What to do?

[westo123]

Hi all,
My X reg 2.2 SWB Fronty that I bought last year but hardly used, has just failed it's MOT. This was a shock as it flew through last year with no advisories. It has immaculate bodywork and pretty much no rust. It has failed mainly on the usual rusty brakes pipes that all need replacing. Our local garage is quite expensive and has quoted a rough £500 plus to do the work. I would like to keep it due to the condition. My first thoughts are to go to another local garage who is known to be cheaper and see what they say. I have searched on here and the brakes seem to be common, so what would I expect to pay for complete brake pipes and freeing up the seized calipers etc.

[RatCav]

Won't hurt to get quotes from other places. You could be surprised.

Personally if it were me I would do it myself if I wasn't desperate to get it on the road again, but then it is all down to how confident you are doing brakes and wanting to stop after finishing the work.

[SpruceGoose]

If they were replacing every caliper and every bit of brake line + fittings I could see it adding up to that.

Paul at Hilltop Motors in Widegates is usually pretty fair with his prices. Could be worth a ring even if he's too far away just to know what a good kernow price is.

[snapper]

If your happy to operate a spanner, can read a book and have access to somewhere warm and dry that you can work in I would save my money and invest it in new parts, the tools to do the job and get on with it.

Brake pipes are the easiest thing in the world to swap, buy the pipe from a factor along with a bag of ends. Get a flang tool kit from machine mart. Bit of practice on doing ends and your away... Do one pipe at a time so you know the 'pipe run' and don't get things mixed up.

Also, you could use the savings to invest in a full set of new calipers, keeping the old ones to re-furb and put on the shelf for next time.

It ain't hard, but for me and some other members on here that's easy to say. The key thing is in [url]YOUR[/url] confidence and ability...

[ghosthunter]

I agree with the others.......get a roll of pipe and a flaring tool and get stuck in. It's easy to do, and will save you loads.
If you don't use it much you can take your time and when finished you'll be glad you did it.

[westo123]

I do appreciate the thought and I would love to, but we have just moved here to Cornwall on my retirement. I have to keep a watch on my Mum in Plymouth who has dementia and we are having a log cabin built in the garden for the mother in law. We have bought a converted barn with 2 acres which all needs work, not to mention the stable blocks that need renovation and my wife's new dog grooming business! So long and short is no time for the more pleasant things like playing on the car.

[mickh]

That is about the price I was quoted although mine was just an advisory but will need doing next year.

[martinkettering]

Some mot testers can go over the top with rusty brakelines,why not try the free option ,give them a clean,it might just be old road crud thats built up over time and the mot testers love that as to get you to spend money.

[4x4 bobby]

One of my old trucks was failed on corroded brake pipes and when i changed them it turned out to be underseal on the plastic coated steel brake pipes so i took them back with me when i had it retested and showed the tester and all he could say was well it looked like corosion to me. Lucky i did the pipes myself. I could have been charged a lot of money for that. I told him he needs his feckin eyes testin for next time. I never used him again and told my friends not to use him aswell.

[westo123]

An update to this. I spent a few hours underneath with a wire brush, WD 40 and a cloth, clearing all the mud and rust. The brake pipes appeared absolutely fine and still have the plastic cover over them and all the underside looked fine. I therefore, at Sprucegoose's suggestion, went to Hilltop Motors for another MOT. I waited while the guy went over the car and he confirmed what I knew, that one of the front and one of the rear brakes were sticking, but that was all! No "excessively corroded" brake pipes or play in the anti roll bar linkage. So just need to unstick the brakes, which they will do next month, and all will be good.
Many thanks Sprucegoose!

[westo123]

Finally the Fronty is up and legal again, brakes sorted and new MOT for less than £200! Result.

[ghosthunter]

I told you that you'd be pleased if you got it done

[westo123]

I am very pleased, G&T in hand, now whether to sell or keep!

[snapper]

keep it... It's a truck that you know (condition wise) and pretty easy to keep up to scratch for the next MoT. Plus it'll be handy if your living out in the sticks.

And... Priorities and all that, don't forget to put in a nicely appointed garage to keep the truck in (and for you to get out of the way to 'play' with said truck) when you refurb the Stable Blocks... The pampered pooches can always go share the log cabin!!!

[westo123]

You are right of course but do I really need 3 cars!

[snapper]

You are right of course but do I really need 3 cars!

Cars.... Wife.... Mother-in-law..... What a choice... Get another car mate and make it four, they might cost a bit on the MoT but hey, tis peace n quiet for the rest of the year

[westo123]

Lol!