How Not To Rebuild A Rear Beam!

[Ryan 99]

A few months after buying my 205 I had to replace the rear beam. I replaced it with a 309 beam, rebuilt in Feb 2005 by a certain well-know Pug specialist in south-west Leicester. It's never felt 100% right, and recently I tried to adjust the ride height and found it almost seized solid, even though it's covered less than 5k miles. After stripping it down I've concluded that it's probably not easy to do a worse job of rebuilding a beam, even if you were doing it badly on purpose:

 

- Leave a 2mm gap between the outer seals and the cups they're supposed to seal against

- Fill the bearings with copper grease

- Strip the splines on the anti-roll bar and the end plates so that the bar just spins uselessly in them

- Set the ride height 10mm higher on one side

- Fit new bolts, but round them all off anyway so that it's more fun for the next person

- And finally, a picture of the shafts, of which he said at the time "these don't look too bad":

 

[Tom Fenton 1,540]

4 years is quite a long time in the rear beam stakes though, regardless of miles covered. Those shafts are certainly scrap though.

[SurGie 54]

They look really bad, worse iv ever seen by far.

 

I think 205 parts are not around any more and heard a few stories about their re-beam jobs not being good, that's why i decided

not to go with them when i need one in 2006.

 

Sorry to hear about this, its just not the way things should be done, by the look of it, i bet the beam was not even

sorted out at all, its got a lot of rust even if the seals are not flush and its only 4 years old.

[Ryan 99]

It wasn't 205 Parts.

[Alastairh 47]

They look really bad, worse iv ever seen by far.

 

I think 205 parts are not around any more and heard a few stories about their re-beam jobs not being good, that's why i decided

not to go with them when i need one in 2006.

 

I disagree, Anthony on here did all there beams, probably the most respected beam builder on here.

 

Sounds like a spooner special. I once saw a beam by him that still had the old inner bearing rolling around in the tube!

 

Al

[jimistdt 1]

They look really bad, worse iv ever seen by far.

 

I think 205 parts are not around any more and heard a few stories about their re-beam jobs not being good, that's why i decided

not to go with them when i need one in 2006.

 

Sorry to hear about this, its just not the way things should be done, by the look of it, i bet the beam was not even

sorted out at all, its got a lot of rust even if the seals are not flush and its only 4 years old.

 

 

Again, you don't know first hand you just thought you'd drag someones name through the mud based on heresay?

[Ryan 99]

Sounds like a spooner special.

Ding ding ding!

 

I once saw a beam by him that still had the old inner bearing rolling around in the tube!

 

Oh yeah, it had that too, forget to mention that.

[pug_ham 244 3 Cars]

I think 205 parts are not around any more and heard a few stories about their re-beam jobs not being good, that's why i decided not to go with them when i need one in 2006.

You have definately heard wrong on that case.

 

Like Alastair says, Anthony did the beam rebuilds for 205parts & doesn't produce shoddy goods so you need to be very careful what you say. I'm sure Paul would also take issue with that statement.

 

I agree with Alastair about the probable source though as I've seen one or two from them in similar conditions after a recent rebuild by them.

 

Graham.

[205turbo 32 2 Cars]

Yes i would take issue with that, I'm sure Anthony will as well,

 

I would guess that Anthony has built a large majorty of the beams used on forum members cars, With know issues raised about them.

Edited June 23, 2009 by 205turbo

[Miles 331 1 Cars]

Hmm, all sounds pretty much like a beam I had in to rebuild which I deemed as scrap as the end washer had been welded in from memory or something daft like that as the bolt was missing, Had a huge amount of camber on it too

[Anthony 1,002]

Cor, yours lasted 4 years? I'm impressed - I had the pleasure of stripping down a 2 week old beam from the company Ryan is refering to, and believe it or not it was in worse state than the one you've pictured. The owner bought the car to me to have a look at as she was concerned that the work might not have been done correctly seeing as the beam was showing significant camber and squeaking worse than the springs on a honeymooners bed

 

As above, I can say with 100% certainty that the beam would not have come from 205Parts as I worked part-time there doing the majority of the rear beam builds for them, and would not have entertained thoughts of any of the bodges and hash-ups described.

[SurGie 54]

Off topic,

 

I never said Anthony did it did i ?

 

When i had work done there in 2006 and i seen them doing a beam themselves.

 

Iv had a friend that had one done by them so i have 1st hand experience, it does not matter any ways

as they are not around any more. Also spoonys work i agree is not pukka.

 

Although i had work on my old 205's engine in 2006 and was very happy with it, so im not saying they were bad just that

iv known of not great work done that's all. No one does perfect work every single time are they.

[Tom Fenton 1,540]

When in hole put down spade.

[SurGie 54]

[jimistdt 1]

Off topic,

 

 

Iv had a friend that had one done by them so i have 1st hand experience,

 

 

No. That is not first hand experience.

[j_turnell 136 3 Cars]

Surgie you are talking out of your arse. We never did beam builds there, only Anthony rebuilt axels, so you cant have seen anyone build one, best get your facts straight before you go spouting off! And yes it does matter even though there not around anymore.

Edited June 24, 2009 by cybernck

[205turbo 32 2 Cars]

As James has said we never built Beams,

 

We left that to Anthony, not sure how you managed to see one being built as we never did them !!

 

There was often old beams being knocked apart for spares of scrap 205s

Edited June 23, 2009 by 205turbo

[SurGie 54]

I picked up my car and seen mike and paul working over the beam that was in front of their garage.

 

though i didn't see them do the whole beam rebuild i did SEE them strip it, i have a friend that was not happy that's all so lay of my back

about it, i said they were a good 205 garage already

 

if things like this are going to get this sort of aggro, there is no point.

IL just let the forum run how it wants to run from now on, truth or not.

 

I know what i seen end of, if you don't like it then that's your problem.

[jimistdt 1]

My point is, somebody reading this thread who didn't know better that disregard anything you've typed may take your post literally. Consequently damaging a reputation or livliehood.

 

If your going to make big bold sweeping statements you can expect people to defend them.

[Baz 421]

I think 205 parts are not around any more and heard a few stories about their re-beam jobs not being good, that's why i decided

not to go with them when i need one in 2006.

 

You're talking out of arse again...

 

i think the company we're talking about here's reputation preceeds them, begins with an S and are POO, then ends in X.

[j_turnell 136 3 Cars]

Sorry if im going off topic but this has pissed me off. So let me get this straight, you saw mike and paul strip a beam, so from that you established that they dont build good beams, this is obviously comming from your vast array of mechanical knowledge, having brought your car to them to be worked on in the first place, and oh yes your mate had a bad experience, who was that then, what was the issue, care to share?

Edited June 24, 2009 by cybernck
Take it easy!

[Anthony 1,002]

... and on that note, I think that this thread has drifted far enough off-topic and has since served its purpose.