Technical MOT - Track rod end ball joint excessive play

[MattG801]

So car was in for its MOT yesterday, failed again (as I've come to live with) but nowhere nearly as bad as last year. Front brakes need doing along with this track rod end.

Full detail on the refusal sheet is "Track rod end ball joint has excessive play nearside [2.2.B.1f]"

I'm happy enough to replace it, but what I'm confused about is when I jiggled it to test, it didn't budge at all, no play, no noise or anything. Tested it with the car on the ground and without the wheel on a jack but both times it didn't move at all - am I missing something??

 

[cmosfxx]

So car was in for its MOT yesterday, failed again (as I've come to live with) but nowhere nearly as bad as last year. Front brakes need doing along with this track rod end.

Full detail on the refusal sheet is "Track rod end ball joint has excessive play nearside [2.2.B.1f]"

I'm happy enough to replace it, but what I'm confused about is when I jiggled it to test, it didn't budge at all, no play, no noise or anything. Tested it with the car on the ground and without the wheel on a jack but both times it didn't move at all - am I missing something??

You have to jack up the car to diagnose this.

Replace both of them and don't forget to re-align.

 

[MattG801]

Alrighty, I'll get to it. Its not too bad of a fix, providing I can get the locking nuts undone!! :yuck: Then off for alignment and hopefully a pass!

 

[varesecrazy]

Alrighty, I'll get to it. Its not too bad of a fix, providing I can get the locking nuts undone!! :yuck: Then off for alignment and hopefully a pass!

you might find you can just unwind the rod from the joint.. leaving the nut locked on the shaft.. then the tracking should be unaffected.

I certainly wouldn't bother with a re-track for a week or so..,
you'll soon see in the steering wheels position if thing are "different",

Charlie

 

[digger58]

I have found over the last few years here at least (Irl) The NCT (UK MoT) are failing balljoints very enthusiastically, especially if they can't find anything else, I had one fail after 8000 Klms!!!! When I questioned it I was informed that it "Didn't meet original specification" When is asked what that was they wouldn't (or Couldn't) tell me, I replaced it and took it back and it passed without tracking, The next time I went in I asked them to mark a balljoint if it was a failure as I was going to get it independently tested, guess what, NO FAIL!!!!

 

[Avocet]

So car was in for its MOT yesterday, failed again (as I've come to live with) but nowhere nearly as bad as last year. Front brakes need doing along with this track rod end.

Full detail on the refusal sheet is "Track rod end ball joint has excessive play nearside [2.2.B.1f]"

I'm happy enough to replace it, but what I'm confused about is when I jiggled it to test, it didn't budge at all, no play, no noise or anything. Tested it with the car on the ground and without the wheel on a jack but both times it didn't move at all - am I missing something??

It's best felt with the weight of the car on its wheels. That means lying on the ground and grabbing the joint with your hand while someone sits in the car and rocks the steering from side to side. If there's play, you should feel a slight "clunk" through your hand.

If you jack the car up so that the wheels hang, you tend to move the ball round in its socket, to a position where there is less wear, so they feel fine.

 

[MattG801]

Thanks for the responses, I am not going to go for an alignment right away, will drive for a while first and see.
Here with an update: Parts have arrived and I have started work. Removed brakes, but the two disc retaining screws (the torx ones) on the right hand side rotor both were so seized they rounded so I've drilled the heads out (Managed the other two with some assistance from a blowtorch). I've drilled through one of the screws and upon trying to use an extractor I managed to snap it so its now stuck inside. :bang: Are these two screws necessary for passing the MOT? Since the disc will be held on fine with the wheel bolts and one of the stubs is still there so I can align the disc properly - I've spent two full days just trying to get these two screws out and my patience is wearing thin...

 

[varesecrazy]

Thanks for the responses, I am not going to go for an alignment right away, will drive for a while first and see.

