37 replies to this topic

[Tail-end Charlie]

Car has screwed me over by failing it's MOT because of a split steering rack gaiter. That sounds like a really gay thing to fail on! What is a steering rack gaiter anyway? Still, it looks like it is gonna cost a ****load. Apparently whatever this job is the tracking will have to be re-done afterwards. Which brings me to my advisory that the tracking is probably out anyway as the front tyres are wearing on the inside!! I've checked and they are indeed wearing quite badly right on the edge. So they need to be replaced as they look barely legal on the inside to me. I'm not being funny, but I paid a very reputable (and well-known on vx220.org)garage over £500 to service this car just 2months ago. Shouldn't these things have been picked up then? I did ask them to check both the geo and the front tyres. Could it be that the tracking is not out but it looks like it is because the tyres are old and are running a fast road geometry? I must say it is driving and tracking fine. Anyway I'm ****** off and now even VOSA is ******* with me.

[siztenboots]

Car has screwed me over by failing it's MOT because of a split steering rack gaiter.

That sounds like a really gay thing to fail on! What is a steering rack gaiter anyway?

Still, it looks like it is gonna cost a ****load. Apparently whatever this job is the tracking will have to be re-done afterwards. Which brings me to my advisory that the tracking is probably out anyway as the front tyres are wearing on the inside!! I've checked and they are indeed wearing quite badly right on the edge. So they need to be replaced as they look barely legal on the inside to me.

I'm not being funny, but I paid a very reputable (and well-known on vx220.org)garage over £500 to service this car just 2months ago. Shouldn't these things have been picked up then?

I did ask them to check both the geo and the front tyres. Could it be that the tracking is not out but it looks like it is because the tyres are old and are running a fast road geometry? I must say it is driving and tracking fine.

Anyway I'm ****** off and now even VOSA is ******* with me.

have a chat with guglielmi and see what they do to resolve this.

[The Batman]

Name and shame! Hope you get it sorted cheap and cheerfully I take it, it is one of the steering arm gattors at the wheels end.... I would have thought that would have been an easy fix!

[techieboy]

Steering rack gaiters are available from Elise Parts and whilst fiddly, aren't a massive problem to change. As long as you count the threads on the track rod end you might even get away with no change to the current geo settings.

Fast road/track settings tend to mean more negative camber which inevitably means the inner edges of the tyres wear a lot faster than the rest of the tyre.

Steering rack gaiters

Edited by techieboy, 17 January 2011 - 12:25 PM.

[vocky]

do you trust the mot garage ? I once had a split cv gaitor at a MOT, strangely there was no grease and only a small screwdriver sized hole in the gaitor. They didn't get the work of fixing it and I've never been back there either ps: probably just the geo killing the inside edge of the tyres, quite common

[TheRealVXed]

Inner tyre edge wear is probably caused by having too aggressive a geo for your driving style. If you don't drive the car hard enough you won't wear the tyre evenly with a fast road geo. Track geos on road only cars which aren't driven hard can wear the insides of the front/rears in only a couple of thousand miles!

[Tail-end Charlie]

Name and shame!

Hope you get it sorted cheap and cheerfully

I take it, it is one of the steering arm gattors at the wheels end.... I would have thought that would have been an easy fix!

Well I don't want to name and shame as you say because I could be out of order. I just know that I do feel a bit hard done to at the moment and I'm just trying to establish whether I have a legitimate right to be. They did do the brake pads and the spark plugs which was most of the expense I suppose. But obviously I would rather have paid a bit more and had this sorted 2 months ago. In future I'm definately going to revert to the tried and tested method of synchronising the MOT & service - you can't fail your own work!

But it is not difficult to work out who I am talking about.

[Tail-end Charlie]

Steering rack gaiters are available from Elise Parts and whilst fiddly, aren't a massive problem to change. As long as you count the threads on the track rod end you might even get away with no change to the current geo settings.

Fast road/track settings tend to mean more negative camber which inevitably means the inner edges of the tyres wear a lot faster than the rest of the tyre.

Steering rack gaiters

Cheers Techie. I knew it would be something daft, it's just a plastic cover isn't it?

do you trust the mot garage ?

I once had a split cv gaitor at a MOT, strangely there was no grease and only a small screwdriver sized hole in the gaitor.

They didn't get the work of fixing it and I've never been back there either

ps: probably just the geo killing the inside edge of the tyres, quite common

Nope. Do not trust the garage as I've never used them and only went there for cheap tyres. But they are correct that the front tyres are worn badly on the inside. I've done 1000miles since the service so they must have been quite bad then.

