Opinions on this trolley jack?

[AnthonyH]

Whilst you have it at your mercy, if you want to do alignment you'll need the track rod tie rod shifting.

I'm a bit concerned that if I give it the big spanner treatment I'll damage it and be buying a new set of rods. It wouldn't budge on the car at all.

I suppose the question is...if I leave it will I still need to do an alignment afterwards?

 

[Bonefish Blues]

I'm a bit concerned that if I give it the big spanner treatment I'll damage it and be buying a new set of rods. It wouldn't budge on the car at all.

I suppose the question is...if I leave it will I still need to do an alignment afterwards?

You've deconstructed the front suspension. It will need doing - ha'pth of tar and all that, so you may as well.

 

[AnthonyH]

You've deconstructed the front suspension. It will need doing - ha'pth of tar and all that, so you may as well.

Ahh right, no choice then. If the steering breaks/twists etc. I'll have to get it replaced, i'd rather that than getting new tyres every few months.

 

[Bonefish Blues]

Ahh right, no choice then. If the steering breaks/twists etc. I'll have to get it replaced, i'd rather that than getting new tyres every few months.

I have very recent experience (yesterday!) My mechanic put me a new lower arm on and I took it for alignment afterwards - the alignment guys just couldn't shift the tie bar, so it goes back to the mechanic next week to cut it off so it can be adjusted & aligned.

 

[AnthonyH]

I have very recent experience (yesterday!) My mechanic put me a new lower arm on and I took it for alignment afterwards - the alignment guys just couldn't shift the tie bar, so it goes back to the mechanic next week to cut it off so it can be adjusted & aligned.

I see. Hmmm, will have to have a think, I'll try to get these loosened without breaking anything. Could try penetrant, heat, or cut them off.

Any idea where you have to cut?

 

[Bonefish Blues]

I see. Hmmm, will have to have a think, I'll try to get these loosened without breaking anything. Could try penetrant, heat, or cut them off.

Any idea where you have to cut?

Sorry - at that point I defer to my mechanic, I just pay his wages

 

[The Panda Nut]

MY twopence worth. I have a pair of cheap trolley jacks. They do the limited work I have for them. Some of the first jacks in this post have terrible front castors. Proper unbreakable wheels are a must and probably an indicator or the really rubbish ones. Using the does it look properly storng selection technique didnt stop me buying a jack with a rubbish pump. AT the time I worked for City Works in Norwich and our workshop kindly bored out the pump, made and fitted a new piston and seal for me. Mad expense nut it was done and no charge made by one of the skilled guys who wanted to make use of his abilities. The pump barrel was so bad it only lasted 10 years or so. My current pair are both pretty poor and are not trusted much but for lifting a Panda they do. I need to invest in a flat pad type jack as my ones have busted three rubber pucks which require proper support under, not the cup style lifter I have with a plate on top. S0 my criteria will be based on a low entry , a good range of lift and strong construction, cast wheels and strong casstor yokes to start with. I shall study all the expert comment on here several times before I take the plunge. Having done many HGV workshops in my H&S days I always look at stuff and think about what the testing guys would say if the stuff Im using was sent for testing and recertification. This thought usually makes me cringe as I look at the DIY ranges.

Talking testing and certification brings to mind rope. I met a guy who was a real expert in ropes and harnesses who did our annual testing and certification. Boy was THAT an eye opener. Our arboriculture boys were pretty keen and obviously safety focussed so we bought from a firm called Honey Brothers, one of the leading industry suppliers. I had ordered climbing ropes from them just a few days earlier and presented the new ropes for inspection testing just so the future test dates were all in line, and for availability in case of something being condemned and needing replacement. His very first action was to put a knife through them! He unravelled the new ropes and pointed out they were fakes. Different colour cores and types of core mateial should have been present. He recognised these fakes immediately and said they would have had no give if called on in the event of a fall. There would have been a very high liklihood of immediate failure. Its so long now that I have forgotten what he taught me that day. The lesson that was erased into me however is that you MUST be careful when there is a safety element involved and that a little knowledge IS dangerous. I dont even trust guy ropes on tents any more. Doing all the safety actions you have all suggested here is vital. Avoid cheap chinese made stuff, use your eyes, use a trusted supplier and if you can check the certification and registrations claimed. The weakest part on any mechanical thing will be its limiting factor, be it a retaining pin or the manner in which the axle stubs are fixed retained. If anything looks supect in any way, move on.

