hello, i need some advice

[arthursmith]

firstly, hello to all, i'm arthur, i live in rural france, and have just discovered this forum.

i am having a problem with my 1998 2.7 maverick, and think i may be being taken for a ride. could anyone offer some help ?

in feb of this year my maverick started making a screeching/rubbing noise from the front offside wheel, followed by a very noticable clunk when it came to a stop.

the local ford garage diagnosed a faulty hub, replaced it, and charged me €640 for the privilege. okay, it's 10 year old so maybe it did need replacing.

however, in the last couple of days the noise has returned, exactly the same noise, from the same offside wheel, together with the clunk when the car comes to a stop.

so off i go to the ford garage, receipt ( for warranty ) in hand. i take the technician out, and he agrees there is a noise coming from the front offside and they'll inspect further.

about an hour later i get a phone call to go back.

the workshop foreman now tries to tell me it's the nearside that's the problem now !

my questions are;

in 2h, when you turn the shaft, should the wheel rotate ? at the moment, when you turn the offside shaft, the wheel does not rotate, and the nearside is the opposite, the wheel rotates as the shaft is turned.

on the previous visit to the ford dealer, another workshop foreman told me that the hub needed replacing because the wheel did not rotate when the shaft was turned, now this guy tells me the opposite.

i don't mind fair wear and tear, and having searched the net, this doesn't seem to be a major problem with the maverick ( or am i wrong ? ).

but at €640 a pop, i'm not that convinced that both should fail.

i'm going back to the garage tomorrow for part 2, so any advice / comments gratefully received.

arthur

sorry it's a bit long winded, but i wanted to get all the details in, and apart from this problem, i love this car.

[(RIP) PLANK]

there ae lots of threads here on hub problems, the usual fault is brake rings, less than £50 a side and less than an hours labour and that is being generous, probably 10 minutes a side!

but the hubs are often scrap, and need more than brake rings if this is the case you can get a set of manuals (a pair) for around £150 and do the job yourself in under an hour with basic tools and DIY skills, there are downloads available here

there is no way i would pay that sort of money to fix one hub!

I hope this helps!

[ian1234]

if you do a search , terranosauraus did a very good post on the workings of the free wheel hub,it was very informative and if i remember rightly if the noise is coming from the left hub it is usualy the right hub at fault and vice versa. most probs can be fixed with basic tools and knowledge the price you have payed sounds astonomical to me.

[arthursmith]

hi

thanks for the replies.

i rang a ford dealer in the UK when i had the problem last time, and they confirmed that a hub was approx £425, and it was 1 hour labour to fix.

here in france they are €460 +vat ( 19.6% ) and 1 hour to fit. that comes to €640.

i take the point about the noise, and it coming from the other side, but previously the noise came from the offside, and changing the offside solved the problem.

i'll have a look at previous postings, but i can't access all the topics for some reason.

should the half shaft rotate with the wheel when the car is in 2h ?

thanks

arthur

[CaptLimey]

Arthur
(From a fellow resident in France) My response to your request for advice would be - get an estimate (devis) before you authorise any more work and come back to this site for an opinion of what has been suggested by your prospective repairer. To coin a previously used phrase the prices you have been quoted are 'astronomical'!
Regards CL

[arthursmith]

hello capt limey

they quoted me a price today, and it was for;

hub €460 +tva (vat ) and 1 hour labour to fit, total €640 inc tva ( vat ).

that's for another complete hub assembly.

but, what options do i really have ? we need the car.

arthur

[arthursmith]

sorry for another post, but i don't know how to edit yet...

i've seen a pair of 2.7 td free wheeling manual hubs on e-bay for £179 + P+P

are they easy to change ? any specialist tools required ? and finally, is it okay to swop them for the auto ones that are on now ?

arthur

[extreme-4x4]

buy these http://www.milneroffroad.com/categories.asp?cID=9389&p=2

you will find manual hubs . easy to fit . we have a download and plenty of help for full members

[arthursmith]

thank you all for your comments and advice, i think i now have a plan of action.

i'm going back to the garage tomorrow, and will ask them to;

put the car in the air so that when i turn the front propshaft only the nearside wheel will turn, the offside half shaft will turn but not the wheel, this should prove that the problem lies with the offside hub that is under warranty.

failing that, if i get them to put the offside hub on, but leave the nearside off, then if we go for a drive and the noise is still there, this would prove that the fault lies with the new one, therefore is warranty.

