Looking for a definition of "excessive" with regards to play 🙂
Are you sure its an MOT tester you need?
😀
My safety word is sphericals.
"excessive" with regards to play = not safe
that do ya?
Nah, not exactly a definition I'm afraid 🙂 You could define ANY play as not safe as it degrades handling. . But apparently what I'd consider massive play on some items is within spec according to the MOT advisory info, I just can't find any examples about type of joint I'm looking at and don't really want to take the car in for the MOT if it's going to fail (i.e. do I replace the joints now or when I consider it a problem myself, I'd say it has 6 months before it's an issue but I'd like it changed as it may wear tyres).
then change it as the mot lasts for 12 months My ball joints passed as he could not be certain they would fail next time but advised me to fix them if it got worse
It's 4 of them, at £35 quid a piece and that's a bit painful currently and I was hoping to get the car back alive again after 4 years SORN'd. Been over the whole damn thing and this appears to be new, certainly wasn't like that when I put it to bed (I know as I had only just stripped and rebuilt the entire rear end and undersealed the lot.
Gutted and trying to avoid spending a further fortune on it, but I guess it's inevitable, just want it on the road 🙂
old VW's have wird amounts of play in places where you wouldn't expect it, this is normal for them. My rear bearings are an advisory every year despite being perfect.
These don't seem to have play when loaded, but that could be solely because I can't exhert the force of a car when there's weight on it 😀
What joint is it ? Metal or rubber ?
As a general rule, if the rubber part of a metalastic bush is clearly separating from the metal tubes, it's a failure.
I went on a VOSA HGV inspection course and a couple of us pressed the teacher for a more precise definition of the "Excessive" play in any direction in a track road end mentioned in the VOSA HGV manual.
He absolutely refused to commit himself to a clear answer.
I later went on a FTA PSV inspection course and the limit for TREs was quoted as 2mm lift in the manual. The limit for sideways play was still "excessive".
Tis a spherical full metal bearing much like a ball joint but used at the end of the radius arms (2 per wheel) in place of a lower ball joint (as it's a rear and doesn't steer obviously). It's got approx 0.5mm play in each currently while in droop which allows a *little* wheel movement but more knock than movement to be honest, seems to get transmitted through the body loudly. Can't seem to get it to move when loaded but as I say, could be me being a weakling. It's nowhere near 2mm play, if it was I'd not even be thinking about trying to get it to pass - I put my life in their hands (balls?).