Tank straps

[ScarbSaab]

The estate passed her MOT with a number of advisories (corrosion on brake pipes and ferrules) which was better than I expected. However, a knocking on some of our more aggressive speed bumps had started up a few days earlier. I couldn't find the cause, but the mechanic did. He wasn't happy they missed it on the MOT. A tank strap had broken, and it was being supported on the exhaust channel. Thankfully, she was almost empty so there wasn't much weight. He's used lorry strapping and fashioned clamps to secure them. No more knocking!

[carrera]

You can get new tank straps without a problem, I would replace them as a pair, one by one,weakest one first.

The rear bolts, up in the boid, are the ones that will be rusted & need lots of stuff to help release them without breaking the captive bolt, IIRC

[TomPaine]

This makes me fretful, since I hear the occasional knock over speed bumps or the cratered roads that are increasingly UK standard, and which I'd been attributing to old-car suspension ... I assume the state of the straps isn't something you can really check unless the car is on a ramp?

[ScarbSaab]

Yes, I've seen the new straps on PFS. What he's done is pretty good - the webbing is clamped and tightened on the bolts, so it's secure. It will be fine whilst I try to keep her running for another year.

TomPaine: It wasn't obvious to me, but I thought it was suspension knocking so wasn't looking for other causes. I'll PM you a link to the video of his repair work and the remains of the old straps. I think you could check if they are holding it tight without a ramp.

[carrera]

They are quite easy to spot failure

The plastic covering the metal strap hardnens & then starts to break off

This lets water in which causes the strap to start rusting, it then continues until MOT man sees it, or the tank drops down, unless you have the ability to jack the car up for an inspection

[ScarbSaab]

Thank you, that was a pithy description of the problem!

[TomPaine]

Yes, I've seen the new straps on PFS. What he's done is pretty good - the webbing is clamped and tightened on the bolts, so it's secure. It will be fine whilst I try to keep her running for another year.

TomPaine: It wasn't obvious to me, but I thought it was suspension knocking so wasn't looking for other causes. I'll PM you a link to the video of his repair work and the remains of the old straps. I think you could check if they are holding it tight without a ramp.

Very kind indeed ScarbSaab - thank you. I will have a gander at the video and then at the car!

[carrera]

Just doing some pre-mot inspection yesterday on a car that had new straps fitted two years ago

I saw that there was some wrinkling of the straps on the rear, so rubbed my finger across them & the protection came off revealing rust

So then it was wire brush around the bend at the rear & the drop at the front, followed by Bilt Hamber. Hemmerite to follow.

Hopefully, this will extend their life

[TomPaine]

I had a look at mine when we had this discussion previously and - tempting fate ... - insofar as I could ascertain, via looking and groping, there seemed surprisingly little corrosion. I actually checked my invoices expecting to find that they had been done at some point, but they haven't. I'll be monitoring them a bit more closely from now.