[Mangham54]

Name and shame!

Hope you get it sorted cheap and cheerfully

I take it, it is one of the steering arm gattors at the wheels end.... I would have thought that would have been an easy fix!

Well I don't want to name and shame as you say because I could be out of order. I just know that I do feel a bit hard done to at the moment and I'm just trying to establish whether I have a legitimate right to be. They did do the brake pads and the spark plugs which was most of the expense I suppose. But obviously I would rather have paid a bit more and had this sorted 2 months ago. In future I'm definately going to revert to the tried and tested method of synchronising the MOT & service - you can't fail your own work!

But it is not difficult to work out who I am talking about.

As stated previously.... I would just unscrew the steering rack out of the track rod end (counting the number of turns, for even more, undo the securing bolt and then get some tip-ex and put a couple of light dabs on the threaded bar where it enters the TRE). Then it should be just a matter of undoing the tie wraps (cutting them) off the old gaitor (the rubber part that looks like a ford gearstick cover - pic below) and then fit the new one and re: tie wrap it back on. Then all you should have to do is just screw the steering rack back into the TRE and tighten the securing nut and job done. Take it back to the testing station -show them the old and new part (fitted) and if there were no other MOT failed items they should retest it and pass it (if they find owt else walk away as they are probably trying to fleece you for work).

Just my 2p.

Edited by Mangham54, 17 January 2011 - 12:54 PM.

[siztenboots]

Steering rack gaiters are available from Elise Parts and whilst fiddly, aren't a massive problem to change. As long as you count the threads on the track rod end you might even get away with no change to the current geo settings.

Fast road/track settings tend to mean more negative camber which inevitably means the inner edges of the tyres wear a lot faster than the rest of the tyre.

Steering rack gaiters

could you get away with painting markers on the nut and thread end, count the thread and retighten back to the reference point. geo should be as close as you'd could expect.

[Coral flash]

Just to mention: Get the gaiters done BEFORE you get the geo done as it is necessary to remove the track rod ends in order to change the gaiters and then reset the tracking Cf

[Pidgeon]

Name and shame!

Hope you get it sorted cheap and cheerfully

I take it, it is one of the steering arm gattors at the wheels end.... I would have thought that would have been an easy fix!

Well I don't want to name and shame as you say because I could be out of order. I just know that I do feel a bit hard done to at the moment and I'm just trying to establish whether I have a legitimate right to be. They did do the brake pads and the spark plugs which was most of the expense I suppose. But obviously I would rather have paid a bit more and had this sorted 2 months ago. In future I'm definately going to revert to the tried and tested method of synchronising the MOT & service - you can't fail your own work!

But it is not difficult to work out who I am talking about.

Where's the shame? Checking the gaitors is not part of the service, can't we look at the tyres?

If you'd been told they all needed changing, some would complain the garage is trying to make money. They can't win.

[Tail-end Charlie]

Took some photos of the tyres, not that revealing but you can see the inside is clearly worn.

It is difficult to see here but I would say they were barely legal if not illegal on the inside there.

http://i1006.photobu...y1/IMAG0449.jpg


http://i1006.photobu...y1/IMAG0448.jpg


http://i1006.photobu...y1/IMAG0445.jpg

Just to mention: Get the gaiters done BEFORE you get the geo done as it is necessary to remove the track rod ends in order to change the gaiters and then reset the tracking

I'm not equipped to do the job so it's got to go to a garage. It's not going to that particular garage but they did say re-test was free so it can go back there for MOT.

[Mangham54]

Took some photos of the tyres, not that revealing but you can see the inside is clearly worn.

It is difficult to see here but I would say they were barely legal if not illegal on the inside there.

http://i1006.photobu...y1/IMAG0449.jpg


http://i1006.photobu...y1/IMAG0448.jpg


http://i1006.photobu...y1/IMAG0445.jpg

Just to mention: Get the gaiters done BEFORE you get the geo done as it is necessary to remove the track rod ends in order to change the gaiters and then reset the tracking

I'm not equipped to do the job so it's got to go to a garage. It's not going to that particular garage but they did say re-test was free so it can go back there for MOT.

To be honest the tread on those tyres do not look that bad (though I would be swapping them having spotted cracking in the rubber on the last picture - and that is age related not a bad geo).

Do you not have a jack and some spanners? As that is all you would need to replace the gaitors (and somewhere flat to park the car of course).

