Sprint – August 2010 - Keith Attwood

Words by Keith Attwood

Published: 03/01/2012

After another sprint I thought it’d be an idea to get the car checked over again. Also I could get the geometry checked and set up correctly for sprinting, as I hadn’t had this done during my ownership. Now I would normally have gone over to Essex Autosport, but it’s just too far; especially as I had no other reason to go over there. So this time it was off to Hofmann’s of Henley, after all this was only going to be a geo and a check over, wasn’t it? Well that was the initial plan, if only things were that simple. Well just before I was due to go down I found one of my drive shaft boots had thrown its grease out so that needed to be sorted as well.
So the car was dropped off, and the next day I had a phone call. There were a few ‘problems’ that might need addressing:

 

• Replace Tripod Grease for uprated Product and install Breather to allow plunging action.

• Replace Inner toe link joints as play have developed causing movement which will prevent the geometry settings being applied.

• Replace steering rack end.

 

Now this was going to add up. The steering rack needed to come out and so I might as well fit uprated parts to both it and the inner toe link joints at the same time. NMB joints would be used and phosphor bronze steering rack cups would replace to worn nylon ones. Once the rack was out and stripped further problem became apparent. The rack had been out before, but this hadn’t been refurbished correctly. Extra shims had been added to hide wear instead of replacing the part which had the caused further wear on other components, all which were going to need replacing.

 

After this was all done the car was corner weighted and the geo applied. The car weighed in at 823kg with about 10litres of fuel and few other bits in the boot, all in all not too bad. The budget for this ‘small’ service had gone out the window, but seeing the use I’m giving the car it has to remain in sound condition. Can’t fault Hofmann’s, in particular Phil Stickland, on their thoroughness and total communication throughout, it was a pleasure for my credit card company to do business with you.