger costs you a few hundred quid a year to maintain and repair, it's cheaper than bus fares for local journeys. As long as the basic mechanicals are ok and safe, crash safety is less of an issue on low speed local trips. Who cares what it's "worth," or indeed what it looks like, as long as the heater works?
Chris
|
|
|
Chris,
Yep, tend to agree, even a maestro is preferable to a bus {many made by Leyland {Leyland/Daf}, once part of BL, which eventually became the MG / Rover of today.
I speak from experience having owned the Maestro's larger brother - the Montego - serious rust problems at first MoT.
Rover 213 and 216 from late 80s to early 90 were totally appalling on corrosion.
How many early 90s Montegos / Maestros are still on the road - not many - lots of similar Ford, Vauxhall, VW, Audi, still going. Basically anything German, French and indeed Swedish {Volvo, Saab}.
As we have such wet conditions and use so much salt in the winter, BL / Rover should have been world leaders in preventing corrosion decades ago. Look at Volvo and Saab and the weather in Scandinavia.
BL's plan of building cars to last only 5 years, hoping that customers would buy another, seriously backfired on them and on the British tax payer.
I used to buy Austin / Rover cars out of some sense of misguided patriotism, but no more. Give me German, French or Swedish.
Tom
|
|
|
