MOT tomorrow...
 

Hi Folks,

Well, I've clambered around and beneath the ZT-T and having had some knocking from the front occasionally I found split boots on the droplinks and so replaced with the genuine MG ones I've had here for a while.

Spotted that the pads were a bit skinny on the front. Not ready to stick on the 190 upgrade parts yet as I have to refurb the calipers first, so grabbed a set of Brembo pads with 50% off from EuroCarParts and flushed a bottle of new brake fluid through the system. All seemed OK on a test drive.

Handbrake adjusted to the best of my ability and I think it's OK to go for test tomorrow.

The ZT-T had better pass to be honest as I have a poorly Peugeot 406 estate (the daily workhorse). It snapped the front O/S spring with a loud bang as I moved up the queue in the local recycling centre! The car dropped down on the front bumpstops and was rendered immobile with the spring against the tyre and it was also wrapped around the front upright. The team at the centre came to the rescue with a few cones to guide other cars around me while the RAC were on the way.

Once with me, 5 minutes with an angle grinder by the RAC chap and the spring was cut off the car in bits. No damage to tyre, brake lines or wiring to ABS/pad sensor discovered and the chap installed 2 split collars around the damper piston to lift the car up (but still resting on the bumpstop). This meant I could then drive carefully home avoiding potholes (amazed how well it drove on 3 springs to be honest!) but now have to repair it.

Can't bring myself to just change a spring...I have to do pairs...and the top mount bearing broke apart losing all the ball bearings anyway. While I'm in there it might as well be time for some new shocks (amazingly only £42 each plus VAT from Peugeot), springs (not Peugeot ones though - they are something like £140 plus VAT each!) and top mounts/bearings.

Hopefully the ZT-T will get a clean bill of health and I can park up the 406 to sort the front suspension. Then I'll probably have to do the rear shocks and springs on the 406 to keep it all level!

Cheers all.

Jonty

Good luck
 

Keep them on the road

As a coincidence - I had a discussion with an ex-work colleague who preps up motorsport vehicles to do classic trials, and he mentioned the clamp set similar to the one you describe as he alters spring ratings / spec for many trials cars. I have noted that the front struts on the tourer seem to recede after releasing the spring from tension, often inspiring much swearing and bad behaviours when attempting re-assembly. He advised me to get a set of these https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CLAMP-FOR...72.m2749.l2649

Simply attach to the base of the piston rod to prevent it pulling itself inside the strut, many BMW vehicles do the same thing, and these clamps will prevent the problem, and for a small outlay and labour saving benefit, not to mention saving all the foul language outbursts that stem from bad behaviours of the piston. My set arrived very quickly and looking forward to using them !

Thanks John - those look like great quality items and a really nice idea.

The ones the RAC chap had were just hinged plastic collars that could lock shut with a tab...can't seem to find them for sale anywhere...wonder if someone has made them bespoke?

I'll snap a picture of them tomorrow.

Jonty

Went for 5 'no advisories' in a row...and there were new tyres in the back of the car, but thought everything was OK and ran out of time to swap 'em anyway...

Advisory - uneven rear tyre wear. D'oh! I think the asymmetric tread on the Uniroyals seems to accentuate inner edge wear if there is a bit of -ve camber plus I carry quite a bit of gear normally.

But a pass it is! Another year on the road. :}

Good luck and fingers crossed for her.


Andy.