duetto has collapsed

I was reversing my Duetto in our drive when there was a big bang! The recovery van came and looked but was unable to load the van as the ball joint, on the front offside, has collapsed. Just hoping it can be fixed at home.

Sue68 wrote:I was reversing my Duetto in our drive when there was a big bang! The recovery van came and looked but was unable to load the van as the ball joint, on the front offside, has collapsed. Just hoping it can be fixed at home.

Sounds like a very lucky escape - imagine what that would have been like if it had failed at 70 on the motorway... Most Transit suspension parts can be fixed/fitted on a driveway so you should be Ok.

Latest news. After the recovery lorry failed I phoned our garage who won't come out. Our rescue service want £96 for a second attempt, which can't succeed, due to van position, but they are trying to find a mobile mechanic. Watch this space.

When my cousin's car broke down half way up a Welsh mountain on a Sunday afternoon, he phoned the RAC.  He wasn't already a member, but agreed to join on the spot.  His car was hoisted onto the back of the recovery vehicle, and his caravan was towed behind it.  He was brought back to  the camp site he had left a few hours earlier, where he stayed for a week to await the repair of his car.

The moral of the story is to try the AA and the RAC and see if they can help!  BTW, I agree with Mojo...What a very lucky escape!

Good grief, what's wrong with these people. 
A transit ball joint can be changed in about 2 hours on your drive way. 
Where are you based?

Based in Bristol. The recovery lorry couldn't recover the van because they couldn't get to the front of the van. Dragging it wasn't on as it would take the wing off. Hopefully mobile mechanic is coming tomorrow.

I think that I would be inclined to replace both sides!

If your mobile mechanic can't or won't do it let me know, i may be in a position to help.

Thank you Celtic biker will do

That is a very common problem with  lower ball joints on a transit!

Only the second one we have heard of and we have had transits for 30 yrs

Normally they fail the MoT before they collapse, and not all models have the independent front suspension.

I'd echo what previous posters said though; it's a very easy job to change it. I did one on a short wheelbase MkIV we had three years ago or so and it took less than an hour, and it cost less than €20 for the part (in France). I was lucky in that everything came apart very easily mind you. There's just three nuts and bolts and the big nut holding the balljoint on. You need a proper balljoint splitter but that's all. So don't pay too much to have it mended.

It looks like this: [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] -that's the MkIII part; the MkIV / V part looks the same but is slightly more substantial.

I wouldn't want to move it either though. With the balljoint separated there's nothing to retain the wheel and if it rolls it will move outwards and bend the wing.

You will need the tracking set afterwards, or you'll get bad tyre wear.

Richard.

Thanks for advice. I was expecting it to cost a fortune. I will need a new tyre as the old one has a gash in it.

Latest news. Repairman has been and it's going to be repaired and both sides done.
I have received a letter from the breakdown service hoping their service was satisfactory and would I send proof of repair.
It took over three hours for them to turn up and tell me they couldn't recover it and our garage was closed so I couldn't find out that they couldn't come out.
When I phoned the next day they wanted £300 for a specialist recovery but they did give me three phone numbers for mobile mechanics.
They probably won't like the reply.

Lower suspension ball joints used to be a fairly regular call out when I was on the roadside. As a get you round the corner or to ease loading on to a truck you could put the ball joint back in the socket and wrap a small rachet strap around the wishbones to keep the joint in place. I think it was a bit against the rules but I followed a very tired Bedford CF ice cream van  for a few miles like this because we had no truck free for a couple of hours, I got a free ice lolly for being a very nice man.  Glad youre sorted mate.

Dave 418 wrote:Lower suspension ball joints used to be a fairly regular call out when I was on the roadside. As a get you round the corner or to ease loading on to a truck you could put the ball joint back in the socket and wrap a small rachet strap around the wishbones to keep the joint in place. I think it was a bit against the rules but I followed a very tired Bedford CF ice cream van  for a few miles like this because we had no truck free for a couple of hours, I got a free ice lolly for being a very nice man.  Glad youre sorted mate.

Thanks. Neither I nor the recovery man knew that unfortunately. We've got back from holiday (hire car) to find van not fixed. The mechanic found an arm had bent and they wanted to tell me before fixing it. Now waiting to see what tomorrow brings.

Bad luck, hope you manage to get one for sensible money.

Colour me surprised.
He thinks he has you over a barrel, be careful.
Get a list of parts he needs and source them yourself, it might take a bit longer but you won't get ripped off.

I really really feel for you Sue68. Fortunately I do most of my own repair and service work but 'every time' I use a garage it ends up with either hassle, twice as much as 'estimated' or they break something else in the process. Nightmare.

Celticbiker wrote:
He thinks he has you over a barrel, be careful.

Exactly what I was thinking! Secondhand suspension parts of that type for a Transit of that age should not be expensive, so beware any sudden cost increase...

I wouldn't think secondhand would be worth it. Assuming it's the bottom wishbone (it will have hit the floor) new ones only seem to be about £60 with the bushes, which you'd have to change on a used one:
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

I don't know if that's exactly the right one, but I bet they're all the same. Not too hard to fit I wouldn't think, although I've never done one. Transits of this sort of age are generally nice and easy to work on.

Richard.

Now fixed, but the mechanic wanted cash so had to take a bus into town. The man seemed ok and did fix it in the rain. I won't use them again though due to the cash payment, which I wasn't happy with. Now to get the tracking checked and a new tyre. The joys of not being able to fix things myself :-(

Good, glad it's fixed. Hope it wasn't too expensive. Should be nicer to drive now, once the tracking's done. Fair play to the guy for doing it in the rain; I did the cambelt on my car in the rain the other day and I wished someone else had been doing that

Welcome back to the road!

Glad it worked out for you.
See you on the road.