Bad tie rods?

[2o6]

Some retard tried to steal my wheels.



I lost a wheel, a lug nut stud is broken off and an SVT wheel is ruined.

[Cookie Monster]

Some retard tried to steal my wheels.



I lost a wheel, a lug nut stud is broken off and an SVT wheel is ruined.

Fuck, dude.

[hotrodalex]

Dang dude. Just can't catch a break..

[Gotta-Qik-C7]

Damn homie! Sorry to hear that.

[2o6]

On the plus side, a new lug stud is pretty cheap to fix.

[2o6]

Some retard tried to steal my wheels.



I lost a wheel; a lug nut stud is broken off and an SVT wheel is ruined.

Interesting how much a difference a semi colon makes.

[2o6]

Good news:


Bearing is on! (The other one is OK, so I saved money by only getting one done. I don't have the $$$ for two) Wish I kinda had, though. Would have probably made the car feel brand new.


Car feels totally different. I love it again!


Bad News:

- lug stud is on order, should come in on Monday.  (which means I still only have three lugs. But on the plus side, he said because of this, he took it off my bill. Just bring the car back and he'll do it)

- shop guy says that brake caliper bolt is cross-threaded (I haven't touched the front brakes. Whoever worked on this car before I got it is a total clown. Taking off the front struts, bolts were not spec and were different sizes)

- shop guy says I will need a new CV joint soon. (it's OK for now)

[Eye of the Tiger]

Cool. New rimz?

[2o6]

Cool. New rimz?

I found another rim from the guy who sold me the SVT wheels. I just have to go and get it tomorrow.


And I don't want to take a car with three lugs and a temporary spare on the freeway ~30 minutes to get a wheel.



Half shafts don't seem super expensive.....$50 for the part (should I do both?). Hopefully, this will mean the end of problems for me.

[hotrodalex]

It's only a 4 lug wheel, right? You should be fine with 3/4 lugs. Just don't go autocrossing.

[2o6]

Okay new question.


I know it is cheaper and less hassle to replace the entire drive shafts rather than fool around with a new CV joint. In my quick research, is the half shaft and drive shaft the same thing? Please forgive my ignorance.

[Eye of the Tiger]

Okay new question.


I know it is cheaper and less hassle to replace the entire drive shafts rather than fool around with a new CV joint. In my quick research, is the half shaft and drive shaft the same thing? Please forgive my ignorance.

ja

[93JC]

Driveshaft = from transmission (or engine) output to differential (or transaxle)
Half shaft or axle shaft = from differential (or transaxle) to wheel

"Half shaft" usually refers to the shafts in independent suspensions. "Axle shaft" usually refers to the shafts in solid axles.

A Ford Focus has two half shafts.

[Rupert]

His car gets a shaft?

[Eye of the Tiger]

My car has two whole shafts. 

[Rupert]

Mine has three, if you include me.

[Eye of the Tiger]

Well, then, mine, has eight, if, you include me.

[Rupert]

Are you counting your arms and legs? Then mine has nine.

[Rupert]

And my Exploder has ten.

[2o6]

Just as an overhaul from the "chat" thread.



Friday, I dropped my car off to do (what I thought would be) a simple job; a new bearing and fixing the lug bolt. I dropped the car off at around 1PM and told them I would pick up the car tomorrow morning; I had to work, and their shop closed at 6PM.


I go to the shop on Saturday at around 11AM, only to find my car completely untouched. Shop guy says it's next to go on the rack. OK, I figure maybe he got a little behind. It happens to all of us.


I show up at 2PM (when they close) that day. I get my car back, but he says the new lug stud he had to order in, and thus he couldn't. He says I can take the car, but I have to bring it back to get the new lug stud fixed. OK, whatever. The lug stud is still broke, but the bearing is fixed. I look at the invoice, and he reccomends I get a new CV shaft. I figure he's simply trying to sell more work; I checked the CV boot, nothing is torn and there is no clicking so I sort of ignore his advice. He also says the caliper slide bolt was cross threaded, I assumed he took it rorights when he took the entire steering knucle off.  I drive off in the car, thinking everything is OK. I get in front of my house (around a 10 minute drive), and all of a sudden, the brake pedal goes nearly to the floor. I tap the brake pedal and all is normal again.

The shop is closed, and I tried leaving a message, but to no avail.

OK. I don't have a way to work, so I'm forced to drive the car. Brakes generally felt fine, except for one instance of it going too close to the floor.

Sunday, I drive the car, and it's pretty much the same as saturday; normal brake pedal with only a couple instances of it going to the floor. I thought that maybe the "air" in the line would have started to dissapate; the pedal didn't go to the floor as bad as it had been doing.

