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[STEMO]

Track rod ends are so cheap now that it may not be in the history , done when new tyres are fitted and tracked perhaps ,or DIY replaced by previous owner , or motorway miles , not many corners 
also, some people stuff their wheels into the curb every time they park, or jump the wheels onto the pavement and other bad practice that wears and damages parts .

£35 for the lot, delivered and a simple job to fit , worth getting the tracking checked  once fitted though (about £35),unless you have the kit and can check it yourself .

I park on the pavement because I have to. Better to replace TRE's than a whole side of the car from the bin lorry. 

[dave the builder]

Track rod ends are so cheap now that it may not be in the history , done when new tyres are fitted and tracked perhaps ,or DIY replaced by previous owner , or motorway miles , not many corners 
also, some people stuff their wheels into the curb every time they park, or jump the wheels onto the pavement and other bad practice that wears and damages parts .

£35 for the lot, delivered and a simple job to fit , worth getting the tracking checked  once fitted though (about £35),unless you have the kit and can check it yourself .

I park on the pavement because I have to. Better to replace TRE's than a whole side of the car from the bin lorry. 

That's OK , by the time you sell your astra to Terry, he'll know how to replace the TREs   

[terry paget]

Happy to report that Astra FV10, 171551 miles on the clock, easily passed MOT today, no advisories.
Next candidate is Rover Streetwise RA04, MOT expires 28th May. She will be tricky, last year she had 8 advisories and was marginal on emissions.

[Doctor Gollum]

Only tricky if you don't address the advisories soon after issue

[Nick W]

That's OK , by the time you sell your astra to Terry, he'll know how to replace the TREs

he will also have a selection of TREs bought off Ebay that won't fit.....

[STEMO]

Happy to report that Astra FV10, 171551 miles on the clock, easily passed MOT today, no advisories.
Next candidate is Rover Streetwise RA04, MOT expires 28th May. She will be tricky, last year she had 8 advisories and was marginal on emissions.

Streetwise? FFS, put it out of it's misery, Terry.

[dave the builder]

Happy to report that Astra FV10, 171551 miles on the clock, easily passed MOT today, no advisories.
Next candidate is Rover Streetwise RA04, MOT expires 28th May. She will be tricky, last year she had 8 advisories and was marginal on emissions.

Streetwise? FFS, put it out of it's misery, Terry.

probably wise words there from Uncle Stemo 
work out what it will cost in TIME and money to sort the list 
what are the advisories ?

congratulations on the MOT for the 10 plate astra though 
always nice to have no advisories 

[terry paget]

Happy to report that Astra FV10, 171551 miles on the clock, easily passed MOT today, no advisories.
Next candidate is Rover Streetwise RA04, MOT expires 28th May. She will be tricky, last year she had 8 advisories and was marginal on emissions.

Streetwise? FFS, put it out of it's misery, Terry.

probably wise words there from Uncle Stemo 
work out what it will cost in TIME and money to sort the list 
what are the advisories ?parking brake

congratulations on the MOT for the 10 plate astra though 
always nice to have no advisories 

parking brake little reserve travel
/o/s gaiter deteriorated
n/s gaiter deteriorated
wiper smearing slightly
o/s reversing light inoperative
sill covers fitted
centre exhaust corroded
temporary repair to front exhaust hanger
The gaiters and sill covers he mentioned the previous year too. Son Ben will deliver the car to me tomorrow to inspect.

[Nick W]

parking brake little reserve travel
/o/s gaiter deteriorated
n/s gaiter deteriorated
wiper smearing slightly
o/s reversing light inoperative
sill covers fitted
centre exhaust corroded
temporary repair to front exhaust hanger
The gaiters and sill covers he mentioned the previous year too. Son Ben will deliver the car to me tomorrow to inspect.

The worst of that is the gaiters. But which gaiters? Bottom balljoint, TRE or CV? They can't be that bad if they've been noted for two years!
Wiper is trivial even if it needs a new(which nobody ever bothers with) arm.
So you're looking at new rear brake shoes, an exhaust and some basic electrical fault finding for the lamp.
Quick cheap and easy.

[dave the builder]

parking brake little reserve travel

probably requires handbrake adjustment

/o/s gaiter deteriorated
n/s gaiter deteriorated

check all the gaiters , steering and CV are common ,
if they are not ripped / leaking / insecure then not a problem

o/s reversing light inoperative

get it fixed, probably a bulb or fuse , being a 2004 car , it does not require any reversing lights to work BUT it helps the driver and other road users if they do , so fix it 

sill covers fitted

has a radio fitted too , so what 
why testers try to cover there arses with such statements is beyond me, manual states they can not use tools to remove covers etc and the presenter must be given the benefit of doubt .unless the tester thinks the sills are rotten .

centre exhaust corroded
temporary repair to front exhaust hanger

if it's not blowing,and not likely to fall off ,leave it till it is

"wiper smearing slightly" and rOVER badge  are the final nails in it's coffin 

[terry paget]

parking brake little reserve travel
/o/s gaiter deteriorated
n/s gaiter deteriorated
wiper smearing slightly
o/s reversing light inoperative
sill covers fitted
centre exhaust corroded
temporary repair to front exhaust hanger
The gaiters and sill covers he mentioned the previous year too. Son Ben will deliver the car to me tomorrow to inspect.

The worst of that is the gaiters. But which gaiters? Bottom balljoint, TRE or CV? They can't be that bad if they've been noted for two years!
Wiper is trivial even if it needs a new(which nobody ever bothers with) arm.
So you're looking at new rear brake shoes, an exhaust and some basic electrical fault finding for the lamp.
Quick cheap and easy.

Constant velocity joint gaiters

[Doctor Gollum]

A pair of good used drive shafts is probably the most efficient way of dealing with that

[Sir Tigger KC]

You can get universal CV joint boots that slip over the old ones. 

Not the perfect solution of course, but they're cheap, easy to fit and will get the car through  the MOT. 

[dave the builder]

both good ideas 
IF the gaiters have split , and are not just "deteriorated"
it's not a safety critical item like brakes ,tyres, lights

[terry paget]

On examination the Rover Streetwise don't look too bad. All brakes work, and I have adjusted the handbrake. Front pads look good, rear is drum.The exhaust central section is blowing slightly, at £22 I shall replace that. I have replaced the reversing light bulb, now all lights work. The tyres should pass, the wipers no longer smear, and I can detect no play in the steering or suspension. There is no serious rust.

The CV gaiters are not split and look fine to me. The heater fan runs all the time at full speed, that's not a fail, is it?

I note in the past I have greased the brake pipes. However, I found a section I missed, and it is not rusty.

The car has locking wheel nuts, and nuts they are, that screw on to studs They have 19mm heads, not sure how to replace them, so they remain.

The improvised front exhaust hanger is to replace a hanger on the cat section that broke off. That can remain. The gauze around the flexible section is loose, but the flexi section is not blowing.