Bongo Fury

Hi Bongoers,

I have not long bought my new Freda/Bongo, which is running well but find there is quite a bit of steering wheel shake going on over 100kph ish on the motorway, in fact there is generally quite a lot of central shake going on?

First thing I did was get the wheels balanced and this has improved as they were out, just wanted to ask if anyone might know what the next thing is I could look at?

Wheel alignment?

Any advice would be much appreciated?

did you get the wheels balanced from the hub, there has been problems with balancing if done from the nutholes

Have a good look at the tyres for bulging on the sidewalls too, especially on the insides.

Do you have wheels that are non Mazda? I have 17" granite alloys which produced the same symptoms and turned out to have a larger hub diameter than the correct Bongo ones 7.2 instead of 6.9.

Fitting a set of spigot rings cured the problem by filling the gap and enabling the wheels to be balanced correctly.

It was a pig to diagnose , a tyre specialist and Discount Trucks failed to get it first time as someone in Japan had somehow balanced the wheels despite them being the wrong ones, so the Bongo felt fine on import. The shaking problem only emerged when I had the front brake pads changed for a MOT.

I only got Kwik Fit to balance them as I was in Straford visiting a friend but the wheels came with the Bongo and are Alloys? Quite wide ones. I will look into this though.

Cheers

we had the same on ours until i got them balanced from the wheel hub. problem solved. i wouldnt trust a kwik fit operative to find the engine on a bongo, unless they have improved in the last 6 yrs.

let us know how you get on .. i have the same issue - just had a the tracking and balance done by a bongo friendly garage in brighton, it has improved but i thought it would be better than it is.

I have alloys too.

if yours is 4 wheel drive you could swap your wheels front to back to see if it still occurs.try to involve spare if same size etc,you may be able to swap around and issolate which wheel/tyre is at fault if any.

I'm a bit puzzled as to why you say 100kph - is your speedo not converted? I was under the impression that, legally, speedos had to have MPH readings in the UK (this doesn't apply to the MOT though )

That's what I thought but it's all in kilometers. My local garage said it was fine but it does make it difficult when keeping under the speed limit. Not that I drive fast.

francophile1947 wrote:I'm a bit puzzled as to why you say 100kph - is your speedo not converted? I was under the impression that, legally, speedos had to have MPH readings in the UK (this doesn't apply to the MOT though )

Yes John i reckon your right~i think there still obliged to put MPH dial face on.

fidel21 wrote:That's what I thought but it's all in kilometers. My local garage said it was fine but it does make it difficult when keeping under the speed limit. Not that I drive fast.

It's fine for the MOT, but I'm pretty sure it's illegal to use on the road, unless it shows KPH and MPH. Might be worth popping along to your local police station and asking them - I wouldn't go in the Bongo though
If you got it from a dealer, ask them to change it - I just used a replacement face for about a fiver

fidel21 wrote:That's what I thought but it's all in kilometers. My local garage said it was fine but it does make it difficult when keeping under the speed limit. Not that I drive fast.

Heres a link mate. http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/MAZDA-BONGO-FORD- ... 4839b030c8

Power steering fluid may be low. I had same problem, topped up and everything was fine. Well apart from the leak on my steering rack

Continued here http://www.igmaynard.co.uk/bongo/forum/ ... =3&t=39977
Can this one be locked to prevent confusion please?