Well what can I say but fan-bloody-tastic

Spent yesterday (all day) with Chris and Jayne having all my suspension bolts removed greased and my geometry setup.

What can I say but, there are the best people you would want working on your car

I arrived not really understanding or realising what I had let myself into. Got to Chris and Jayne's just before 10am having left my place just after 6am . they were still setting up due to a rather late night having been setting up a rather rare Porsche the day before. Anyway got started with the process of getting the car up in the air what a superb piece of kit they have. Wheels off and first inspection of the day by Chris. He talks his way thru exactly what he's doing and why. Top man... I like to understand these things. Start's by removing the top wishbone bolts to inspect and grease, most come out easy ish, with some showing signs of corrosion but on the whole not bad. He work's his way around the car, taking great car with my baby (thanks Chris) and manages to get out/clean/grease all my bolts. I didn't quite expect this too take the time it did really 2.5hrs but as I was there helping Chris - can you get me this / that etc..... no help at all really I understood my it took so long.

Everything was going really well we had a few 'angry' bolts as Chris quite nicely calls them or was it 'green bottles' up until we get to the passenger lower wishbone. It was rock solid no movement, nothing. Here's me thinking the worst - new wishbone money.... Chris just says. 'I'll spray it with WD that's bound to help' and it did after about 25mins, started to find a way thru the bolt/sleeve. Following a bit of a session with a rather large wrench and extension bar - one very large crack - to me it sounded like something had broken - but no it was free bit more WD, a waggle here a tap here and it pop's out. It was very badly oxidized pretty much over half of the sleeve that sits in the rubber bush.

So I'm quite happy again having averted a major money outlay. There's me thinking not much to go now, just get it aligned and away I go not much more that an extra hour or so. How wrong I was not fully understanding what really went on Good grief the amount of setup was amazing - how everything had to be spot on horizontal - this man has attention to the details .

To cut a very long story short because over the next 4 hours Chris setup the car to factory with a little tweek from Chris as my setting's were shall we say WELL OUT so bad on one corner that I had excessive wear on the inner edge - NEW tyres being fitted Thursday - you could see the difference with your own eyes with Chris under the car with the spanner and me looking at the wheel while he adjusted. From where it was to where it should have been was erm rather different.

All I can say is what a transformation the drive home was brilliant. The handling is sweet, well balanced with planted rear and direct front end that runs perfectly straight.

Thanks to both Chris and Jayne for the superb day, lunch was a bonus as well got home rather drained at about 10.15pm

To anyone thinking about this I would recommend them and it without a moments hesitation 'the best money i've spent' for a long time on my car.

I'm sending Chris the pictures I took for him to complie some words with my pictures so you will be able to see these on there NEW website quite soon.

That's it better do some work now.....

 

Cheers for the write up...

So how much was it?? (if you don't mind me asking) I was thinking of doing a similar 1 on 1 strip down and grease session with him as well.

 

Photos of Chris and Jayne at work!!!!!!!

www.rossyoung.co.uk/chris

 

It was

 

Go easy on the happy smilies dude!!

 

Id like this done I think, give my car doesnt want to sell itself Anyone Bournemouth way want to join in?

MB

 

Chris is a rare animal that takes a lot pf pride in his work and is very keen to help you learn!

A couple of questions!

Did he just do the adjuster bolts? There are actually 22 bolts holding the wish bones/tie bars in place I will be doing all of them on my car before I put the Nitrons on!

Did he have all the torque wrench settings and load up the suspension before tightening it all back up?

 

Wholewheat or rye ?

 

spotted before I could edit it

 

He did take all the bolts out. All were cleaned and then greased up . I only had 1 which was fully seized in the bush - lower front n/s. With a little bit of friendly persuasion he managed to free it and take it out.

He also had all the correct torque settings for all the bolts he had removed. He seemed to have a service manual

New front rubber going on Thursday, will report back on how with them and the alignment done it improves the handling.