Ford Capri Rear Wheel Bearings

Leaky rear wheel bearings ?

Here's a question that's cropped up at Tickover Classic Ford & Capri Specialists a lot over the years, but seems to have become more common recently.

Currently we seem to have ready access to 2 brands of rear wheel bearings, QH and Firstline. We've heard tell of some people insisting that QH are better and Firstline leak oil and also the other way around. 

We sell wheel bearings through our online shop, and what we sell depends on what's actually available at the manufacturers.  

We did have one guy get quite stroppy about receiving one make instead of the other, insisting the brand we sent was inferior. We're pretty sure his opinion was wrong, and we find no difference in quality. So, before jumping to conclusions about brand favourites here's a list of possible causes of oil leak in this area.

Ford Capri rear wheel bearings

1) Bearing fitted wrong way round on half-shaft
2) Bearing seal damaged during fitment to shaft (fitting press mistake)
3) Bent half-shaft
4) Bent axle case
5) Rear disc brake kit fitted
6) Half-shaft damaged by angle grinder
7) Faulty bearing or seal (poor manufacturing)

Looking at the picture here and the above list we can carry out a few checks to rule some of these errors out.

The side of the bearing shown is the inside. This faces inwards into the centre of the axle. Do not get this wrong - many have! 

If you look closely at the outside edge of the seal you will see it is raised slightly above the height of the outer metal edge of the bearing. This is crucial, make sure it is raised up, and make sure there are no nics out of it, before you put it on the shaft. If there is anything wrong get your supplier to change it. We check ours before we post them out.

Now a very important note on getting these pressed onto your half-shafts. The bearings are pressed down using a press tool, as the fit is very tight. It is absolutely essential that the press does not push against the seal during this process. This will crush the seal and it will not work properly. 

The reason the seal is raised like this is so it presses and seals against the smooth flat surface it meets inside the axle case when the shaft is bolted into the case.

Next up make sure your shafts and the axle case are straight. Eyeball it all, check it all with straight edge ruler, do whatever it takes to be sure.

How did you remove the old bearing? 

Usually (99.9%) of the time you will not get this off with a puller and you (or your mechanic) will have to resort to using a grinder to chop the old bearing to pieces. 

This is fine but must be done extremely carefully. Any nics in the surface of the shaft are potential routes for oil to track its way under the bearing and out onto your brakes.

Now my favourite! The rear disc brake conversion. God I hate these things, but the biggest reason is that they are often a cause of rear bearing oil leaks. 

It's really simple this one. In most kits (well the bolt-on types) you get a plate that replaces the original drum back plate. This is clamped in place by the half-shaft clamping plate. Well guess what! This new plate is thicker than the drum plate it replaces. 

What other job does the shaft clamp plate have to do? Apply enough pressure to the bearing to push it firmly into the case so the seal is pressed tightly up against the flat inside surface in the case - that's what. Suddenly we have a thicker piece of metal in the way stopping it from going all the way in - leak time!

So there we have it - a simple job that needs a lot of care - and can give bearings a false bad name.
Buy yours here: Capri wheel bearings

Idiot sighting - a Ford-related story we heard recently

Idiot sighting - a story we heard recently

When my husband and I arrived at our local Ford dealer to pick up our car, we were told the keys had been locked in it. 


We went to the Service Department and found a mechanic working feverishly to unlock the Driver's door. 


As I watched from the passenger side, I instinctively tried the door-handle and discovered that it was unlocked. 


'Hey,' I announced to the Fitter/Mechanic, 'it's open!'
His reply: 'I know. I already did that side.' 


This was at the Ford dealership in the South of England.

Update of the Ford Capri 2.0S we saved from the breaker's yard

Ford Capri 2.0S in Ford black

Remember the black 2.0S Capri we had in at Tickover earlier this month? Originally we had planned to strip it for parts but after taking a look we were delighted to report that she was salvageable and we'd work to get her back on the road rather than in pieces.

Well, we've been hard at work to get it back to roadworthy and it's almost ready to drive away!

She passed her MOT with flying colours and we've stuck £30 of petrol in the tank. She's ready to be taken for a test drive, so what are you waiting for!