Monday (yesterda) at 9AM I drop the car off. Making note of the brake problem. He insists no air got into the line, and it may be due to a faulty CV axle. I ask about the caliper slide bolt; he deflects to the CV axle again. Whatever. He says he'll check it out, I THOUGHT it would be OK, nothing to suggest otherwise. I come back at 6PM, when they close; I had got off work minutes earlier.


My car had sat there ALL DAY, untouched.


He says "you should bring it back". I tell him, I'm not driving this car anywhere. Can I leave it here? He agrees.


Around an hour ago, I called the shop making sure my car had been seen. The receptonist tells me my car is done and I can go and pick it up. (I'm thinking "awesome!") But just to be careful, I ask about the brake problem. She transfers me to the mechanic, and he proceeds to tell me that I have a blown brake line. I ask how, and he says pretty much "IDK". He says that I told him the brake pedal was low when I dropped the car off.....when I dropped the car off, the brake pedal was perfectly fine (for the bearing).



He wants to charge me. If there is an issue with the brake lines, he sure as heck isn't touching my car again. I seemingly have the worst luck with mechanics.....and before you say that I was "cheaping out" his quote was near the top of what I got for a bearing replacement, and I THOUGHT he was a reputable mechanic.

[2o6]

OK, angry rant aside.


He told me that essentially, the bearing isn't threaded correctly on the axle, and is becoming unthreaded; thus the entire brake assembly shifting from side to side, and the sporadically funky brake pedal.


Now I don't feel so bad.

[CJ]

OK, angry rant aside.


He told me that essentially, the bearing isn't threaded correctly on the axle, and is becoming unthreaded; thus the entire brake assembly shifting from side to side, and the sporadically funky brake pedal.


Now I don't feel so bad.

So he needs to fix it on HIS dime, not yours.  HIS fault.

[2o6]

So he needs to fix it on HIS dime, not yours.  HIS fault.

Yep.

[Rupert]

Unless your brake lines are rusted and getting holes.

[2o6]

Unless your brake lines are rusted and getting holes.

Mechanic says they're fine.

[Secret Chimp]

OK, angry rant aside.


He told me that essentially, the bearing isn't threaded correctly on the axle, and is becoming unthreaded; thus the entire brake assembly shifting from side to side, and the sporadically funky brake pedal.


Now I don't feel so bad.

Again, this is a crock of shit. The bearing doesn't thread onto the axle. The bearing presses into the steering knuckle. The axle pokes through the middle of it and is held inside of the spline by the nut. It has nothing to do with the bearing.

[2o6]

Again, this is a crock of shit. The bearing doesn't thread onto the axle. The bearing presses into the steering knuckle. The axle pokes through the middle of it and is held inside of the spline by the nut. It has nothing to do with the bearing.

I got my car back, and it's back to normal. A guy on the focus forum says it's the steering knuckle isn't secured correctly onto the axle, but unlikely.

"If the rotor was loose, axle nut not properly torqued, the pads in the caliper could open more than necessary. This would cause the pedal to travel much further to the floor the next time you went to brake. It does make sense, but I don't see why the nut isn't properly torqued unless he cross threaded the axle. In this case, this may be why he reccomends you need a new cv axle.
Ouch. It's hard to find a reputable shop these days. One that stands behind their mistakes, everybody makes them. "


In other words, it was likely his fault those threads got screwed up. (Unless the previous owner just had a fetish for taking off CV axles)


Whatever. Never going back to this guy again.

[2o6]

I think the mechanic was a little pissy; before I dropped off the car, he had mentioned that another shop guy was going through some emotional issues and screwed up a transmission job. Should have sent a red flag in my mind, but I thought nothing of it.


Oh well.

[Secret Chimp]

I got my car back, and it's back to normal. A guy on the focus forum says it's the steering knuckle isn't secured correctly onto the axle, but unlikely.

"If the rotor was loose, axle nut not properly torqued, the pads in the caliper could open more than necessary. This would cause the pedal to travel much further to the floor the next time you went to brake. It does make sense, but I don't see why the nut isn't properly torqued unless he cross threaded the axle. In this case, this may be why he reccomends you need a new cv axle.
Ouch. It's hard to find a reputable shop these days. One that stands behind their mistakes, everybody makes them. "


In other words, it was likely his fault those threads got screwed up. (Unless the previous owner just had a fetish for taking off CV axles)


Whatever. Never going back to this guy again.

The guy on the Focus forum is also an idiot (surprise). The rotor is held against the hub by the wheel, not the axle nut. If you had a wheel so loose it was letting the disc flop around you'd have noticed really quickly.

[93JC]

The guy on the Focus forum is also an idiot (surprise). The rotor is held against the hub by the wheel, not the axle nut. If you had a wheel so loose it was letting the disc flop around you'd have noticed really quickly.

Yeah, juddering and vibration would have been pretty noticeable.