Technical MOT Advisories

[MultiPa]

Well, I got an MOT in the end, once the horn was working. I was surprised really - I thought it might fail on bushes, which look worn to me, or on the rear brakes being out of balance because I need to replace one of the cylinders and haven't got around to it yet (having the new cylinder in the boot is not the same as actually fitting it, it turns out)

I have the following advisories though:

n/s CV joint gaiter deteriorated
o/s CV joint gaiter deteriorated
n/s track rod end ball joint has slight play
n/s front ARB linkage has slight play in ball joint
o/s front ARB linkage has slight play in ball joint
n/s radius arm has slight play in pin bearing
o/s radius arm has slight play in pin bearing

So, a bit of work to do before next time I suppose.

A couple of questions - are those 'universal' CV joint kits any good - the ones where the boot is split and you just clip it on and glue it together? They sound about my level of capability to fit.

I knew about the ARB - I presume that's what clunks when I go on the in-law's drive (a lumpy dropped kerb on an incline so it tries to twist the car) My mechanic said it'll only take him a few minutes so he'll do it for cost of parts in the next service.

I'm not sure on the radius arm thing - does that mean I need new arms, or can I replace just the bearing?

Cheers

EDIT to add - I was thinking of using the universal CV boot kit because it was easier and I could do it myself - but they are much cheaper to buy than the model specific ones - £15 per side as opposed to £65 per side. Is that just economies of scale, or does it reflect how good they are?

 

[momoe]

You can buy the parts to sort the radius arms but unless you're prepared to do the job yourself and it's not easy, the cost savings aren't worth it. Couple of previous threads on the subject which are worth searching for.

I've used the universal CV repair kits on a previous car and found them a little fiddly to get right, I ended up taking them off and redoing them twice on one side and three times on the other, They did get me through the MOT but I sold the car so can't comment on their longevity. Your mechanic would probably have a more informed opinion.

 

[MultiPa]

Cheers - looks like a 'get the garage to do it' job for the radius arms - my neighbour often helps me out with such things, but he's not keen on anything more than unbolting and bolting - sounds like there might be a few issues with rusted together parts with the radius arms - especially as Mabel is 10 years old now.

I'll give the universal CV boot kit a go I reckon. Worst case is they're rubbish and it costs me £30.