Nice Ford Capri original interior

Black Ford Capri 2.0S

This is a list of what we had to do:

New rear brake cylinders
Various new brake pipes
Remedy stuck handbrake
Remove and rebuild front brake calipers
Rebush front track control arms
Adjust rack tie rods
Tracking
Adjust wheel bearings
Remove gearbox to change leaky core plug hidden behind bell housing
Change engine valve stem seals
Adjust valve clearances
Full service
Flush all fluids
Renew axle oil, gearbox oil, engine oil, anti-freeze, and filters
Renew plus, points, condensor etc
New battery
4 new tyres !
Various electrical issues were fixed
Strip and clean entire fuel system, including tank and carb
Strip and repaint both bumpers
3 solid days of cleaning body and interior
Replace or repair many small trim items
Add S-stripes to front wings
MOT -- PASS !!
Put in £30 of petrol - test drive - ENJOY it !

A road-ready Ford Capri 2.0S ready to drive away

As you can see quite a lot of time was taken to make her roadworthy again and get a bit of cash was spent too.
BUT she's lovely now, and has no rot issues, just some small amount of work round the rear arches and rear lower corners. So she's not mint, but still looks great, won't require a restoration, drives beautifully, and everything works properly. 

This car is priced very realistically at £2000 - this is not open to offers, as we believe this to be correct for the condition. 

We're just waiting for the DVLA to send the registration document and then she's ready to go! 

Treat yourself - it's the Capri you've always promised yourself. And you won't be disappointed.

Interested? Contact us at info@tickover.co.uk or 

01322 839303.

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Tickover's Five Top Tips for Ford Suspension and Handling

We, at Tickover often get asked "what should I do to my suspension to make my car handle better?".

Well, over the last 20 years that Tickover has been operating, we've tried, tested and fitted many different components to Fords of all varieties.We have come to the conclusion that for road use simple upgrades work best and complicated systems, such as 4 - links and panhards and other track type devices simply ruin a car, making things harsh and unpleasant on the road. 

So, we thought we'd share our collective experience on suspension and handling in the hope that our five top tips will save you money, time and help you avoid some expensive mistakes we commonly see.

Here's what really works for a nice tight handling car that won't shake your fillings out or make you want to throw your car in the bin !!!

Choose your shocks with care - we like these Ford Capri Spax sprints. Front...

...and rear shock absorbers

1) Shock absorbers - get a good matching set of gas pressured shock absorbers all round. Currently we believe Spax adjustable units give the best all round value for money, are high quality and also let you tailor how firm things are, very simply, to suit your own comfort level.

2) Springs - uprate these by 25 - 50% in stiffness - no more than that - it will simply make things too hard. Also lower these by 1" - again no more than that, or you'll be whacking your exhaust on every speed bump out there.

3) Change all the bushes for urethane. This will take all the slop and lack of response away. Superflex are by far and away the best quality. We stock a wide range - from Capri to Ford Anglia.

Ford Capri rear anti-roll bar chassis poly bushes

   

4) Check all the ball joints are good and the steering rack too. Replace anything worn.

5) Get the tracking set up after fitting all of these.

These procedures work on all Fords, but to get specific let's look at the Capri. 

A complete package of new springs, new gas adjustable shock absorbers and new urethane bushes throughout will transform your car WITHOUT ruining it. 

I can't stress this enough, do not put flash race parts on cars used on the street.

Ford Capri bushes

Many people do, just because the parts exist and just because other people have used them. All these cars feel truly awful to drive. Many owners don't like the results and some are too embarrassed to admit it.  

Here's what we don't like and why:

• Anti-dive kits - do not use these on lowered cars - lowering does its own anti-dive thing, and too much anti-dive can make the front skid under heavy braking. It also reduces the steering's ability to self centre.
  
  
• Roller top mounts, especially adjustable camber, caster ones. They either introduce a steering shake or a vibration, depending on make, and do very little to lighten steering. 
  
  A total waste of money on any car with power steering too!
  
  
• X-frame and A-frame axle location kits. Designed to stop leaf spring twist and thus sideways axle movement. Well, a good set of urethane bushes does this too! The axle kit clamps to your leaf spring and stops it absorbing bumps properly! It makes the back harsh, and eventually damages your springs.
  
  
• 4 links, 5 links, panhards and the like. Strictly track stuff, only work when set to extremely rigid settings. Fine on ultra smooth surfaces, anything else forget it. Rough as hell, vibrate like hell, total aggro to fit, and lose your back seat too - bargain!
  
