Me and my mate have just spent the last two weeks, in this wonderful heatwave we've been recently having sorting out his NEW Elite, to get her ready for the Mot.
The list done on his otherwise pretty straight and nice '98 Elite is...
New taillamp
1 headlight (duff adjuster, as always!)
Freed off sticky brake caliper, plus all others now moving nice and freely
Good 2nd hand exhaust
Total replacement of scratched switchgear, various other bits interior trim.
So we've not been lazy, as you see. She failed (oh well) on a few bits, easy remedy. Was outside (yes, OUTSIDE) in hail and slush for 5 hours replacing bits. She failed on...
-Couple of bulbs
-Balljoint n/s
-Play in o/s wishbone bush
-Handbrake
-Very bottom of 1 rear spring cracked
Odd it failed on a balljoint as the wishbone had only been on for two months before we bought the car! The MoT guy showed him the wheel wobble (small knocking at 12and6 with roadwheel fitted) Few days later I came round and he and I found the wheel wobble was NOT the balljoint, but the hub-bearings. This being proven by popping the balljoint out, and clearly the brake disc still knocked/wobbled.
We promptly spent two days outside (again, joy!) fitting new hubs, new o/s wishbone (faulty bush). There is now NO wheel wobble n/s or o/s. Upon returning a week later to the Mot place, the guy promtly failed it AGAIN saying "you've not done that balljoint" when my mate explained that he knew that, we had cured the wobble, though it wasnt the balljoint, but the bearing; he just said "theres still some play"
This is just not the case, and he especially feels that he's been taken for a bit of a ride, I certainly feel that all our hard work has been for nought. He doesnt have the money to go chucking at the car, he got it because I told him Omegas are reliable, don't cost a lot to keep going!
The issue is, of course not cost of a ball joint, a QH one is 12quid, but the principle of the matter- shelling out another 45pounds he shouldn't need to, and the fact Mr. MoT wasnt really doing his job properly by saying the wheel wobble was balljoint, when it was hub.
So where does he stand? If we'd replaced the balljoint, but not hub, the play would still have been there, and it would surely have failed again 'on a balljoint', if he replaced the balljoint with new tomorrow, this wouldnt/wont improve the car one iota, as there ISN'T any play there in the first place. I really do think it's a case of Mr.Mot not waning to be proven wrong, so he's seeing play where there is none. If we'd cleaned up the wishbone/balljoint, made it look like a different one, I am certain he would have passed her on the spot.
Just imagine how you'd feel after a fortnight of working in the freezing cold to be told you're work isn't up to minimum legal standard. I am not happy. Not anywhere near!
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