Roger - No 71 2.0T Illiad Blue readers car thread

bencollins

The next problem was the exhaust backbox - sheared off where the pipe goes in on the front. Root cause seemed relatively obvious in that the back box is supported and so is the pipe further down the car , however this creates a load point between the pipe and the backbox at the joint and over time that is fatigued. I say was cos it is now fixed.....pics to follow.........

bencollins

Purchased a standard repair kit of ebay from Redditch, as it is all stainless (Matra is quality) all the elements were rugged, just the joint was perished > replace the joint solved
The final position is a little to the left, butsome wire encouragement centrally should solve that next time im "down under"

bencollins

Which leaves the neverending terrifying problem which is the occasionally veering to the left or or roundabouts wierd steering flip out.
So boiling down to basics, could be.........

1. wheel alignment
   
2. steering rack
   
3. suspension parts worn/bushings
   
4. wheel bearing
   
5. differential
   
   Had wheel alignment rechecked, not that, new exchange steering rack (original had a micro wibble so possible be caused by whatever is wrong), hub was not hot on lst drive so probably no the bearing. Not sure why a worn differential would cause wheel direction wibble so probably the suspension parts.
   So the next plan is to stare at a diagram of wheel attachment/suspension parts to try to work out what is wrong. Then do a strip down on the nearside. In the Late dec/January rain, groan.
   

bencollins

Good continuation! as the Swedes would say to everyone and thanks for chipping in with the comments/pointers. here is the suspension set up..........



Don't enjoy dealing with suspension due to the spring loading fear/reality.

bencollins

If anybody wants to predict the error place your bets..........

Tempest

Lower wishbone rear rubber perished?

Avantime4mike

bencollins said:

So boiling down to basics, could be.........

1. wheel alignment
   
2. steering rack
   
3. suspension parts worn/bushings
   
4. wheel bearing
   
5. differential

Or none of the above.
I would suggest it is a steering strut bearing.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/293413800861

renoman1975

Could be anything but it’s one of those things where where an experienced mechanic would need to check it over for a proper diagnosis.

bencollins

Thanks for the two suggestions, they sound very sensible; steering strut bearing or lower wishbone bushing. I would argue Mike that the steering strut bearing is very much part of the suspension, Thanks for the link.

During the steering rack replacement done by a very competent garage they looked at the suspension but didn't find anything. They are very conscious of time/money etc and spending 6 hours looking for something racks up very quickly at £60 an hour. I will have to go down that route however if I don't find anything myself.
The good news is, the weather is turning very mild so it is time to get on with it!

bencollins

As they were only £13 each i have bought the strut bearings as the suspension is very crashy indicating something amiss on bumps so these are probably worn in any case. Delivery is indicated Jan 4th so lets hope they arrive sooner before New Year.

bencollins

already posted


Quite a good video here, which does describe the symptoms pretty well, but have to do the dreaded spring compression, which im not keen on, but i suppose i can buy the clamps, hmmmm.

so it might be a case for a professional, thing is i do want to have a look round, hmmmm

spudit2003

If you take the strut off the car yourself you can take it and the new spring to the garage and ask them to swap them over. It's probably cheaper than buying a decent set of compressors (and with something so safety critical you don't want to cheap out).

Avantime4mike

Bear in mind that the bearing in the video is at the top of the strut, on the Avantime it is at the base of the spring. This is the main reason why they go rusty and stick causing exactly the symptoms you described.

bencollins

Spring clamps arrived next day Dec 30th, but spring bearings not until yesterday at 2pm, with ParcelForce 48 (took six days). Took a late lunch and tried to make progress but all I managed was to faff about trying to get to the spring tops, not a lot of spanner space!...at least they are not corroded buried there in their little cubby holes. Got as far being unable to remove the wiper arms – what a great mechanic! Not sure how to prise these off without cracking the valence or windscreen, that was my hour.
Had previously prepped the job by removing the wheels that took ages because the wheel alignment place had got them up to 1.2m of breaker bar worth of torque (grrrrr!). The tyres are trashed after 500miles so whatever it is serious, yet everything I wobbled seemed ok by hand (very little force obvs). You can see the left hand nearside tyre particularly bad and has a feathered edge wearing characteristic.