should all else fail, i'll bring my car home and order some manual hubs from
the UK. but that just let's the ford dealer off the hook.

it's about the best i can do i think.

arthur

[extreme-4x4]

thank you all for your comments and advice, i think i now have a plan of action.

i'm going back to the garage tomorrow, and will ask them to;

put the car in the air so that when i turn the front propshaft only the nearside wheel will turn, the offside half shaft will turn but not the wheel, this should prove that the problem lies with the offside hub that is under warranty.

failing that, if i get them to put the offside hub on, but leave the nearside off, then if we go for a drive and the noise is still there, this would prove that the fault lies with the new one, therefore is warranty.

should all else fail, i'll bring my car home and order some manual hubs from
the UK. but that just let's the ford dealer off the hook.

it's about the best i can do i think.

arthur
what and they are going to do all this for free ?

at the rates they charge i wouldnt even ring them again . cos you would need a loan to have 5 mins on the phone with them .

sorry you got stung once . learn from that and keep away from them .
we are all happy to help here. just order the manual hubs and we will help you fit them . simples

[arthursmith]

i appreciate the sentiment, and it's tempting, but i've got to try and get them to face up to the fact that it's their fault, and they should repair for free under the part warranty.

unfortunately, £160 / €180 is a lot of money for us when someone elae should be paying.

i wonder of ford have a european customer service dept ?

arthur

[jims-terrano]

For what it's worth Arthur I don't think the hubs will be faulty, probably the brake rings that are faulty and as previously said they are £50 per side approx. When you become a full member there is a down load regarding striping and cleaning the hubs. Have to say I'm a manual hub fan and they have been fine for me since I fitted them and I'm no mechanic. That said it's still worth throwing a set of brake rings at them. As a full member you'll have full access to the previous postings and you'll find an online manual listed in several posts. My advice become a full member get your head around these hubs via previous posts and then you'll have some good info to go back to the garage if you still feel thaqt's what you want to do.

Jim T

[arthursmith]

hello again

a quick update.

it "appears" that the garage changed the wrong hub last time ? we never noticed because i haven't used 4wd until the snow came just before christmas. then, when i put it in 4wd the same noise as in february came back.

it all boils down to;

when the car is in 2wd, when you turn the half shaft, should the wheel turn ?

one guy says yes, the other says no (and they both work in the same Ford garage) ?!?!?

anyway, the upshot is they say that they will repair for free (but not counting my chickens) as one of them is/was wrong.

car's been in for a few days now, and still no sign of new hub (not surprised, as this is France)

if anyones interested, i'll update when something happens.

but in the meantime, thank you for the help

regards

arthur

[lacroupade]

hello again

a quick update.

it "appears" that the garage changed the wrong hub last time ? we never noticed because i haven't used 4wd until the snow came just before christmas. then, when i put it in 4wd the same noise as in february came back.

it all boils down to;

when the car is in 2wd, when you turn the half shaft, should the wheel turn ?

one guy says yes, the other says no (and they both work in the same Ford garage) ?!?!?

anyway, the upshot is they say that they will repair for free (but not counting my chickens) as one of them is/was wrong.

car's been in for a few days now, and still no sign of new hub (not surprised, as this is France)

if anyones interested, i'll update when something happens.

but in the meantime, thank you for the help

regards

arthur

Keep us posted Arthur, and next time, take it to a Nissan garage cos thats who made the damn thing :thumbs Good luck!

[arthursmith]

hello again

just thought i'd give anyone who's interested a quick update on the hub saga.

just spoke to the Ford garage, and they tell me that a new hub is unavailable ? just unavailable.

i rang a friend in a Ford garage in the UK, and he confirms it, there are none in Europe ?!?!

bit of a bugger really, as in all this bad weather, we've been driving round in a diesel Corsa compliments of the insurance company.

i'd take the car back and order / fit manual hubs if the garage wasn't paying the bill.

it never rains as they say.

regards


arthur

[jims-terrano]

Could it be demand has out striped the supply due to the bad weather? I can see your point when the garage has said they'll pay but I have to say my manuals have been worth their weight in gold for me but they don't suit everyone.