[Tail-end Charlie]

Look I'm not out to get Guglielmi because they have done a great job in the past. I think when you pay a lot of money and things don't go your way you have a right to question but I'm pretty satisfied with the answers. It looks as if I've just been a bit unlucky or lucky depending on how you look at it. If I'd have had my brain in gear I would have got the MOT off them with a loss of ~£8 on the current MOT and avoided all this. But of course the first time I noticed the tyre wear would probably be in a months time when I'm in the hedge bottom! I disagree slightly with saying 'so and so' isn't part of the service. I think when it is up on the ramps you check everything (especially MOT related) especially if you are a premium service (and to be fair generally they are good at spotting and advising about things). But anyone could miss something so small, I bet it is not even an inch long split. Besides now I can see the part, who says that split was there when they serviced it? Perhaps it was caused by that terrible weather we had? Again the tyres is 6 of 1 half a dozen of the other. I asked them to check them because I saw the cracking. These tyres have done 27500miles so they don't owe anything. I'm satisfied that the uneven wear is due to geometry (& age) and not a tracking error. They said the tyres were ok and they have done 1000 (some aggressive) miles since then and would probably do 1000 more. So I think they're clear and it is time to crack on with getting it sorted.

[Tail-end Charlie]

Do you not have a jack and some spanners? As that is all you would need to replace the gaitors (and somewhere flat to park the car of course).

No, but I think I might have a look at getting some because any garage is just going to have it all to bits anyhow and charge me for re-tracking which is actually just going to fcuk up the geo that I have paid for and is working well! So I might try to get away with it by counting turns as has been suggested.

Anyone got a technical/exploded drawing of a VX wheel/steering assembly so I know what I'm up against?

So now I'm potentially going to fcuk up my handling because of a little plastic sheath!!

Edited by Tail-end Charlie, 17 January 2011 - 01:42 PM.

[techieboy]

Ignore the Lotus bit, it's the same but their picture is better than ours.



The only vaguely complicated bit is separating the track rod end (part 4) from the steering arm (not actually shown). Just clean up the thread on it and undo the nut (part 5) but might take a ball joint separator or smack from a hammer (unwind the but all the way to the end of the thread and hit the nut instead of the threaded section) to get it to disengage. Then count the number of visible threads to the left of the locking nut (part 3). Once you've done that, loosen off the locking nut and you should be able to unscrew the whole track rod end from the tie rod on the end of the steering rack. Then remove the existing gaiter and replace. It's a bit awkward to get to the inboard end of the gaiter to secure it, as it's in a chassis box section but you should be able to get the gaiter onto the steering rack body and get enough pull on the cable tie to securely fasten it. Then cable tie the outboard end onto the tie rod. Screw the lock nut back onto the tie rod and then screw the track rod end back on. It'll take a bit of playing around to get back to the correct number of visible threads but once you're happy with it, make sure the lock nut is properly tightened and re-insert the vertical thread into the steering arm and fit a new Nyloc nut to secure it.

Steering arm is part 10 in the following picture and the vertical threaded section of the track rod end fits vertically through the hole.

Edited by techieboy, 17 January 2011 - 02:04 PM.

[vocky]

if you don't want to lose the geo settings then simply remove both front wheels and measure the distance between the rear of the brake discs and the chassis, make sure both readings are the same by turning the steering. Take a note of the measurement, swap the gaitor and adjust until the measurement is correct

Edited by vocky, 17 January 2011 - 02:18 PM.

[Winstar]

I'm not equipped to do the job so it's got to go to a garage. It's not going to that particular garage but they did say re-test was free so it can go back there for MOT.

where about are you, IIRC your not that far from me and I've been known to do the odd job in return for beer

Edited by Winstar, 17 January 2011 - 02:45 PM.

[Tail-end Charlie]

That's a great explanation guys thanks a lot. Why can't we have useful members like you up in the midlands instead of duds like Turbobob and VXT_Tim? So presumably there is a little bit of play in the steering wrack to be able to lift the track rod end out of the steering arm hole? Or have I got to undo the second screw in the steering arm to disengage the entire assembly marked as K1 (brake discs etc) there? I actually want to do this, it looks like fun! Of course you realise if this is successful I will be on a mission to fix lots of things! And if it goes wrong we will have the worlds first three wheeled VX220 So when garages are talking about computer aided tracking, geo and all that jazz, are you saying they are actually just tweaking locking nuts like this one? Sorry for the stupid questions, but I also wanted to know what holds the locking nut in place? I mean how is it locked? Presumably I could screw it all the way to the end of the tie rod end thread if I wanted to? Why is a nut halfway up a thread locked?