Help - Creaking/Scraping noise when turning to full lock

[matt9566]

Just a quick update - I've spoke to a few garages including the ones suggested and Bolsover have quoted the cheapest by quite a considerable amount @ £150 per side so going to get booked in shortly, slightly further than the other garages but worth the journey.

Thanks @Jimmy for the suggestion, do you know by any chance if there is anywhere nearby to pass some time while the work is completed ? I'm having both sides done and a coolant change while I'm there so might be a while.

 

[Big Ben]

Just a quick update - I've spoke to a few garages including the ones suggested and Bolsover have quoted the cheapest by quite a considerable amount @ £150 per side so going to get booked in shortly, slightly further than the other garages but worth the journey.

Thanks @Jimmy for the suggestion, do you know by any chance if there is anywhere nearby to pass some time while the work is completed ? I'm having both sides done and a coolant change while I'm there so might be a while.

£150 per side is that labour only buddy?

 

[Jimmy]

Just a quick update - I've spoke to a few garages including the ones suggested and Bolsover have quoted the cheapest by quite a considerable amount @ £150 per side so going to get booked in shortly, slightly further than the other garages but worth the journey.

Thanks @Jimmy for the suggestion, do you know by any chance if there is anywhere nearby to pass some time while the work is completed ? I'm having both sides done and a coolant change while I'm there so might be a while.

Great stuff, glad you decided to go to Bolsover, you'll be happy with their service, I'm sure.

There is a small town centre about a mile up the road (quite a steep hill to walk up, but nice views of the castle - if you like that sort of thing...). There are a few shops in the centre but nothing to get too excited about. There is a Wetherspoons though, which is where I went while I was waiting.

£150 per side is that labour only buddy?

If it's the same deal as I got (which I'm sure it will be), it's £150 all in, Ben. They get just the ball joint, not the whole hub assembly.

 

[Big Ben]

That's a really good deal then. I'm paying about £180 a side down here

 

[cockers]

@Big Ben , where is down here?

 

[Chris]

That's a really good deal then. I'm paying about £180 a side down here

Everything more expensive down south

 

[Big Ben]

@Big Ben , where is down here?

Two Techs Dartford.

 

[matt9566]

Yeah £300 all in for both sides plus he's going to sort my bleed screw (got a slight coolant leak) and do me a coolant change while it's on the ramp included, Sounds like a really nice bloke. Will report back when I've had the work done

@Jimmy Thanks very much for that info mate, I'm making the girlfriend come with me so we'll have a walk in to the town and grab something to eat in wetherspoons.

 

[sevenfourate]

Ridiculous price imo.

My very skilled man is £40 + VAT an hour which I think compared to others is a fantastic price.

If the two joints are even £100 at trade that only leaves approx 4 hours.

That's to strip, remove old joint , fit new joint and re-assemble on both sides. (And we all know how hard that could be with a few seized / corroded bolts etc not to mention the whole removal
/ re-fitting joint issue !!!!).

That alone would be very fair in my eyes.But he's also doing a coolant change and messing with a calliper bleed screw aswell !

He must have an Octopus as an Assistant

Good luck !!!

 

[matt9566]

Ridiculous price imo.

My very skilled man is £40 + VAT an hour which I think compared to others is a fantastic price.

If the two joints are even £100 at trade that only leaves approx 4 hours.

That's to strip, remove old joint , fit new joint and re-assemble on both sides. (And we all know how hard that could be with a few seized / corroded bolts etc not to mention the whole removal
/ re-fitting joint issue !!!!).

That alone would be very fair in my eyes.But he's also doing a coolant change and messing with a calliper bleed screw aswell !

He must have an Octopus as an Assistant

Good luck !!!

Thanks Shuv, I think he will save money as he just buys the ball joint and not the full hub assembly which are £90 on Ktec but I'm sure he will get them quite a bit cheaper instead of buying the full assembly at about £170 + Vat from Renault.

Still I think it is a very very good price, my usual mechanic said between £80-£100 per side (labour) so even with me buying them from Ktec and him doing them it was going to be £340 at least - but they have never done them before so although I have faith in my mechanic I was happier to send it to Bolsover who have done plenty before.

Booked in for next Friday, will let you know how I get on.

