Have just discovered that my old Astra is stripping the tread of the inner edge of the front tyres [ offside more than nearside, but still stuffed both of them :-( ]
I assume tracking is the main culprit? Best place to take it and ball park figure of cost these days?
Last time I had to have tracking done, Noah was still in nappies.
if the astra was new then it would cost about 20 quid. trouble is that vauxhalls in particular seem to suffer from the track rod ends rusting on solid, so if that happens it can cost a lot more to get it done. If you are capable, then make sure that the track rods ends can be turned, stripping down and greasing as needed, then when you take it in you won't get turned away or get a fright at the bill.
I just had some new tyres on the BMW and asked for tracking - when I picked it up they hadn't done it as it was seized solid and they couldn't shift it. Said they'd run out of time and would have to book it in for a couple of hours slot to make sure they could get them unstuck - it works out cheaper to get a new pair of track rods from GSF and just replace them, *then* get it tracked.
Track rods and tie rods are the same thing, right? GSF lists them as tie rods.
Also, I hear that the MOT now includes checking for 'components subjected to excessive heating' which means that the couple of garages I've asked said they weren't allowed to use a torch to loosen them off any more. Is that true too or did they just not want the hassle?
That's in the regs, & if you have heated the end of the rod to cherry red then that would be excessive heat. But if you're going to change them anyway then you just split them with a nut splitter.
Was having mine tracked the other day (25quid+VAT, at a one-man-in-a-shed place) and the bloke said that the modern track rod ends have nylon nuts in them, so heating them just melts the nylon and means they won't lock properly afterwards. So even if you have new ends on an old car that presumably still applies.
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