Sven Nielsen, Technical Director from MEYLE, says the following difficulties may arise with the Ford Ka:
Defective wheel hubs and wheel bearings
Problem:
Loud metallic rolling noises are indicators of defective wheel bearings. Increased wheel bearing tolerances can also be diagnosed by tilting the wheel while the car is not under any strain. In order to prevent more serious damage or the complete loss of the wheel bearing, the driver should seek the assistance of a repair garage as soon as possible.
In the event of a defective wheel bearing, MEYLE in-house engineers recommend to always also check the other axle bearings because it has to be presumed that all wheel bearings are exposed to the same stressors and are thus likely to have similar life spans.
MEYLE-Solution:
At MEYLE, wheel bearings and wheel hubs are produced in close cooperation with the company’s engineers. Thanks to the use of high quality materials, strict compliance with the production tolerances and the in-house quality assurance management at the headquarters in Hamburg, these safety relevant MEYLE brand components ensure the vibration free operation of the wheel and of the brake disks throughout the long life of these components.
A proper professional installation of the wheel bearings and the wheel hubs in the axle stubs according to the manufacturer’s recommendations are also of crucial importance to get the maximum life span out of these components. Hence, the technical trainers from MEYLE offer periodic seminars on the professional replacement of chassis components.
Worn out control arm bushings
Problem:
Typical for the OE part is an extreme local stretching of the rubber that leads to tears and premature failure of the bushings. The effects are vibration and noise from the front axle.
MEYLE-HD-Solution:
• Innovative design of the rubber bushings in cooperation with the original equipment manufacturer market leader for automotive vibration control components.
• More even distribution of stresses within the bushings
• Less stretching of rubber, even under excessive strain
Damaged shock absorbers
Problem:
Many car drivers lack awareness of the vital role shock absorbers play for overall car safety. The parts wear away gradually, many defects are not visible at first glance, but their impact on the overall car system is dramatic. Properly functioning shock absorbers reduce braking distances, ensure excellent roadholding when cornering and trouble-free operation of state-of-the-art driver assistance systems such as ABS, ESP or TCS.
MEYLE-Solution:
With high-quality shock absorbers from MEYLE for the Ford Ka independent workshops are well equipped for the repair of these safety-critical components. Even when exposed to highest stress, MEYLE shock absorbers ensure an enhanced driving experience: when braking, cornering or riding along bumpy roads. They excel because of the excellent piston rod sealing and their vehicle-specific damping characteristics. Shock absorbers from MEYLE cover a wide range of vehicle applications and carry a distinctive marking signalling: genuine MEYLE quality.
MEYLE also offers rubber buffer (bump stops) and dust cap kits optimally geared to each shock absorber, complemented by a range of strut mounts. This allows workshops to replace wear and tear parts of the suspension and damping systems, relying exclusively on high-grade MEYLE products.
Stabiliser links often worn out
Problem:
Intense strain and high surface pressure wear and stress on the ball joint. This causes a premature failure of the ball joint and generates noise at the front axle.
MEYLE-HD Solution:
MEYLE in-house engineers increased the diameter of the ball head of the ball joint to 22 mm, in addition to using wear-resistant synthetic ball sockets with high-tech grease. The reduction of the surface pressure ensures a significantly longer lifetime.
Our engineers are passionate about improving our MEYLE-HD stabiliser links, constantly seeking new ways of refining all components. To make installation and removal procedures easier for our customers; more and more MEYLE-HD stabiliser links are designed with a wrench attachment at the ball pin. A distinctive advantage when fitting, in particular over those original designs which lack this value-adding feature.
Owing to the larger ball head the ball surface on MEYLE-HD stabiliser links has been increased by 50 percent. This way we have managed to significantly improve the part‘s load carrying capacity along with its service life. The blue clip-on plastic socket adds additional strength to the MEYLE-HD part by using a high grade POM material.
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