 

[Jimmy]

They are a really good garage, I even traveled back there from Leeds to get some other work done, I was so happy with them. I think IIRC that the price on the ball joint work was arranged with them by an ex-member - Fernandez. Obviously they've always just honored this deal - they only asked that they allowed enough time for them to order the part in before I took the car down.

The town isn't amazing by any stretch, but it'll help pass the time and the Wetherspoons is a nice place.

 

[matt9566]

Bit of a long story but bare with me...

Got up early Friday morning and dropped the car off around 9 with Neil (I think, I am absolutely hopeless with names) at Bolsover Car Care and me and my girlfriend had a walk up to the Wetherspoons in the little town (He did kindly offer to take us up there but I was more than happy to walk). Received a call from him at 11 ish with some slightly bad news - turns out the drivers side track rod end was knackered as well and every nut/bolt he had come to was seized but he could get the part straight away and was happy to get everything done, it would just take him longer.

A few hours and an impatient girlfriend later I received a call to say the car was nearly done and was just over getting the tracking done. When I arrived back I was talked through everything that had been done, Both ball joints, drivers track rod end, tracking and coolant leak sorted along with a coolant change.
He said the ball joints were genuinely the worst he has ever done, everything was seized, he was having to drill screws out etc, he showed me the old ball joints and track rod end, there was so much movement in them I can't believe the car was even driveable. While the car was on the ramp he gave everything a good check over (without me having to ask) and pointed out a few minor things that will need doing at some point so that was good.

He said it would feel like a new car and he wasn't wrong!! Car feels brilliant, can't believe how long I have left it before having it done. I can't wait for a dry day so I can have a proper drive out.

Would recommend Bolsover Car Care to anyone in the area, fully knowledgeable and know exactly what they are doing, prices are great too! Even though it is a little bit of a trip for me they have just gained a new customer and will be taking my car there for everything from now on.

**Edit - Thank you very much @Jimmy for the suggestion!!

 

[Micah]

Great news (in the end!) - this forum is priceless for advice and recommendations, well done @Jimmy!
Can I ask how old your car is and the mileage? I'm having my N/S ball joint done on Sunday and am wondering if I should also buy the other bits and pieces just in case - have my MOT at the end of next month.

 

[matt9566]

Great news (in the end!) - this forum is priceless for advice and recommendations, well done @Jimmy!
Can I ask how old your car is and the mileage? I'm having my N/S ball joint done on Sunday and am wondering if I should also buy the other bits and pieces just in case - have my MOT at the end of next month.

Thanks! My car is 10 years old this year and literally just hit 70,000 as i've drove to the shop for my dinner.

I wouldn't worry too much as the track rod ends are easily obtained from euro car parts if they did need to do them, I'm sure they will check everything if you ask them.
He said that nothing had ever been changed before apart from the passenger side track rod end and at 10 years old I think it's pretty good going. Very happy now that I can cross one of the common big jobs off the list.

 

[Jimmy]

That's great news @matt9566 , really glad it all went well at BCC! It was Neil I dealt with too and he was very honest about everything and really helpful. I spoke to him the other day to enquire about getting my timing belt done there and he was just the same, mega helpful. His quote for the work was significantly cheaper than other places I'd got a quote from too. It's a long way from Leeds, but I'll be taking my car there now too - top garage!

What did you think to the town centre??

 

[matt9566]

That's great news @matt9566 , really glad it all went well at BCC! It was Neil I dealt with too and he was very honest about everything and really helpful. I spoke to him the other day to enquire about getting my timing belt done there and he was just the same, mega helpful. His quote for the work was significantly cheaper than other places I'd got a quote from too. It's a long way from Leeds, but I'll be taking my car there now too - top garage!

What did you think to the town centre??

Yeah, his prices are really good and he's a great guy. I have a few other things to sort and will be using him once I have saved up again! It's definitely worth the trip and it's a nice drive there too.

The town centre was nice, very minimal and we spent most of our time in the wetherspoons (had breakfast and lunch there) but it was nice to have a walk around as i've never been there before - it's a shame the castle isn't open during the week this time of year, it would pass an extra hour on and it's meant to be pretty nice in there - would be great in the summer.