New to the forum (be gentle!)

[Dilinja]

Hi all,

I'm new to this forum and am not particularly mechanically minded I'm afraid. I just bought an M reg Cav which I love. It was supposed to be a runner to and from work until I bought a new car, but I've pretty much fallen in love with it after two days!

To that end I'm going to lavish some time and money on it and wanted to deal with the few niggles that it has. It pulls to the left at the moment and I was reading this thread:

viewtopic.php?f=7&t=7196

So would I be right in thinking the best things to have looked at are the tracking and the wheel bearings?

Also, it shakes quite a bit as I speed up to 70ish, would that be the wheel bearings as well?

Many thanks in advance

Pete

[mr v6]

sounds like it needs tracking done to stop it pulling and wheels balanced at your local tyre center to stop wobble if still does it then wheels may be buckled or suspension damage at the front,probably bottom arm

[Gaz]

id get the tracking done and get the front wheel balanced first see where that gets you.

[Dilinja]

Thanks guys.

Would you recommend Quick Fit for the balancing and tracking?

[mr v6]

im personaly not a fan of quick fit but depends on branch.guy at my local one couldnt even get the twin wheels of my transit!

[btcctroy]

im personaly not a fan of quick fit but depends on branch.guy at my local one couldnt even get the twin wheels of my transit!

don't you mean s**t fit

[Rage]

I've been to a few qwick fits and found them all to be useless one even said that i can't get my size tyres anymore. as for wobble/ vibration get your tracking checked shouldn't cost to check it and shouldn't be any more than £20 to sort it so long as the track rod ends haven't seized (general cav problem) if that doesn't sort it then get your tyres checked for balance and while the garage has the wheels of ask them to check your wishbone bushes cos that's another place you can get play that causes wobble

[cavboy180]

I have always found the lesser known outfits to be good - ound here there is one called formula 1 autocentres who are well priced, knowledgeable and really helpful.....might have branches your way?

[Dilinja]

So I avoided Kwik Fit and took it to a garage called "Selecta Tyres". Spoke to the guy on the phone and he said the the tracking and balancing could be a half hour job or it could be a couple of hours.

5 hours later and theyve only managed to finish the drivers side track rod end. Need to take it back today for them to do the passenger side

Apparently the whole things was seized solid, needed to replace both track rod ends and ultimately had to call another garage in to look at it because they couldnt free the parts themselves.

I hope this isnt the way all repairs on my cav are going to go!

[planetc]

.......and ultimately had to call another garage in to look at it because they couldnt free the parts themselves.

.....suggests they are on the same level as the average kwik fit I'm afraid

[Gaz]

So I avoided Kwik Fit and took it to a garage called "Selecta Tyres". Spoke to the guy on the phone and he said the the tracking and balancing could be a half hour job or it could be a couple of hours.

5 hours later and theyve only managed to finish the drivers side track rod end. Need to take it back today for them to do the passenger side

Apparently the whole things was seized solid, needed to replace both track rod ends and ultimately had to call another garage in to look at it because they couldnt free the parts themselves.

I hope this isnt the way all repairs on my cav are going to go!

5hours bloody hell, i wouldnt bother going back if youve not paid owt, i could have both sides off in a hour stripped down cleaned up and back on.

[Dilinja]

5hours bloody hell, i wouldnt bother going back if youve not paid owt, i could have both sides off in a hour stripped down cleaned up and back on.

I havent paid them yet but was going to take it back there as a sign of good faith...

Fancy earning some cash?

[Gaz]

Do it yourself, its simple, take the ends off, take the bolts off the rack, remove the whole arm. Soak connection in penetrating fluid while you get it off.

Get it in a vice undo the 2 13mm bolts, hammer a big screwdriver in the slots and it will probably come loose with some effort copper grease it all and reassemble, get it tracked