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Wobba
08-10-2008, 11:09
Due to lack of time I had to ask my nearby garage who are normally very good to fit my track rods and ends.

They are half way through the job and now call me to say they refuse to fit the eurocarparts track rod ends as tehre is not enough thread on them. They are R19 16v items.

I know this has raised issues before with others but it means now I have a car in pieces.

They want me to buy new OE items for safety. They say tehre is only 10mm of thread on the track rod ends in the track rod itself.

Chris H
08-10-2008, 11:57
well why did you bvuy the 19 items that are totally different in that they are female and not male like the clios?

Wobba
08-10-2008, 12:29
I got confused with the 19 wishbones. They are 16 valver items.

Wobba
08-10-2008, 12:31
I decided to tell them a lot of track day peeps here and all over use the valver items and I'd be happy to sign a waiver absolving them of responsibility in the event of a failure. They said Ok...I think they just want shot of it lol.

Wobba
08-10-2008, 12:58
To be fair though it's good in a way garages point stuff like this out as it could be an issue for some people in terms of safety.

I can understand them not wanting to get sued.

Wobba
08-10-2008, 17:46
Ok, they put it together and I had to get it tracked as it was so bad it was undriveable.

First thing I checked was the ends, they had used the old end on the left hand side from the right hand side not bothering to use the new one at all. Also, it was so way out the tracking people took 2 hours to get it vaguely ok.

Also, there was not the locking shim bit that goes on the end of the rack in the kit I got (from eurocarparts) yet in my box there is one spare now...makes me worry they didnt fit it on...thus my rod is not locked.

Also, I have a horrid feeling they have used the wrong side track rod on each side. Is tehre an easy was I can tell?

LEIGH-ANNE
08-10-2008, 18:13
And how much did this shamble cost u?

Moral of the story - dont use that garage again mate!

stevie_b
08-10-2008, 18:40
The track rods I have have got a marking on them. Two marks on one side, one on the other. If yours have the same I will go and take the covers off the car and find out which side is which!

white16valver
08-10-2008, 19:18
So you bought the complete track rods from rack to wishbone and they took them apart and used the old bits??

wtf??

Get it checked out by a garage that knows what they're talking about and if it's all ****ed up then get them to write a report, go back to the original garage, and then give them some grief!

Hope you can sort it out :(

schakal
08-10-2008, 19:31
i am so foking sorry for you but did you not think of
buying a recon rack rather than pissing about with all those
bits ??

if they have not fitted the locking washers i would be quite
scared to drive that car tbh . at the end of the day ,track rod has a
ball joint fitment and can turn 360 degrees which in return may cause the
rod to come out in the long run !!! which means you have no steering
control over the car .

i bet you they have not used nut lock resin on the threads either ??
:roll:

richy
08-10-2008, 19:57
ive used the 16v/williams track rod set from eurocarparts and they was a febi bilstien product which fitted fine on my williams and was identical to the orginals i took off!

Wobba
09-10-2008, 00:06
I got the car home, was not happy at all with it. Just took the rods off and put them on the right way. Did a visual inspection and adjusted them partially so they are more or less tracking straight (not perfect I know) and reset the steering wheel 45 degrees so it points more or less forward.

Handling is MUCH better now even with my totally novice botch job attempt which too 45 minutes. Garages had car 8 hours. Still they did the easy bit getting the buggers off!

I hope to get under the car and take the gaitors off to check they have not used the wrong track rods (main rod part) on the wrong sides and they have the locking washer right.

Total fuktards. This is why I don't let garages mess with my car. I assumed people knew left from right and how to count threads on a track rod end....ahh well.

Cost inc tracking £127

Arj is welding a spare steering column I have (thanks mate) and after I fit that I'll have the tracking done again...

Wobba
09-10-2008, 00:08
The track rods I have have got a marking on them. Two marks on one side, one on the other. If yours have the same I will go and take the covers off the car and find out which side is which!

Yea that would be good if you can mate but dont put yerself out :) Gonna check em tomorrow.

Wobba
09-10-2008, 00:44
i am so foking sorry for you but did you not think of
buying a recon rack rather than pissing about with all those
bits ??

if they have not fitted the locking washers i would be quite
scared to drive that car tbh . at the end of the day ,track rod has a
ball joint fitment and can turn 360 degrees which in return may cause the
rod to come out in the long run !!! which means you have no steering
control over the car .

i bet you they have not used nut lock resin on the threads either ??
:roll:

I dont need a recon rack. Not sure about the locking resin. gonna check to see how much more they fuked it up later tomorrow!

Still, now I have redone the track rod ends it handles very very well if a bit out on tracking.

Wobba
09-10-2008, 11:02
Garage called me today to ask how the car was and I told them I had to redo their handiwork, so they've offered to have the tracking redone etc.

I don't think they are messing me about deliberately but this kind of things just reinforces my belief that garages suck and it's better to do your own work on cars like ours :)

titcharoony
09-10-2008, 15:02
amen

LEIGH-ANNE
09-10-2008, 16:17
Thats excellen news mate. So whens it going in? And is the rest sorted now? (only glanced over the thread)

All ok for pod yea? 8)

Wobba
09-10-2008, 18:44
Thats excellen news mate. So whens it going in? And is the rest sorted now? (only glanced over the thread)

All ok for pod yea? 8)

It's done. To be honest I redid all the work anyway. Even with my botch job self-tracking it was not far off the mark apparently when they got it on the machine. When I drove to Adam and Summeh last night it felt MUCH better. So much more stability, better control over bumps etc, and ****ing AMAZING cornering. A seriously good item to include if you want to get the handling sorted on a soggy Willy.

Coilovers going on to be tested next week.

Not fully tested it yet as I spent the day fitting a new skuttle panel and rear hatch trim (mine was busted) and gave the car a good clean too. It shines now ;)

The people at the garage were very sorry. They offered to let me come over if I need any special equipment and use it myself as long as I know how (their press etc) and dont tell health and safety hehe. Bonus!

Wobba
09-10-2008, 23:38
Got back from fully testing car handling now. It feels the same, still not right but a lot better than when I picked it up the previous day.

Remembered I forgot to take the tape off I was using as a marker on the rod ends, and thought I would check to see if they had taken it off for me.....lo and behold, tapes still there, as is the white paint marker pencil I used. Same place. Not touched. The rods have not moved.

Steering wheel has not been adjusted and I marked that as well, yet it is still at the same angle I moved it too the previous night!

So they took the car, said they did it, but it does not look like they have bothered.

I am not taking my car to a garage ever again unless it's to do the most rudimentary and utterly shit job that I cba to do like take off a seized bolt.

Robbing lying retards that dont know how to count or know left from right.

Allan
10-10-2008, 06:40
they may of put the lasers on it and found your job was within the tolorences and didn't have to change anything.

Anyways will see you tomorrow!

spikey-ben
11-10-2008, 00:11
This place sounds like a bit of a ranch and we all know who hangs around ranches............



















Cowboys....

busterhymes
11-10-2008, 11:02
ive used the 16v/williams track rod set from eurocarparts and they was a febi bilstien product which fitted fine on my williams and was identical to the orginals i took off!

hi m8 when you got your track rod set did they inc the lock washers also were they female rods ie where track rod ends screw into the track rod ? as needing a new set and was wondering about goin to renault or try the europart units :)