Hi all.
My Shock Absorbers on my trusty old 214Si have just about gone (the car will bounce more than once when I push down on each corner) but will this cause an MoT failure?
I'm going to replace all the wheels (including the spare) soon and get the tracking fixed next month, but the MoT is due on 8th Aug.
Have you any idea how much I'm likely to pay for 5 new wheels and 4 shocks at a place like National?
--Nick.
Yes, and it also makes your car quite dangerous to drive. I'm pretty lax about car safety, but I would never (again!) drive at more than 40mph with a dead shock.
Dunno, £200 for the tyres (fitted), another £200 for the shocks (also fitted)? Find a nice friendly non-chain. They're usually cheaper and better service.
I had a car once that I took the front shocks off to try and find the cause of an "interesting" handling problem.
It made absolutely bugger all difference!
Czech engineering at its best, I reckon.
Depends on how bad it is and the mechanic doing the test. If they show any visible signs of damage or leakage then yes, they probably will fail. However, many cars bounce more than once when pushed down on the corner so it all depends on whether the mechanic thinks it'll adversely affect handling, etc.
As many places offer a free re-test I'd be tempted to take it for the MOT as it is and see what (if anything) it fails on before spending your money. Most garages will advise on any items they consider to be near the failure threshold...
New wheels??? Assuming you mean tyres then the Rover isn't too bad with prices ranging from £25-£35 each fitted. I'm not sure about dampers but I would ring around a few motor factors first to find out how much dampers are to buy on their own before ringing a garage for a quote - that way you'll know if you're being fleeced! I would imagine between £180-£250 for all four to be done but it's very unlikely it will need four (however you should always replace them in axle pairs).
FWIW, those shape Rovers have a large rubber bush on each of the two rear trailing arms which can split and cause knocking. Mine failed on those but buying them myself they cost about £15 total and the MOT garage fitted them for about another £40.
Darren
No, "more than one bounce" wont fail. If it's three or four bounces, maybe. More is a definite fail.
Phone around for quotes. Good branded tyres will cost around £50 each, depending on the size. A scrap yard will sell reasonable tyres for £10 each. There are plenty of options in between these prices. You pay your money and take your choice. A tyre dealer/specialist is your best bet as many garages will get their tyres from one of these places anyway.
Good shock absorbers can be bought for £20 each. Fitting is a matter of undoing and redoing 2 bolts if the shock absorber isn't inside the spring. If it's inside the spring it takes maybe half an hour or so at each corner to fit them. Shop around and you should get change from £200 for four. An independent garage will probably be the best bet for this.
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