Perishing rubbers

No not that kind

Well I looked under the front end before the MOT

Holed/ split inner and outer driveshaft gaiters.
Split/ perished top and bottom swivel joint rubbers

All bought from Mini Spares and waited for plus daytime temps and gusting winds below 40 mph.

All fitted over the last couple of weeks ................... Bum !!!! where did that split steering rack gaiter appear from................ I knew that I had kept that one in my shed for over 10 years for a reason. The outside diameter is slightly bigger but its doing the job for now.

Took it for its Mot at lunchtime and sods law it failed.

Front nearside brake below efficiency ( needs bleeding) Front inner suspension arm ball joint rubber dust covers split, both sides. Damn I didn't think that they counted for the Mot as they don't really swivel/ move a lot.

Back home and raided my shed for the pair of new ball joints inc rubbers.
One side done, one to go.

Warning for those people have Hi/Lo's on the front for more than a couple of years. Don't think that you will be able to adjust them. Its called dis similar corrosion. Steel bolt into an ally cone.

Oh well still got 2 days off to do the rest and replace the rear brake shoes that passed but really need doing, ( no more adjustment left on the adjuster on one side)

Perished gaiters or badly adjusted steering rack tack rod ends?

If you don't get the steering rack adjusted just right i.e. the right number of turns on the track rod ends one wheel might turn a bit to much on full lock, which might nip the gaiter making a hole which is an MOT failure - Scamp top tip - borrow the wife's (or girlfriend's) nail varnish remover, clean the edges of the hole with a cotton bud dipped in the nail varnish remover (or Acetone) to remove the orrid black cv grease and close the hole with super glue, if you do it right you won't know the hole was ever there. To prevent it happening again get the track rod ends adjusted and check lock to lock to ensure your cv joints are not eating your gaiters. Years ago I got through several MOT's using super glue. If your gaiters are perished then you will to replace them, some time ago you could get a split boot to save removing the drive shafts.

PS: Early steering racks were filled with oil not grease so if you got a hole/split then no lubrication!

Sum it up in 2 words.....

Copperslip & Vaseline

Coat the threads of the hi-lo with Copperslip. If its possible to remove hi-lo, wind the thread fully out, then remove all grease from inside the cone & slap a big dollop of copperslip into the end of the cone. Smear around the ring where the rubber sits on to prevent sticktion over time. Then coat the exposed thread & wind it back in. Or use Molybdenum Dysulphide grease.

For any rubber / pvc items..... (stop sniggering) coat with a layer of vaseline (stops them drying out).......NOT baby oil thats for Non-Automotive rubber items......Mr Worth stop sniggering...

Best of luck with the re-test Rob.

Neil

I think that it was last years snowy off roading that is the culprit and buying cheap rubber items in the first place.

Its all well and good being on rest days to get the jobs done but its a pain when you need "stuff"

Thanks Neil, i'd forgotten about copper slip grease.

Would KY jelly suffice if one has run out of vaseline

Allegedly KY is too runny..........

Worth a try if the seating ring is too tight a fit tho'....so I've been told....

Neil

Just spotted on failure cert

Brake pedal anti slip provision incomplete .........................(rubber missing)

Suspension ball joint rubbers done
LH brake caliper bled, hopefully that will up the efficiency to within limits

Retest tomorrow lunchtime

Then my Astra Thurs 2pm

Oh happy days

Hoo Rah

It passed, just.
Brakes still weak, so it looks like I will have to get off my lazy arse and fit that Servo I have had since last year and also replace the rear shoes.

Otherwise I might have another coming together with a Freelander

Well done you!

It's Pepe's turn tomorrow!
We got her out and blew off the cobwebs last weekend, sorted out the headlamp that wasn't working for most of last year (I rarely drive at night anyway) and stole Taz's battery

So, praying for decent weather tomorrow, as I really don't enjoy driving her with her doors down - and I deliver her on the way to work.

Fingers crossed!

Astra passed no probs

Why cant Scamps be that easy
or
is it they just don't get as much abuse

Vauxhall don't use Duct Tape & Cable Ties, as we do on our Scamps....

Neil

Why is it that the rubber gaitors on the upper and lower swivel kits you buy from the shows are made of water soluble plastacine???!!!

Pepe failed!

Just a couple of ball joints to be tightened - although, as far as we can see, they are tight!

I have managed to tighten them in the past without dismantling it all.

Loosen the lock tabs, hammer n chisel/screwdriver and if you have a monkey wrench / adjustable you can just about get them tightened. Obviously if you do manage to tighten them job done, if not then you will prob have to dismantle it and take a shim out.
Make sure you grease them well as that will take out a bit of play as well.

Mini spare now do all the rubber covers separately, so you don't have to buy the complete item.

Sorry - misinformed you. It was the locking washers - or nuts that were loose - one of each. However, as I previously said, they have been checked and they are tight. Can't quite understand why this has come up, because she has only done about 1000 miles since the last MOT (at the same garage)and they were all fine then.
Anyway, Tony is going to take them off and redo them this weekend, and put some nice shiny spring wahers on so that they can see we have done something.

We will see!

Took my Scamp into work last night, just to run in my new rear brake shoes.

6am and I'm scrapping the ice of my windscreen ...................... what!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My you my p**s taking "mate" told everyone I didn't have to scrape the rear as I just rolled it up

Oh well only 3 more nights to go

Tony stripped down Pepe's ball joints and rebuilt them - greased and added a couple of shims on the one side. Passed with flying colours today. - no adviseries

Just got to 'tax' it now. Think this ones on me! I can afford this one!