Track rod and garage problem

[Wobba]

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]

well why did you bvuy the 19 items that are totally different in that they are female and not male like the clios?

[Wobba]

I got confused with the 19 wishbones. They are 16 valver items.

[Wobba]

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]

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]

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]

And how much did this shamble cost u?

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

[stevie_b]

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]

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]

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 ??