Are these two screws necessary for passing the MOT? Since the disc will be held on fine with the wheel bolts and one of the stubs is still there so I can align the disc properly - I've spent two full days just trying to get these two screws out and my patience is wearing thin...

put a FORD badge on it.., as their discs are only held on with the wheel bolts

 

[Bernievarian]

Use proper tooling and technique : the right sized top quality torx bit and a hard punch of hammer on it before trying to lose... should work like a charm ;-)
BTW, do they remove the wheels during MOT ??

Regards, Bernie

 

[varesecrazy]

Use proper tooling and technique : the right sized top quality torx bit and a hard punch of hammer on it before trying to lose... should work like a charm ;-)
BTW, do they remove the wheels during MOT ??

Regards, Bernie

the bolt has chemically reacted with the hub , and is frozen /welded in place

only way out is to drill to slightly OVER the tapping size (so drill @7mm for an M8 bolt), and tap out the remnants

wheels remain in place for a UK MOT - that's why the mention of brake pad thickness is only an "estimate"

 

[maggers]

the bolt has chemically reacted with the hub , and is frozen /welded in place

only way out is to drill to slightly OVER the tapping size (so drill @7mm for an M8 bolt), and tap out the remnants

wheels remain in place for a UK MOT - that's why the mention of brake pad thickness is only an "estimate"

Presumably "chemically reacted" is a posh way of saying it's rusted? Just pop them on, the torx screws are only there to hold them in place during production.
As regards the track rod end play, it should only fail if the play is excessive. Some play is allowed, the tester is supposed to consider if the play is excessive and the joint is in imminent danger of failing. Some testers' will fail a gnats cock of play, some of us are more realistic.

 

[Bernievarian]

Actually the screws and the hub have both reacted with atmosphere's oxygen

Regarding the drilling-out, assuming they are M8 and since M8 pitch is 1.25, you should use a 6.75 bit. Pre-tapping Ø = screw Ø - pitch , that simple !

Regards, Bernie

If someone has helped you here, click the thanks button, it costs nothing...

 

[Avocet]

Are they really M8?! I can't remember offhand but I think they're much smaller than that - M6 perhaps?

Anyway, no, having them missing won't fail a UK MOT and as has been said, they don't really do anything other than stop the disc from wobbling about when the wheel is off.

 

[digger58]

Impact driver is a good way to get them loose.

 

[MattG801]

It continues...

Went in for a retest today, all the work I did was fine. However its now failed emissions, Lambda being 1.06. To say I'm annoyed is an understatement, to say the least. Its doing every damn thing in its power to make me get rid of it, 3 years of MOTs its been through now, never passed one first time. Thank you all for answering my questions, I'll let you guys know what's happening next.

EDIT: I want to say thanks again for all the responses, I'm on an extremely tight budget and the advice definitely helps with confidence in my own work! I really love this car, (which definitely doesn't come across in my first reply) but the money side of thing is really getting difficult. Thanks again all.

 

[cmosfxx]

Re: It continues...

Went in for a retest today, all the work I did was fine. However its now failed emissions, Lambda being 1.06. To say I'm annoyed is an understatement, to say the least. Its doing every damn thing in its power to make me get rid of it, 3 years of MOTs its been through now, never passed one first time. Thank you all for answering my questions, I'll let you guys know what's happening next.

EDIT: I want to say thanks again for all the responses, I'm on an extremely tight budget and the advice definitely helps with confidence in my own work! I really love this car, (which definitely doesn't come across in my first reply) but the money side of thing is really getting difficult. Thanks again all.

High lambda could be a very small hole anywhere on the exhaust or near the manifold / flange just for the info... it doesn't necessarily mean a bad lambda or catalyst

What's the engine btw?

 

[MattG801]

Re: It continues...

High lambda could be a very small hole anywhere on the exhaust or near the manifold / flange just for the info... it doesn't necessarily mean a bad lambda or catalyst

What's the engine btw?

Just got a call from the garage today saying they'd found a hole, so hoping that's the culprit!

It's a 1.4 8v

 

[MattG801]

Turns out is was indeed the hole, it's been repaired and the car got through!
Thanks all for the help!