I notice not many others on here blogging about their repair troubles – maybe they don’t have any!!
Anyway, the blue blob (as my family calls it) is perched nose up in the air waiting for Thursday lunchtime. Hope I get all the bits off at any rate. Photos attached for your amusement, enjoy, other people’s misery is the just the best tonic.

bodie

you need one of these.....
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/110850831353

mark1

You don’t need to remove the wipers to access the o/s pollen filter cubby hole to undo the 3 nuts holding the top of the strut. Just park the wipers vertically and to be totally safe disconnect the negative battery terminal. If for some mad reason the wipers started they’d easily chop your fingers/ arm off !

bencollins

Wow thanks two great tips, i have a bearing puller so ill have a go with that, but only after parking the blades vertically as suggested by Mark, never even thought of that cheers! At least breaking those 1/4 inch drives made me enter the depths of the garage to locate the 1?2inch sockets. Will be trying again in 3 hours............A little gas flame on the lower nuts in the 0 degree weather should help.

Avantime4mike

@bencollins What did you shear the socket adapters on?
I'm assuming you know that the suspension legs are attached with three 13mm nuts on each one? Don't attempt to undo the big nut.
You also need to disconnect the drop links either top or bottom and remove the two 24mm nuts and bolts at the bottom of each leg.

bencollins said:

Purchased a standard repair kit of ebay from Redditch, as it is all stainless (Matra is quality)

That's not an original silencer (looks like an MIJ). The originals were mild steel.

bencollins

Ahah, thanks Mike, i have undone one big nut, i couldnt manage the side with the wiper mechanism. So glad Im on this forum. I wont bother with the other one and will retighten the other one (nearside) that I loosened - after considerable effort. The three 13mm nuts came undone and so did the drop links and the two big strut bolts on one side at least, then I ran out of time. I dont work Fridays so will have a proper go tomorrow.

bencollins

Sockets adaptors were done on the over tight wheel nuts.
Another bit of info, I recall the seller saying it had a stainless system on it., I had assumed original. I believe Jaguar went stainless for their original systems around the same time.

Avantime4mike

The big nut does have to come off to dismantle the leg but only when you have the leg off the car and the spring compressors fitted. I'm dying to see the state of the bearings. I'll lay money they are dry, rusty and stiff.

Another tip, de-rust and paint the bottom spring seats whilst you have it all apart.

spudit2003

Thanks for sharing this Ben and for the tips Mike, I will bookmark this page for when I replace my springs (hopefully soon)

bencollins

Got distracted with the conservatory project this weekend, but all nuts off, while the drop link nuts initially loosened, they started spinning and rounded off the internal allen head (opposing force) once they got to the rusty bit of the thread. So half way through cutting of the (i believe) M12 thread insert nuts. New nuts is better than new drop links.
Will finish that this evening and hopefully withdraw everything to a tabletop.

mark1

Presuming you wire brushed the exposed thread and soaked it in penetrating fluid ?

Avantime4mike

Running a clean nut (or ideally a die nut) on and off the exposed thread helps too.

bencollins

This Front Left/Right Strut Mounting is incredibly wobbly and finished as a functioning part both sides.
The strut bearing were OK.
The lower arms have lots of perished rubber but seem ok, but have ordered new ones as Im so deep into this fix now.
Parts will be ordered this morning.
Wife is losing patience!
I have cleaned and will paint the cups so I dont get told off by Mike
Thanks for the tips on the threads, I will run a thread cutter down their ends (on the drop links) now they are off as they are now easy to access and suffered when getting whacked out of the damper lugs.
Pics to follow!

bencollins

rubber perished on the boomerang lowerarms so have ordered new ones just because it is all apart now.

bencollins

various pics including showing worn top strut mounts

bencollins

Tarting up of components underway.
The spring compression was remarkably straight forward.
Strut mounts now awaited, Next step on Saturday if they arrive!
All given a bath last night.

Tempest

Good work. and why dont women understand?... you are saving money in the long run.