"sagging frame"

cantdecide

My sister brought her '95, 140k Saab 900 to Advance Pitstop for 2 new front tyres.

She asked to have the tracking done. I forgot to ask whether they tried to do it or not but she was subsequently told

"there is no point in tracking the car. The frame of the car's frame is sagging and three is no point even trying to track it. Leave it alone, it's okay, it just happens with age. Bring the car back when the tyres are wearing down and we'll turn them around the other way".

Comments welcomed.

niceirishfella

yeah, and Advance know it all.........


like the time a few years back, they put on and damaged in the process, - a directional low profile tyre on my golf gt1 after a simple stright forward puncture fix.


I made a fomal complaint in writing and got 2 new tyres replaced on the same axle - (they offered to replace 1 but i haggled for 2)

This was all because of a young,ejit,in-experienced apprentice fitter - i simply would'nt listen to the tossers. I'd get an expert opinion for someone in the know about Saabs.

carchaeologist

Screw advance, back in the day when i had my mondeo they tried to tell me i needed new rear trailing arm bushings as they were "worn", when i explained that that was the way they were designed for movement etc, he just said"oh" and nothing else. Needless to say i didnt go back again!

carchaeologist

And what does sagging frame mean anyway??!! Iv never heard of such a description before...

cantdecide

I presume he means a selection of soft bushings and mountings but 'yerra- lave 'em off- they'll be grand' isn't really the most inspiring advice IMO.

Surely 'You could leave them off, but you shouldn't cos it'll keep eating tyres', is the correct diagnosis.

My sister now thinks there's nothing wrong with the car, when clearly there is- even if it isn't urgent. Of course she won't believe me when I tell her it sounds like horsecr*p.

carchaeologist

Yes, she wont trust the car now will she, it all sounds very strange to me!How bad do bushings have to get before you cant track the car, and tyres arent cheap either so that excuse isnt good enough!

groupb

Bring the car somewhere else. They tried to track my mondeo years ago and told me the chassis was bent when they could'nt get it right.It had to be tracked at the rear and they knew nothing about it. I doubt that any of the guys working in these "fast fit" type of places are qualified mechanics. They advertise bargin servicing too but I doubt that they use the correct parts. I bet the oil for the oil change comes from the same barrel irrespective of the spec required.

javaboy

Sagging frame. Bent frames. It reminds me of that Simpsons episode:

Homer: Now, this wheel balancing is free, right?
Man: Oh, you betcha, absolutely. Deh, uh, oh, uh-oh, wait a minute. These tires won't take a balance!
Homer: They won't?
Man: Nah, nah, no, you hear that clunk?
Homer: No …
Man: Well, that tells me you need four new tires.

Lucifer

Not sure if this is what you are talking about or want to hear but I read this recently in an article in a magazine about buying a Saab 900/9-3. May be what advance were on about and worth checking. Have not come across this myself, just what I read.

Taken from "Car Mechanics" magazine -

What Goes Wrong
There's a big design flaw that has hit many of these cars and is likely to affect all 900 and 9-3s eventually, which has been inherited from the Cavalier. However, its worse in the Saab, which is heavier so puts more strain on things. The steering rack is mounted direct to the bulkhead, but without reinforcement that experience tells us it needed. The result is that the bulkhead cracks around the rack mounting points. It can be difficult to spot until it's really bad and the MoT tester picks it up, so stick your head under the bonnet and listen for creaks while the wheel is moved to and fro, and watch out for any play in the steering - there should be none.
The amount of stuff that needs to be stripped away to make repairs means it's a two-day job for a Saab dealer or specialist and will set you back around £800. Some 900's have been fixed with financial help from Saab, but our understanding is that most claims are now being rejected due to the car's age, so while it's worth a try with, say a 1999 on 9-3 with a full history, it is by no means certain Saab will contribute.
Your best bet really is to either buy a car that's already had the work done - and make sure it was carried out by a recognised Saab dealer or specialist or start with one that's okay and fit a rack brace and clamp like that sold by Parts - ASAP for £165. That should prevent the problem and has the added benefit of improving steering feel.

carchaeologist

javaboy wrote: »

Sagging frame. Bent frames. It reminds me of that Simpsons episode:

Homer: Now, this wheel balancing is free, right?
Man: Oh, you betcha, absolutely. Deh, uh, oh, uh-oh, wait a minute. These tires won't take a balance!
Homer: They won't?
Man: Nah, nah, no, you hear that clunk?
Homer: No …
Man: Well, that tells me you need four new tires.

That sounds about right!!:D