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https://mattersoftesting.blog.gov.uk/horror-story-something-missing/

Horror story: Something missing?

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split pins on front ball joints and missing nut

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It doesn’t take long to spot what’s missing here. David Albin sent us this picture of a Saab presented for test after having new brake discs fitted and there appear to be split pins on the front ball joints. Unfortunately the garage that carried out this work forgot to refit the primary retaining device, more commonly know as the nut.

David asks ‘what are some of these garages doing?’. Well we can’t answer that but we do know what David did – he failed the vehicle under RfR 2.5A 4 a front suspension retaining device missing.

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6 comments

  1. Comment by brian stallard posted on

    mental breakdown stuff. jobs should be checked and signed off by indipendent person as in air craft indistry.proberly mech interupted when doing job !

  2. Comment by Glen posted on

    Watch out for touran and passat lower balljoint replacements! The original had a nut with an integral washer! The new one with the balljoint just has a nut and it can pull straight thru the hub whilst the nut is still tight!

  3. Comment by Simon posted on

    Well spotted David!

    • Replies to Simon>

      Comment by Geo Berry posted on

      When you have eliminated the impossible, what ever is left
      no matter how improbable is the truth
      Sherlock Holmes

      SCARY STUFF
      But would a vehicle examiner except the split, falling of nut theory if there was no nut to be found!!
      Maybe this is what happens when you use the cheap Chinese import parts with Nil quality control
      Geo

  4. Comment by M posted on

    I have come across this before on another make of vehicle, it turned out when the incident was investigated that the (brand new) castle nut broke in two hours after a new ball joint was fitted. The suspension collapsed when driving and the car came to a halt. When investigators swept the road looking for clues, they found both halves of the nut nearby, and the split pin was still in place.

  5. Comment by jeff83 posted on

    A accident with no pre warning when it does