Mot Advisory But Odd Handling

[pugbliss 0]

hi

 

About 2 weeks ago i had my mot in which it failed...big time...anyway long story short........

 

i got everything fixed but i had an advisory on BOTH track rod end ball joints, with having slight play on them both, ok i thought thats not major.

 

now i dont do any motorway travel at all for say about 3 months up till now cos i have a new job so im always on the M62,

 

the problem is the pug is weaving around a fair bit whilst driving and im having to correct my steering all the time, could this be cos of the play in the track rod end ball joints?????

 

if so can i just replace the ball joints???? if so how much we looking at roughly???

 

oh yeh my pug is a 1.6 1990 gti just so you know???

 

cheers

[smighall 1]

Could well be TRE causing the dodgy handling. Just get 2 new ones, they're cheap (£15 each or something like that).

[pugbliss 0]

the only thing i can find is called a track control arm but its more like £43.00.

 

where are you looking smighall, so i know what im looking for/at

[smighall 1]

http://www.eurocarparts.com

 

Part number: 606545025

 

10.82+vat

[Phil H 16]

Try this...

[welshpug 1,657]

I'll eat my hat if those are unused!!

 

GSF is even cheaper, no point going ebay, the quality isnt there unless you pay a fair bit and you get stung on postage,

 

N43618 TIE ROD END 205 8.25

[pugbliss 0]

hi welsh pug , im needing track rod end ball joints not tie bar....

 

i still carnt find them for a 1.6gti all i can find are the control arm

[smighall 1]

Tie rod end is the same as a Track rod end.

[pugbliss 0]

oh i stand corrected, cheers for pointing that out.

[DrSarty 90 1 Cars]

I was gonna say, these dudes ARE recommending the track rod end for you - what suppliers call 'em is often odd my friend. Don't get f*cked off with your Pug, mine's red too and I had (and in fact still have) a handling issue. However these are the easiest things to fix. I bent my wishbone pigot pin (somehow) and this causes a tug into the right. Have the bolts just need 30mins to swap 'em.

 

Your issue may well be your track rod ends. Providing they're not jammed on, they're a doddle to replace and cheap too. Tracking of course will cost £25 quid or so BUT the transformation is magic and you'll love your Pug all over again.

 

Not wanting to worry you or complicate issues, but you may wanna check your wishbones too. The metal parts are practically bullet proof but the bushes wear and cause scary handling. See my thread which was fixed in an hour: http://forum.205gtidrivers.com/index.php?s...733&hl=eeek

 

It could be your rod ends AND/OR your wishbone bushes my friend, but as I said, providing everything else is sound, these simple replacements will bring some serious Pug lovin' back into your life.

 

DrS

[welshpug 1,657]

I have been charged £15 in the past for tracking fit them yourself, and measure between the wheels front and rear, set them as close to parallel as you can, this will be good enough to get you to a helpful tyre place, before they do the job ask them to stick it on the ramp and have a look at the bushes for the lower arms, any good tyre place will know that its useless to do the tracking if the bushes are naff and shouldnt mind doing that for you.

[28CRAIG 2]

Is it just on the motorway it does this i have noticed this in my car just in the inside lane were the lorrys have sunk the road. Just in case there is nothing wrong

[Pugnut 9 1 Cars]

with the pug being so driver focussed and giving such a good feedback on the steering wheel it takes very little wear on any suspension component to make things feel not as they should, and for the cars handling to be affected.

[pugbliss 0]

dr sarty... i was under the impression if you wanted to replace the track rod end you have to replace the wishbone thing too as it is all one part???

28craig....yeh its only on the motorway at speed, if it does it on normal roads then i dont realise it.

[Pugnut 9 1 Cars]

dr sarty... i was under the impression if you wanted to replace the track rod end you have to replace the wishbone thing too as it is all one part???

28craig....yeh its only on the motorway at speed, if it does it on normal roads then i dont realise it.

 

you are confising the bottom arm (track control arm) with the ball joint on the end of the steering rack (track rod end) . its the track rod ends you're after which will unscrew (with varying easyness!) from the ends of the tie bar ,steering rack assembly

[Pugnut 9 1 Cars]

[pugbliss 0]

oh i see nice one pugnut....!!!!!!!

 

so i guess i might be able to do them myself then????? depending if there stuck on..

 

so could it be down to these that im weaving on the motorway????

[Pugnut 9 1 Cars]

make sure the old ones are the same length as the new.

try to leave the locknut on the tie bar in the same place and turn the whole tiebar complete with locknut together unscrewing out of the rod end .

you sometimes need to heat the the joint up first before it comes out but give it a go cold first.

once you've got the rod started to turn out of the rod end have a go at the hub end . I've never used ball joint splitters ,i get the nut almost all the way off and get the hammer onto it (the nut not the threads). this way you dont splay out the top and it still slides through the hole. give the joint a hit from side on also to loosen it a bit .

once it pops out remove the nut and out it falls

 

fitting the new one is a piece of cake . a jack putting pressure upwards on the ball joint always helps to keep things tight while you tighten the nut (unless the new joint has a hex head which you can use)

 

drive to garage and get you're alignment checked

 

i hope that makes sense?

 

oh and yes , these wont be helping you're motorway wobble! I've never understood advisory tickets .Its like saying yes they are on thier way out but on the day we'll let it pass and give you an mot? theres no way they would last 12k of motoring .Just goes to show that a UK mot is no more than an 'on the day' test and in no way means the car will be safe for the next 12 months. I've never not acted upon an advisory note.

[pugbliss 0]

cheers mate, thanks for all the info...

 

ill deff be getting these done asap cos im all over the place on the motorway and im only doing 80mph so not even doing a ton.

 

also need to get the wheels balanced and ive got a bit of a shaky steering wheel when i get to that speed too

[DrSarty 90 1 Cars]

Glad the confusion's ironed out.

 

Now you'd be best to approach this one thing at a time. Even the likes of ATS, as you'll be paying for tracking from them, if you ask nicely will fit ITEM ONE, the new track rod ends for you and track up the car. The TRE are the MoT advisory so do those first - you'll be looking at around £40-£60 all in, including the new parts and won't need to get your hands dirty - lazy but leave it to the experts.

 

Whilst they have it, get them (ask nicely) to eye over the other components e.g. the wish bone bushes, the drop links and the spigot on the end of the wishbone. The latter MUST have the right bolts securing them in place and could be wrong too. ATS will jiggle, wiggle and poke and find any free play for you and should advise accordingly. View it with them and you'll understand for yourself the whole set up.

 

As for motorway wobble, whilst the wheels are off have them check balanced, and get the rears done too.

 

Good luck & promise to post what happens eh? When you've found the fix you'll love driving her again.

 

DrS