Good Luck
Jim T

[(RIP) PLANK]

here are two options,

1, could they source one from a nissan agent

2, could they simply refund yoru money for a job incorrectly done and you cold spend it on manuals

just food for thought

[arthursmith]

hi again

i gave them both those options, and hey-presto, they're getting one from a Nissan dealer on wednesday, and i should have the car back thursday. (still not holding my breath).

but can anyone answer the following question ?

when the car is in 2wdH, the gearbox is in neutral, and the front wheels off the ground, when you turn the half shafts, should the wheels turn or not ?

i'll keep you posted.

arthur

ps. next time it goes to a Nissan dealer, Ford badge or not.

[iandouglas]

hi Arthur.
when in 2 wheel drive high .(front wheels off ground)
If you turn the drive shaft by hand it should turn so far and engage the free wheeling hub on that side, that wheel will then turn.

Now turn the drive shaft in the opposite direction .
It will disengage .

Continue in same direction and hub will lock up and turn .
try this on both drive shafts and if all ok .
Do the same with the front prop shaft it should lock up the front hubs.

rgds.iandouglas

[willow]

hi again

i gave them both those options, and hey-presto, they're getting one from a Nissan dealer on wednesday, and i should have the car back thursday. (still not holding my breath).

but can anyone answer the following question ?

when the car is in 2wdH, the gearbox is in neutral, and the front wheels off the ground, when you turn the half shafts, should the wheels turn or not ?

i'll keep you posted.

arthur

ps. next time it goes to a Nissan dealer, Ford badge or not.
good luck Aurther:thumbs

I fitted manuel hubs after having my auto hubs rebuilt and they went wrong again:doh
The manuel hubs are great no probs been through 2 winters of hard work on our smallholding.
Don't get put off by the getting out to engage them its simple and no hardship:thumbs

[DEE]

For what it's worth Arthur I don't think the hubs will be faulty, probably the brake rings that are faulty and as previously said they are £50 per side approx. When you become a full member there is a down load regarding striping and cleaning the hubs. Have to say I'm a manual hub fan and they have been fine for me since I fitted them and I'm no mechanic. That said it's still worth throwing a set of brake rings at them. As a full member you'll have full access to the previous postings and you'll find an online manual listed in several posts. My advice become a full member get your head around these hubs via previous posts and then you'll have some good info to go back to the garage if you still feel thaqt's what you want to do.

Jim T

Iam with this one. And i am a macanic. If you dont need 4 wheel drive for a bit take both locking rings out of your hubs plus springs. put them on your shelf and drive that there jeep about for a while. I would like to bet that it would run round perfect no noise at all. If it is quiet its them there hubs. One is us. I say dont let people messsss with your things that dont no what they are doing. most garages just have fitters NOT machanics there is a big diffrence. Hope you get somewhere with them

[(RIP) PLANK]

hi again

i gave them both those options, and hey-presto, they're getting one from a Nissan dealer on wednesday, and i should have the car back thursday. (still not holding my breath).

but can anyone answer the following question ?

when the car is in 2wdH, the gearbox is in neutral, and the front wheels off the ground, when you turn the half shafts, should the wheels turn or not ?

i'll keep you posted.

arthur



see i'm not just a pretty face;)

hold on i just checked in the mirror, forget i said that:doh

[arthursmith]

and so it continues...

went to collect car yesterday, and was presented with a bill for €700 !!

hub shown as €510 +vat !!!

a discussion followed, not helped by it being in rapid French, and the guy who agreed it would be free being on holiday.

anyway, things have been put on hold until said guy returns.

it never rains...


arthur

[arthursmith]

if anyone is interested, the situation is now resolved (i hope).
i went to the garage yesterday and after much haggling, gallic shrugs, and head shaking, i am paying them the equivalent of the price of 2 manual hubs that i would have had to order anyway, approx €130.

i am almost sure that they replaced the wrong hub the first time, but it was never discovered until i used 4wd at christmas.

they must have thought the same, because in the end they rolled over relatively easily.

oh well, all's well that ends well

but should anything ever happen again, it'll be manuals for me.

arthur

[TONUP]

Arthur,

That's a really interesting tale, and thanks for sharing it. I'm not sure if I'm comforted by the fact that dodgy garages are the same the world over, or not. Apologies to all the honest, hard working and diligent mechanics out there. No offence intended.

With respect, can I recommend in time that you become a full member. There is a wealth of useful info in the download section and it helps keep this great site running. Well worth a tenner.

Regards

Alan

[arthursmith]

it's going to be the next tenner i spend.

arthur