Hi guys,
My MOT is due in January and I'm expecting a possible fail. For the last 3 years it has passed with an advisory for corroded suspension. I have attached a pic of the mot notes.
Just wondering how bigger bill I may be in line for? I realise without specifics it's difficult to answer. Even if I look at worst case scenario I just want to try and budget.
Also any tips with sourcing potential parts would be fab.
Thanks in advance
Suz
Hard to say what scared them off. A number of things on the 2 look a lot worse than they are.
- dust boots on the shocks have basically deteriorated to just a few dangling rings of rubber on every stock mr2 I've ever seen. Looks a mess
- rusty roll bars and other suspension arms. These look like they're about to snap, but the truth is they metal is in remarkably good condition under a layer of rust.
- springs have a coating that flakes off and shows rust. But they do their job fine.
If they have done suspension tests and your struts are knackered, that's another thing. About 150 per corner. But in the meantime a good cleanup with wire brush and Hammerite Smooth black paint might just do the trick. For the dust boost, I've seen people cut off the boots and slide on some generic boots off a Fiesta or something.
Most important thing is that if you let the garage buy and fit, you're looking at a massive bill. So if it.comes.to that, purchase the kit yourself and have them fit it
+1
Sounds rather cosmetic.
If thats the case remove the offending "surface" rust, wire brush or wire wool and a quick lick with the hammerite smooth.
That aside. In all likely hood your suspension is probably due a re-fresh, but at least you might buy your self some time and choose wisely rather than rashely
Just as an aside to the already mentioned, good advice, if you're suspension components really are that bad then you need to give the subframe a good coat of looking at as well. Obviously if you're well aware of this already and have it in hand then ignore me sticking my nose in. [emoji38]
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Thank you so much for replies, really appreciate the advice. Fingers crossed it is more cosmetic than anything. I'll post here in Jan with an update
I recommend Fluid Film for rust. Spray it right into rusty metal and it improves the appearance hugely, it kind of soaks in and makes it look dark. Most importantly though it will stop any further rust and is particularly effective in salty environments (it's used in the marine industry). It doesn't last forever, you'll want to reapply it every year before winter. Much easier than painting though as you can literally just do everything in one quick session under the car. Do the subframes, antiroll bar, trailing arms and the backs of body panels etc. You can order it from their UK importer directly: https://www.marineco.co.uk/ - they're much cheaper than the individual cans on eBay etc. It stays 'wet' and keeps creeping and penetrating below moisture. No chance is trapping in moisture like with paint. I'll see if I can get some before and after pics - i still have one of my suspension springs to do.
Manufacturer: https://www.fluid-film.com/