Ok, firstly I would highly recommend Mark at Auto Techniks in Banstead, Surrey - When I arrived he spent time with me going through the bus whilst on the ramp and quickly demonstrated that the bushes in the front beam were shot. This was causing movement in the front wheels and hubs with the whole assembly moving backwards from the end of the beam when the wheels were spun by hand and the brake pedal pulled. As a result the geometry was constantly moving and this was undoubtedly causing our front tyre wear. Unfortunately the Transporterhaus beam that was fitted in 2021 uses non standard bush sizes and as they have now closed down, these bushes are not available and even if they were they were of low quality so, if they could have been changed, would probably only do the same again down the road. The solution was to fit another new beam, this one a Preservation Parts adjustable front beam which uses OEM sized bushes to ensure we are not put in this position in the future. As this was underway Mark also discovered that our rear spring arms which were lowered one spline at the same time back in 2021 resulted in the rear end running effectively just on it’s cut down bump stops instead of benefitting from the brand new Type 2 Detective Bilstein shocks which were fitted earlier this year. Mark suggested replacing the spring arms with new adjustable ones to allow the spline to be returned to the stock position. This enabled a modest height drop through the adjusters whilst reinstating suspension travel. He was then able to set up and balance the ride height all round and then fully adjust the geometry with all the old school Dunlop rods and gauges he has. On collection today Mark showed and explained carefully all the work that had been carried out and we took her for a short drive with him. The ride is transformed, much more sure footed and with a more compliant ride over bumps and dips. The steering is also much, much better, an improvement all round. Whilst I am confident this is the end of this recurring issue Mark asked us to bring the bus back when my wife returns from doing the North Coast 500 (she leaves tomorrow with our daughter) so he can recheck the geometry to ensure all is as it should be. Not cheap but experience never is, highly recommend Auto Techniks!
