HELP With MOT Stuff

[JMallows]

Hi, i have the MOT coming up, and last time they issued me with some advisories. I want to get them sorted for myself, and not pay the garage to fix them for me, but... i dont really know where to start! I have heard of the parts in question, but dont know how to sort them, whether there are any special tools etc...?

Please help me sort this out.. The car is a 1988 1.3, so i dont have discs on the rear, or uprated suspension etc...

• Rear wheel bearing rough (Can i adjust/tighten it up, or do i need a new one? Can i fit a new one myself without a hub press?)
• Rear axle bushes worn (can i do this without any special tools?)
• Front macpherson struts have play in them (Do i need new suspension? Special tools? How can i tell if they are too loose for myself?

I also think i may need new shocks on the rear as they were weeping, is this something i can do myself?

Thanks for any help

[Dan34]

Hi,

not entirly sure about your first 2 advisories, but i did have the same last one as you turned out to be a wisbone ball joint. not sure if thats annyhelp to you tho lol

hopefully rubjohny will be about soon lol

Dan

[Jay]

For your suspension you might as well get in on the Coilover saving (check the deals section out) I think you get all the shocks and springs, so going for those won't be too much more than replacing all your struts alone. think it's about £150 delivered to your door + wheel alignment £40?,  there is a fitting guide in the MK3 section that should help you out with fitting.

Rear axle bushes, I've no idea but guessing you can do them the same time you're doing your suspension, I'm sure someone else can clarify that?

Wheel bearing (I f**king hate these, the only part I've spend loads of cash on sorting because I f**ked them up... twice) err yeah, Wheel Bearings, you can do yourself so I've been told, say £10 for the bearing kit and a mechanic should only charge about £15-£20 to press it in in the drum, then whack the drum back on yourself, or have the mechanic do it, should only take him 5 mins.

[Ben Lessani]

1. Jack the car and check for play in the wheel bearing, it should be obvious. A new wheel bearing kit from GSF is about £5, you can do these at home without a press. You need to tap the race out gently, ensuring you tap evenly around so it comes out square. Then just tap it back into place in the new disk.

2. I've not got any experience with the rear bushes, but loads of people have replaced them in the dub projects section - so start reading. A lot of people use the big slide press/g-clamp afairs to get the new ones into place.

3. You don't really need special tools - it just depends on where the play is. Either the hub > strut bolts are loose or its the top mount - there's nowhere else for play to occur on the strut itself.

Just a tip of my own, the MOT places give these advisories to keep you (and others) driving a safe vehicle on the road, not just as a checklist to get ticked off before next years MOT....

...well, as long as the tester isn't an arse.

[Dolly]

wheel bearing take the dust cover off take the split pin and washer thing off and tighten by hand, then refit washer and back the bearing off to the next gap and fit the split pin. should have a small amount of play when done. best doing both sides i reckon.

rear axle bushes, good luck doing those on your drive, i ended up air chiseling the bastards out lol and then they were fooking tight pulling back in, have been advised(heard) that poly bushes are alot easer to fit but obviously cost abit more.

struts probably need top mounts. £20 but youll first need to hope the top  nut isnt seized ( might need an impact gun for it. ) and then youll need a spring compresser to change it (if i remember correctly?) and then once refitted you should get the camber/tracking done as the adjustment for the camber is on the strut/hub obviously you can be pikey and kinda refit it where you took it off 

[Alpine mike]

wheel bearing take the dust cover off take the split pin and washer thing off and tighten by hand, then refit washer and back the bearing off to the next gap and fit the split pin. should have a small amount of play when done. best doing both sides i reckon.

rear axle bushes, good luck doing those on your drive, i ended up air chiseling the fatherless sons out lol and then they were fooking tight pulling back in, have been advised(heard) that poly bushes are alot easer to fit but obviously cost abit more.

struts probably need top mounts. £20 but youll first need to hope the top  nut isnt seized ( might need an impact gun for it. ) and then youll need a spring compresser to change it (if i remember correctly?) and then once refitted you should get the camber/tracking done as the adjustment for the camber is on the strut/hub obviously you can be pikey and kinda refit it where you took it off 

Yeah ive heard that the poly ones are easier to fit and last longer, when i was doing them on the mk3, i ended up taking the beam off altogether and burnt the bushes out with a blowtorch. but once i came to fitting new standard ones i cracked them real bad...i got a bit unpatient.

[danny_p]

blowtorch old ones out,     chuck poly bushes in boiling water  for 10 mins before fitting  and add copper grease   makes life very easy

[jamie_pyrite]

Mallow: I thought you had a silver mk4?

[Wayne]

Reference rear wheel bearing be carefull not to over tighten it, so people have been known to torque them which will crush the bearing, it really only needs to be nipped up.

[Village Idiots]

You do need to be sure that the rear wheel bearing only require adjusting and are not damaged....you must get inside for a look.
Rear bushes are not easy....if you are not competent and confident, get help.
The slack in the front strut could be a multitude of things....you need a proper diagnosis, if you are not competent, get help.
Leaking shock absorbers are a definite MOT fail as they are not doing their job and will rapidly get worse....renew.
As Ben says advisories should not be left 'till the next MOT but should be sorted in a reasonable time.
Remember....an engine breakdown probably results in a long wait by the side of the road 'till help arrives, a chassis breakdown may result in you driving into a ditch or an HGV coming the other way.