MOT advisory Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint

[focusie2010]

Hi

My focus past its MOT on Friday but had 1 advisor, it had been an advisory for last 4 years, I have only owned the focus for 1 year and last MOT tester did not mark it up as an advisory so I thought perhaps it had been replaced, guess not

• Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint has slight play both rear (5.3.4 (a) (i))

As the linkage is cheap as chips and an easy fix I purchased 2x new ones with ECP and fitted it this morning (original part number 3mf51-5c486)

I should have gone for the Lemforder or Febi kit  (only a few pounds more) as the nuts that came with Starline set are quite small (lacking a washer) and also there seems to be no plastic cover on the end, I removed the old plastic covers from the the original part but they do not fit on the Starline ones, I found online that the Lemforder ones are much more like the original ones 

ah well, lesson learned

picture below

top linkage = new starline one, with smaller nut at the top

middle linkage = old fomoco one with plastic cover removed

bottom linkage = old fomoco one with plastic cover still attached

. 

The car also made a bit of a squidgy sound going over speed bumps etc and that is all gone now

The old linkage was moving around freely once I had removed it and the new one is much stiffer 

Just need the aircon regassed and Focus will be ready for another year, next year I will need to replace the timing belt/tensioner/auxiliary belt and i think waterpump should be done at the same time

 

[unofix]

19 hours ago, focusie2010 said:

next year I will need to replace the timing belt/tensioner/auxiliary belt and i think waterpump should be done at the same time

Your timing belt etc. is two years overdue, so I wouldn't be waiting till next year to replace it.

[StephenFord]

20 hours ago, focusie2010 said:

The car also made a bit of a squidgy sound going over speed bumps etc and that is all gone now

Would you describe the noise as a sort of strained squeaky one? I have a noise that appears at slow speed when car 1st accelerates from start, and going over bumps in road - just can't track it down!

[Luke14]

11 minutes ago, StephenFord said:

Would you describe the noise as a sort of strained squeaky one?

My fiesta had the exact same issue at low speeds and over speed bumps and it was the suspension bushes. Got them replaced and now they are silent 

[StephenFord]

5 minutes ago, Luke14 said:

My fiesta had the exact same issue at low speeds and over speed bumps and it was the suspension bushes. Got them replaced and now they are silent 

I have already had the bushes professionally lubricated, and visually they look fine and no sign of wear. I would love them to look worn as then I would be 100% certain that spending money would solve the issue...

 

[isetta]

What do those plastic covers on the original ones do? It is not clear to me why Ford fitted them but I assume they had a reason.

[unofix]

1 hour ago, isetta said:

What do those plastic covers on the original ones do? It is not clear to me why Ford fitted them but I assume they had a reason.

It's a little hat, it keeps the sun off your nut in the summer and the rain off in winter and they look cute 🤣

[mjt]

18 hours ago, unofix said:

It's a little hat, it keeps the sun off your nut in the summer

It's really important to keep the sun off your nuts 🤣