why isn't everything as mechanically simple as a bike?

[timwilky]

So the van just failed its MOT. Trailing arm bushes and rear tyres.

So 10 mins after I picked the van up bushes ordered and delivered lunchtime.

What a swine of a job. To get them out I had to drop the rear axle and the bush inners then fell out. No way would the bushes shift, so hacksaw a slot in them and the help of a chisel and they are out.

Bodge press the new ones in. using a long bolt and a couple of sockets. Manage to snap 5 M12 bolts in the process. But now it is in.

5 hours it took to do the equivalent of changing the swing arm bush. Why do vehicle manufactures have to make it hard work.

Still retest in the morning.

[Fallout]

I don't know mate. I've always wondered the same thing. Sometimes when you just try to change a headlight bulb, you have to be a contortionist. You end up taking off about 20 pieces of plastic, twisting your arm in 10 directions and then fashioning a tool to get a bulb out which doesn't even sit firmly when it's in.

[Urbanfireblade]

I'd have done them the same way u did, no easy way to replace bushes sometimes except brute force.

[Urbanfireblade]

I'd have done them the same way u did, no easy way to replace bushes sometimes except brute force.

[Winder]

They make it difficult so you don't try it yourself and take it to your local Ford/Renault/blah blah mechanics and pay a fortune to get it fixed

[DJFridge]

Sod the car, I'm that useless with the bike!!

[timwilky]

Well things didn't get much better.

As I said in the original post I had to drop the rear axle. this meant undoing the brake hoses. No big deal.

But I then had to bleed the brakes on reconnecting. two snapped bleed nipples equal £16 for two new wheel cylinders. Great crack on.

Now if the bleed nipples are seized what elses is? yes £5 for a new length of pipe. I wouldn't mind but I gave away my swaging tool and spare pipe 4 years ago as I would never be making up brake pipe. No longer have a company car having replaced it with a car and van that I have to maintain means that was an expensive rash decision.

So bill to get it through the MOT

2 Bushes £34
2 Wheel Cylinders £16
2 Tyres £110
1 brake pipe £5


Total £165. It better pass the retest this afternoon.

But the expense gets worse. 3 tax demands in the post this morning. Bike, van, car all expire end May. P1ss poor planning there. guess the van will only get 6 months to stagger it in future.

[Bibio]

old saying.. it comes in threes... i'll get me coat

[BoltonSte]

Well things didn't get much better.

But the expense gets worse. 3 tax demands in the post this morning. Bike, van, car all expire end May. P1ss poor planning there. guess the van will only get 6 months to stagger it in future.

Not a dig at you Tim, but I never get why this sort of stuff pops up now and again as an issue...just have a standing order each month into another account, you hardly notice it going out and you avoid interest fees for paying monthly on your insurance etc....

All my yearly outgoings (2 cars, a bike, house) are handled this way then the money is always there, if it goes up for some reason you only need to find the difference....granted it was difficult the first year, but once up and running is a godsend...just needs a bit of forethought.