Do-it-yourself Safety Checks

Here is part one of two.

One of the last things anyone needs is the authorities putting a car off the road for a minor item, and then having to have a wheel change and suspension adjustments to comply with legal requirements. Breakdowns on long trips are a pain, especially if an inspection beforehand may have revealed any problems needing repair.

In the following pics spread out over two pages, there are more than 40 items that can be easily checked by the amateur motorist. We can't go into specs on each; we can only guide you on what to look for. The repairs will then have to be completed by yourself or a recognised repairer. If in doubt, leave the repair to the experts. Remember — lives may be at stake.

Raise front wheel and grab wheel diagonally, and feel for movement. This is to check ball joints and tie rod ends. If there is movement check further by having someone else move the wheel so you can see which components have freeplay.

Grab wheel at top and bottom, and check for movement. if there's movement, adjust the wheel bearing.	Check hoses for cracks, leaks, perishing or contact with other components.	Remove wheel and check disc pad thickness

Undo lower bolt on caliper (commodore caliper shown) loosen top bolt and swing caliper clear of disc for inspection.	Remove the disc pad for inspection.	Measure thickness of disc and refer to manufacturer's recommendation for minimum thickness.
On left is a new disc pad; centre and right are severely worn and need replacing. Excessive wear leads to metal-to-metal contact with discs, causing extensive disc damage and costly replacement.

The legal stuff

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