My RANT time I think.....UPDATE

[Stickyfinger]

Agggg bloody Pot Holes and sunken storm drain covers....there goes the near side Lower Suspension Joint this time......Bu66er and Spice !

Tell tail "knock" at low seed turn in.....arrggg

[NewcastleFalcon]

Regards Neil

[daviemck2006]

It's time this government stopped wasting money on wars, and nuclear weapons of mass destruction and scamming it for themselves, and started sorting the real problems, like NHS, education and of course roads and potholes. That is all I shall say on the matter.

[Fake Concern]

In a nutshell, Davie! The other evening on the way home, I just missed a wheel sized pot hole in Cranbrook Kent, I just got the wheel in between the hole & the curb. A bit further on I saw two 4 wheel drive Quashquy (?) type monstrosities with flat tyres, so a lucky escape.

[daviemck2006]

I could have a whole day rant about government, and our Scottish one too, but not on here. This is about cars and enjoying ourselves

[Peter.N.]

Our lanes are about the worst I have seen them this year, you can't even drive round the potholes as there will be another on on the other side of the lane in exactly the right place for the other wheel to go down.

The usually blame the frost but we haven't had any this year, just a great deal of rain. Even the car park at 'Trago Mills' is full of holes, never seen anything like it.

Peter

[Stickyfinger]

A good percentage of the "Problem" is that EVERY storm drain is now a large drop as they just resurface around them without lifting the cover....bump bump bump on narrow roads without the space to avoid, add the truck numbers increasing and wider tractors and you are forced into EVERY F'Ing one !

[Peter.N.]

We don't have any drain covers on our roads - no services

Peter

[Stickyfinger]

Update:

Well well well,

The last warranty job the Citroen dealer in Bath did on my car (early summer) was to replace the gearbox controls etc. As well as that work they did (I paid on top) a drive shaft gaiter on the near side, as the extended Hartwells own warranty was limited and excluded "Rubber parts and suspension joints/bushes" etc.

Well, in the February prior to that I had replaced the lower joint with a Citroen sourced part myself.
I used new bolts as supplied and Bright Green Scania Truck thread-lock as recommended and given by James.

I asked James up the Hill (Volvo truck mechanic and re-builder of silly mud plugging V8 Landies) to come down this afternoon and give his thoughts on the knocking I have now. This to allow me to take advantage of a discount code on-line which expires tomorrow as well as to be sure of my diagnosis of a failed lower Joint.

It turns out that when this work was done they re-used the old (now) bolts and did not put any new thread lock on. ( I know this as I had licked under-seal over them and the joint when cleaning it all up). All three bolts were loose (one by about 4 mm that could be turned with my fingers !) and the other two needed a good half turn each to tighten ! The whole area was also coated in the remnants of the drive shaft oil they did not bother to clean off.

Ummm.....QUALITY work from Hartwells again ....NOT !


FYI.....5/16th Spanners Fit the star bolts so the suspension did not need to come apart to tighten them ....

[bobins]

Just in case you feel the need to gently remind Hartwells that they're supposed to be a professional outfit (and you haven't already got a copy), here's the Cit procedure for remove/replace the lower swivel. If this isn't the right doc let me know and I'll find the right one

http://www.filedropper.com/c5x7-b3cg010 ... frontpivot

[Stickyfinger]

Cheers for that: It confirms what Citroen Avalon (good people btw but not an "official dealer now)

Bolts 14/15....these were loose/ MUST use Thread Lock....In a BIG RED BOX !...

As for reminding them.....when they phoned 3 weeks ago and asked if I wished to book it in for a service...I told them why I would decline their offer (based on the last jobs they did/time they took/half arsed way they worked.

It was the first time I have used such words on the phone to a stranger for some time, I was very disappointed in myself, maybe not now.
Thinking about it, what would of happened if that joint had failed ? Dare not think to much about that.

[bobins]

I told the boss bloke at the Citroen main dealer I bought mine from that they were no better than a dodgy back street garage. He didn't look very impressed at my comment. Can't think why as it seemed quite apt

[Stickyfinger]

I cannot think why he was surprised either based on Hartwells at BOTH Bath and Abingdon.....totally sh17e

[Stickyfinger]

Well job completed this morning.

The two larger bolts cannot be removed due to the arm in the way but they do expose their threads and go loose ready to drop if not for the arm, so I coated those in thread lock and tightened them up with the 5/16th spanner and extension to grip them up really tight (After washing out with thinners from a small syringe, messy but worked), the smaller middle bolt does remove, needless to say not a bit of thread lock on it just some COPPER SLIP .......yep, Copper Slip FFS .........what-TF ??

[bobins]

Well job completed this morning.
the smaller middle bolt does remove, needless to say not a bit of thread lock on it just some COPPER SLIP .......yep, Copper Slip FFS .........what-TF ??

I would suggest a complaint to Citroen UK - but you and I know it'd make naff-all difference to anything and they'd probably deny responsibility anyway