hello, i need some advice

arthursmith · 28-12-2009, 18:59

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 · 28-12-2009, 19:03

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 · 28-12-2009, 19:33

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 · 28-12-2009, 20:41

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 · 28-12-2009, 20:48

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 · 28-12-2009, 20:52

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 · 28-12-2009, 20:55

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 · 28-12-2009, 21:07

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

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

arthursmith · 28-12-2009, 21:32

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 · 28-12-2009, 21:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by 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

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 · 28-12-2009, 21:54

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 · 28-12-2009, 23:51

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 · 06-01-2010, 18:48

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 · 06-01-2010, 19:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by 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

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

Good luck!

arthursmith · 12-01-2010, 20:49

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

28-12-2009, 18:59	#1
arthursmith Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: france Vehicle: maverick 2.7 in Aubergine Posts: 34	hello, i need some advice 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.

28-12-2009, 19:03	#2
(RIP) PLANK Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Central England, in the Heart of the Black Country Vehicle: T2 2004 TDI SE LWB Posts: 7,740	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!

28-12-2009, 19:33	#3
ian1234 Junior Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: north east Vehicle: 95 mistral Posts: 17	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.

28-12-2009, 20:41	#4
arthursmith Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: france Vehicle: maverick 2.7 in Aubergine Posts: 34	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

28-12-2009, 20:48	#5
CaptLimey Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: South of France Vehicle: '03 LWB MK.4 3Ltr T2 Posts: 421	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

28-12-2009, 20:52	#6
arthursmith Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: france Vehicle: maverick 2.7 in Aubergine Posts: 34	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

28-12-2009, 20:55	#7
arthursmith Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: france Vehicle: maverick 2.7 in Aubergine Posts: 34	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

28-12-2009, 21:07	#8
extreme-4x4 Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: WALES Posts: 6,295	buy these http://www.milneroffroad.com/categor...p?cID=9389&p=2 you will find manual hubs . easy to fit . we have a download and plenty of help for full members

28-12-2009, 21:32	#9
arthursmith Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: france Vehicle: maverick 2.7 in Aubergine Posts: 34	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

28-12-2009, 21:54	#11
arthursmith Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: france Vehicle: maverick 2.7 in Aubergine Posts: 34	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

28-12-2009, 23:51	#12
jims-terrano Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: UK Posts: 12,965	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

06-01-2010, 18:48	#13
arthursmith Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: france Vehicle: maverick 2.7 in Aubergine Posts: 34	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

12-01-2010, 20:49	#15
arthursmith Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: france Vehicle: maverick 2.7 in Aubergine Posts: 34	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