What did you do to your Saxo today?

[andrew_wright]

Originally Posted by dturbo

Not too sure on the steering rack, however regarding the axle - don't make a call based on visual camber. It can be hard to really judge that, what with body contours etc. In any case, I've seen cars on new axles that to me looked a bit cambered and I am so sad that I have even paused reruns of old TV programmes like Frost to check out the camber on a 306 (I have one of them too) as at the time these were new cars, they have also always looked like they had a bit of camber.

Judge the axle on more specific things - with it jacked up (on axle stands of course!) can you feel play in the trailing arm bearings? Does the axle creak when the car is bounced or when driven? Even if it's a bit creaky, as long as it still moves freely and has no play then it doesn't necessarily need replacing.

Hopefully someone can come along and give some advice regaring the steering issue. Would you be putting it into a garage to get work done, or doing it yourself? Steering racks can be had 2nd hand sub £100 and if you really needed to, and axle can be had refurbished. I don't know what model car you have, but non VTR / VTS racks are £185 from IM axles, VTR/VTS are £300 but you get £70 back of that when you return your old one. Back axle swap isn't the worst job either.

I often think that as much as it is easy to view repair costs as uneconomical because they exceed the value of the car, sometimes it also helps to consider how much more it would cost you to replace the car - i.e. if the car is sound apart from £500 of work and it would do you a few years after that, but to replace it costs £1500 say, then the £500 is worth it. To be honest, any cheap car and even some upwards of 2 or 3 grand will always need work of some sort doing. One advantage of the saxo is that it is approchable by DIY and the parts are cheap, often ALOT cheaper than many other cars.

Good luck whatever way you jump.

Thanks for the reply mate, I'm not getting any noises from the back end, none at all, just the camber got me thinking it was bad, had it up on stands today and again no issues so maybe I've jumped the gun on that one. Rack I was looking for yesterday after posting and found some really good deals about. All work will be done by myself when possible, pressing I can't do so bearings are not something I can do but everything else isn't an issue. I have an 52 plate vtr.

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[nicholasVTS]

Took it out of the garage and took it for a spin. Then put it back for winter.

[Crocko2]

Replaced gear linkages with Kam Racing ones.
Removed sunroof and rear windows ready for Lexan replacements.
Angle ground the sunroof support bits as it seemed like there was no other way to get it out.

[dturbo]

Went to fix an exhaust leak, thinking it would be the join at the manifold to cat (having wrestled it to get the exhaust bracket bolt back in after gearbox change). Couldn't find it then realised it was actually a crack on one of the pipes in the 4-2-1 manifold! Quite big actually!.

Took the manifold off (what a bugger that was, no room to get sockets in on most of the bolts, had to work them off with tiny wee spanner movments on the open end), welded it up as best I could (hard to get in where the pipes overlap) and slapped a pile of exhaust sealer paste over it too.

Leak seems to be gone now - from there anyway, the bloody manifold to cat joint is leaking now lol. Easy enough fix, I have a new mesh gasket. We were running very late last night by the end so probably didn't tighten the join up enough.

[Furioman]

Water pump removal while doing the timing belt, mashing at it for 4 hours with a lump hammer and various chisels and crow bars finally came out, worse job i have done on a car.

[aldred309uk]

Just replaced both front struts with temporary replacements from a scrap yard. I recommend undoing the anti roll bar links when doing this job so you aren't fighting against it when trying to get the bottom ball joint out. Managed to get away with replacing only one track rod end. Planning to replace the springs, shocks, top mount and bearings and also replace both wheel bearings before refitting them on the car along with new wishbones, track rod ends and drive shafts. Tedious but now I've got time to sort out my original struts without losing the use of my car for a few days at best!

[dturbo]

Not today, yesterday - fitted 2nd hand B8 rear dampers (thanks gabbastard) to replace the shocking (no pun intended) Vmaxx jobs that were on there. I knew they were knackered, but after refitting following a rear beam swap, there was a terrible continual clunk. I suspected the drivers damper, but half thought it would turn out to be something else, thankfully with the B8's on, clunk is gone. Also the car drives soooo much better!

[aldred309uk]

Just got my bronte struts broken down, bearings, springs shocks etc all removed. Dropped the bare struts and top parts off for shot blasting and powder coating. Rebuilding the struts over the next few weeks and also replacing the wishbones, drive shafts, all strut parts and also the track rod ends. Looking forward to having a fresh front end!

[RichSaxoVTR]

Not today, but last week I got the bonnet wrapped in matt black vinyl and had a Adjustable-lightweight aluminium front upper tower brace fitted to the engine bay.

[RichSaxoVTR]

Getting my spolier wrapped in same colour Thurs lol ...

[RichSaxoVTR]

Sorted my new fob out---which works!

[aldred309uk]

Just spent 6 hours giving the saxo front end a refresh. Spent yesterday in the rain removing the struts, wish bones drive shafts and track rods ready for replacement. Spent the last few weeks getting my original struts sand blasted and powder coated in matte black. New wheel bearings for both fronts, new springs, shocks, top mounts and bearings. New wishbones, new drive shafts and fresh gearbox oil. Nice set of new discs and pads on it too! Swapped out the oil pressure switch too whilst I was there as it had been in the boot for a few months!

[RichSaxoVTR]

Had a new tyre fitted and balanced today.

[aldred309uk]

Yesterday when I was an hour away from home at Costco I came out of the shop to a massive puddle of oil underneath my engine. Upon inspection there was a hole in the front of the sump. Like a stone had hit it on the motorway and made a bullet hole looking hole because the sump was rusty and weak. Screwed a bolt and rubber washer into the hole and limped it home with my dads help for bringing the bits and oil out.

Today I swapped the sump for a brand new one, new oil filter. Replaced a faulty screen wash pump and replaced a smashed fog light. All in all I spent 8 hours in the pouring rain on and off due to rusted bolts, screen wash hose being stiff and not having room to work on which meant the bumper had to come off and cleaning the bottom of the engine for a good deal for the new sump. So cold and wet and demoralised. Hope everyone has had a better day than me!

[RichSaxoVTR]

Fixed the fob (after old terminals broke and added new ones), put a new battery in and booked it in for a new cambelt on the 12th April.

[RichSaxoVTR]

Added private plates today.

[aldred309uk]

Always nice to see correctly spaced number plates. Looks good!

[RichSaxoVTR]

Originally Posted by aldred309uk

Always nice to see correctly spaced number plates. Looks good!

Thanks! Just my initials, year of car and spec. Simple lol ...

[RichSaxoVTR]

So what a kerfuffle i've had the weekend just gone! Dropped my Saxo off for a routine cambelt change Friday and garage fucked my engine up and bent all 8 valves (as cambelt slipped off)! They admitted liability and are now doing a full re-build on the head lol!

Hopefully getting it back Weds or Thurs. Ah well a rebuild engine for free lol....

[aldred309uk]

That really sucks! I've done the timing belt on 2, 1.1 desires and so far so good. Hope they do a good job of rebuilding the engine!