Failed Medical

[TaffZee]

Me old girl failed her medical yesterday

Loose Brake Pipe on OS front
Split Rubber on O/S outer ball joint
Split Rubber on both inner ball joints

Advisories:

Front to back brake pipe slightly corroded
Front Brake Pads wearing thin
Rear discs signs of grooving/pitting
Hand Brake only just within pass requirement

But look on the bright side It could have been worse

 

[MAURICE THE MARTIAN]

Glad your not talking about Lena, with that headline,
Oh yeah, stop doing the handbrake turns, doughnuts, and the ole girl will be ok,
M

 

[TaffZee]

Lena's best before date still has a few years to go yet, mine expired a long time ago...

 

[zedonist]

Yes jim, on a percentage basis there was more right with the car than wrong, wipers, indicators, seat belts etc has to be a bonus in the optimist stakes!

 

[swamper]

it shows its being used...

 

[Mint]

Mine failed her medical as well. NS handbrake not functioning. As you say Rich a whole lot more right than wrong, and in my case the problem is only when she's stopped

 

[zedonist]

I find the hand brake is the weak point, it either fails or is close to failing every time

 

[t-tony]

It's worse when you have an auto because you just leave it in park, well that's what I do anyway. Every year prior to test time it's wheels and callipers off to clean shoes and "drums" just for that 1 time.

 

[zedonist]

Tony what is it about the handbrake, is it the fact that the shoes are always dragging on the drum?

 

[t-tony]

To be perfectly honest Rich, I think that the biggest problem with this type of parking brake ( which I think is the best type - ie separate from the service brake) is that it is usually over adjusted. When I fit new PB shoes I adjust them till I can't turn the drum/disc by hand and then slacken the adjuster back at least 5 "clicks". I also want at least the same number of clicks on the handbrake ratchet. The more movement you have in the total linkage, the better chance there is of it keeping free and working correctly.
If you over adjust the shoes and cables there is more chance that the shoes will rub on the drum surface. Always lubricate the expanders well with grease and if in any doubt change the cables. A job for me this winter.( new cables that is )
But another thing is worth doing now and again, when it's safe to do so, work the handbrake at reasonable speed to brighten the shoes and drums too.

 

[TaffZee]

New suspension arms arrive today, fitting this afternoon

 

[GazHyde]

When I changed the brakes all round on Rosie, the hand brake was pretty shocking. I bought the shoes, but when it was all stripped down the main issue that the hub was full of muck and debris. Once cleared out and a small tweak on the cable settings it was as good as new. Didn't even need the new pads I bought!

 

[TaffZee]

Will get around to the Hand Brake/Rear Disc's later New Mintex front Pads ordered Tuesday hope these arrive today while I have got the wheels off.

 

[TaffZee]

Ready for re-test

4 hours to replace suspension arms, replaced rear bushes (power-flex) the power-flex bushes I replaced were still like new, would have done it quicker than 4 hours but for a stubborn outer ball joint, thought it was never going to split. Anyway all done now..

 

[t-tony]

Well done Jim, hope all goes well on the re-test.

Cheers, tony.

 

[FRANKIE]

Ready for re-test

4 hours to replace suspension arms, replaced rear bushes (power-flex) the power-flex bushes I replaced were still like new, would have done it quicker than 4 hours but for a stubborn outer ball joint, thought it was never going to split. Anyway all done now..

I always had a problem on my honda with separating the lower ball joint with the lower control arm. I used to hammer at the control arm to try to loosed the ball joint stud. A good friend of mine who is a mechanic saw me doing this and asked why I was babying it. I just looked at him with a question in my eyes. He took the three pound sledge out of my hands and hit the control arm with one massive blow and the ball joint almost jumped off. He handed me the hammer and turned and walked back to his house. Lesson learned. Have done the same ever since and always worked on the first shot.