  
• Coilovers with adjustable spring height. Nice idea, but you'll only adjust them once before they seize anyway, so you might as well just get the right height springs to start off with. Also for the front they make the strut fatter, right where the tyre goes and will cause fouling on some wheels and tyres.
  
  
• Adjustable track control arms (TCAs) and rollbars. If you stick to the 1" lowering job all the original Ford settings for camber and caster stay in spec, there's simply no need for them - unless of course you are trying to dial out the effects of another unnecessary component!

The upshot is keep it simple, keep it sensible, and this will keep you, your car and your wallet (and probably your missus) much happier.

Tickover's special offer on a complete Capri kit

Buy a complete set of bushes, shock absorbers and springs for a Capri and we'll take 10% off the listed individual price cost. Complete Capri kit (depending on model) of 4 shock absorbers, 4 springs, full car set of urethane bushes. 

To take up this fabulous Ford offer email us at Tickover or call 01322 839303 as this is not available to but on our online shop.

Saved from the Breaker's Yard - a Factory Original Classic Ford Capri

Saved from the breaker's yard - a factory original Ford Capri

We at Tickover are always excited at the prospect of a discovering an old Capri lurking in someone's shed or rotting away at the bottom of the garden, unloved, forgotten and waiting to be restored to their former glory.

Sadly, these classic finds are getting fewer and far between, and when we do stumble over them, they tend to be so unloved they're pretty much beyond repair. And then we have to make the decision to break them so we can use the parts to reinvigorate and repair another much-loved set of wheels. It's a bit like organ doning I guess.

So even if we can't salvage an old wreck, the sum of the parts will have a life after death as all the useful bits will end up in another running Capri. A happy ending of sorts.

Our new project - Capri Mk 2.0S in classic Ford black 

Imagine how happy we were when, on close inspection it turned out this car is way to good to break. It's not the usual rotter! 

We've got a fair bit to do to get her back on the road, but it's all simple MOT stuff (no welding) and  once we've given her the full Tickover treatment, including a damn good clean up, she'll be back on the road.

The interior is good, paintwork is pretty damn good too, just covered in mildew as the pics show.

This will buff up really nicely. The upshot is that we will make sure everything works 100% right mechanically, give it a very good clean, polish, valet and get a brand new MOT for her and finish the stripes.

This is a genuine unmolested 2.0s in factory black paint, and we won't want the earth for this when it's done. So what are you waiting for? If you want to be involved in restoring this faded beauty back to health, give us a call (01322 839303) and your £200 deposit will secure her. If the new owner wants anything special adding in then we can arrange that as it will be more cost-effective to make performance modifications while we go rather than when she's done.

We'll be posting pictures and updating the Tickover blog so you can see progress. And in the end this will be  - just like her registration plate alludes to - another Very Good Job.

Tickover Classic Ford Specialist Celebrates its Twentieth Anniversary

Clive and Gus are brothers and co-owners of Tickover, performance and classic Ford specialist workshop 

At Tickover, we are two brothers who specialise in making your car look great, go faster and generally get the best out of your classic Ford.

We've been in business for 20 year this month, so to celebrate us boys, Clive and Gus, are going on a much needed skiing holiday. We figure after 20 years, we've earned it! 

So, as well as our passion for all things Ford, we love a bit of the white powder (no not that sort), our addiction is totally legal, just a bit expensive. Still, it keeps us working hard, on keeping those old Fords on the road.

And it's not just Capris, although that's how we made our name when we were both teenage petrolheads. We can turn our hands to anything with a Ford badge on - Escort, Fiesta, Cosworth, Cortina, Granada, Focus, Ka, Anglia, Mondeo, Sierra, Puma and of course Capri - you get the picture. We've been known to shoehorn a Cosworth or V8 engine into small spaces they were never meant to go, but where there's a will there's a way and we like a challenge, especially if it's engine shaped.

Anyway, if you need Ford spares, we have a really easy to use online shop (I know, you just don't need that kind of temptation, but hey, if you've got a rebuild planned, you know it makes sense).

Plus we also do that everyday stuff - MOTs, servicing, panel beating, crash repairs and the rest.

Anyway, we hope you enjoy our blog and do get in touch as we always like to hear comments!