With the rope saga the batch of ropes concerned was all recalled and destroyed and the HSE involved to investigate how they got into the supply chain. They had a unit that did nothing else. It just shows how careful you need to be, and backs up the need to use secondary safety measures like use of the spare wheel and blocks if stands are not available. I am probaly reasonably cautious by nature most of the time (standing on wheeled bins aside LOL) Seeing what happend when stands rated at 6 tonnes each were used for supporting a 25 tonne load, and the carnage caused when a 30 tonne lorry falls 6 feet onto the deck as the axle stands collapsed does leave a lasting impression. The stands had been marked 12 tonnes must be used in pairs, to me thqat meant 12 tonnes max. To the manager it meant 24 tonnes. I earned my money that day when HSE turned up. The manager was arguing with the inspector that he used the right equipment. I took one look, and immeidtely asked to speak to him on one side, and said its totally clear we messed up here and used the wrong equipment. Showed him we actually had the right axle stands on site, produced the test and training certificates from my own data base and told him that the workshop was closed henceforth until all the personnel were retrained to a higher level. Total cost of that was just £90K for a new truck. No fines and no enforcement action. The inspector said he was on the point of issuing enforcement notices when I arrived and accepted we had mad a bad mistake. I dont suppose the training was really needed as all the fitters there will never forget how lucky they are to be alive, one in particular was as white as a sheet several hours afterwards. I hope the wording used on stands has been improved to get rid of any possible confusion.

 

[AnthonyH]

Everything is off the old subframe now. I lost a couple of the anti-roll bar bolt heads and I'll have to drill them out, but other than that it all went OK. I have to wait for some bushes to come off ebay so I have a day or two before this is going back on. In the mean time I'll see if I can get the rod ends loosened.

If anyone has advice on how to fit a new subframe then let me know? I'd especially like things to avoid doing...lol

 

[vexorg]

Let's hope the subframe alignment isn't critical.

Drop links, if they don't come off on 5 minutes it's straight to the angle grinder for me now.

 

[AnthonyH]

Let's hope the subframe alignment isn't critical.

It does look difficult to get the alignment out by too much because the subframe has just six bolts and I'll know the alignment is off if one or more doesn't go in? Or is there more to this i need to be aware of?

 

[AnthonyH]

Regarding alignment. I just went to check - its only 10.50pm lol.

So anyway the car used to have 6 aluminium seating plugs, see the first picture. One was still on the subframe so i assumed the others were still on the car...but they aren't. The subframe has been off in the past and the mechanic only put one seating plug back and just bolted it up quickly any old way, see the second picture. This misalignment then led to the subframe failing.

I would have difficulty sourcing those little seating plugs I'm not even sure what they are called?

Anyone got thoughts on aligning the new subframe?

 

[PuntoHowTo]

Regarding alignment. I just went to check - its only 10.50pm lol.

So anyway the car used to have 6 aluminium seating plugs, see the first picture. One was still on the subframe so i assumed the others were still on the car...but they aren't. The subframe has been off in the past and the mechanic only put one seating plug back and just bolted it up quickly any old way, see the second picture. This misalignment then led to the subframe failing.

View attachment 449324


View attachment 449323

I would have difficulty sourcing those little seating plugs I'm not even sure what they are called?

Anyone got thoughts on aligning the new subframe?

Fiat dealer for this one I’d suggest, I suspect they may well know the part number off by heart.

 

[vexorg]

I was meaning alignment when the bolts were in, not just getting the bolts in. Some cars are sensitive to that as millimetres will affect the alignment of wheels and handling, which can be negated by tracking to help.

 

[AnthonyH]

I see now. Not long ago I got the track rod ends off, it was fairly torturous lol, but I now know the technique and it'll be a lot easier the next time when the tracking is done.

The first rod end looks iffy, I've attached a video of that. Can someone confirm?

This second one looks ok though?

 

[vexorg]

If the first has no feeling of grit or play then it's probably good.
Second one is more worn and maybe need changed.

Difficult to judge off the car as you need a good solid mounting to feel for play. Unless it's literally knocking by hand.

 

[Bonefish Blues]

How many miles have they been on? May be worth being proactive and changing them, given the pain you've been though, and lack of desire to repeat?

 

[AnthonyH]

How many miles have they been on? May be worth being proactive and changing them, given the pain you've been though, and lack of desire to repeat?

They have 100k on them so I may get two new rod ends.

I'm resigned to doing at least some of this job again - hopefully not the whole lot !!!! It'll be a lot easier next time as I now know what to do.

 

[Bonefish Blues]

They have 100k on them so I may get two new rod ends.

I'm resigned to doing at least some of this job again - hopefully not the whole lot !!!! It'll be a lot easier next time as I now know what to do.

Hell yes, at 100K it's a sensible replacement I'd say.

(I do appreciate it's very easy to spend someone else's money, mind!)

 

[The Panda Nut]

Hell yes, at 100K it's a sensible replacement I'd say.

(I do appreciate it's very easy to spend someone else's money, mind!)

They may have some life left but are clearly slack, so I agree they should be changed. I always give the track rod ends a squirts of oil every time I have the wheels off. So far they have always undone OK. Panda rod ends were only £8 each.

 

[AnthonyH]

They may have some life left but are clearly slack, so I agree they should be changed. I always give the track rod ends a squirts of oil every time I have the wheels off. So far they have always undone OK. Panda rod ends were only £8 each.

I found some at £13 each, so worth changing, they will have to be adjusted for tracking anyways.

(I do appreciate it's very easy to spend someone else's money, mind!)

I wish I had someone elses money to spend lol.

I need a bigger house for starters, i mean this house is just a big garage at the moment! I have a steering rack at my feet