Thanks, It's a while since I took it off to do the bearings, but I'm sure there was something about it that looked odd. It's possible that it was a GKN one but had already been reconditioned once already? Anyway, I donated the car to my dad yesterday, so technically, I no longer have a...

If you have a protractor or a 45 degree set square or somesuch, you can put a masking tape line on the bodywork at 45 degrees easily enough, because the top of the bumper (or the groove down the middle of the door) are both more or less parallel to the ground. Results seem fine. I did it the...

Thanks both. 5W40 it is!

Thanks both. That's reassuring. Nodge, my handbook definitely says 10 or 15W40. Surely that's the definitive recommendation? (Although I'm sure oil technology has come on somewhat, since the turn of the Millennium)!

Handbook says 10W40 or even 15W40 ACEA B2 engine oil for a TD4. Eurocarparts website offering 5W40 B4 fully synthetic for my registration number. 150,000 miles plus. Just wondering whether that's a good idea? I like the idea of it getting to the turbo bearings that bit quicker from a cold...

Thanks both. All very strange. Went to get some shopping last night and it was faultless again. Tried every sort of braking in every direction and absolutely could not replicate the problem. I fear I might go to my grave without ever knowing! If I pulled on the handbrake, and one rear wheel...

+1. If I'm leaving anything with drum brakes parked-up for more than a few days, just shove it in gear and leave the handbrake off. Learned that the hard way with my trailer after leaving it with the handbrake on for several months...

Well that's the darnedest thing! Could NOT find anything wrong at all. Got one of the kids to stand as hard as he could on the brakes and both front wheels move (until the VCU stops them) freely, immediately afterwards. Took it out on the road, absolutely nothing. Stood on the brakes, no...

Thanks Nodge. I'd swapped the tyres front-to back earlier in the day and I know both front calipers were free at the time, because there was a bit of movement from the backlash in the IRD as I put the wheels on to the studs, so I was just a bit surprised at how strong the effect was (although...

Not having a good day with this darned car today! 2001 TD4. Nearside front window regulator has gone sick, and it's not that old. Cheapo one from eBay, but supposedly a 2 year guarantee. We'll see... Anyway, on my trip out to test it I braked a bit harder than normal and was a bit surprised...

No probs. If you do get stuck for a simple turned part, give me a shout. I'm sure the socket will work fine though! And yes, as others have said, I think 5mm might be overkill!

I have a lathe. If you do me a sketch I can turn you up a spacer and post it to you. Then you can have your socket back! Alternatively, that adapter plate is pretty thick. Can you counterbore that hole and use a button head Torx (or Allen head) screw instead?

For the last decade, my Christmas tree stand has been an old steering wheel with about 4" of inch diameter bar welded to the back of the boss. I drill a 1" hole up the middle of the trunk base, and plant the tree on the inch bar...

The video works OK for me, and yes, it certainly looks like there is no drive to at least the right hand rear wheel. The slope doesn't look very steep in the video, although it is hard to tell, but I would have expected it to do better than that on ANY tyres, really.

I'm inclined to agree with Nodge. It's starting to sound like drive isn't getting to the rear wheels. I'm not really familiar with FL2, but from your description of the dash lights, it seems everything is OK electronically. My brother-in-law (the ex-owner of my current FL1, as it happens!)...

What are the Geolanders like for noise? (The Events are pretty awful - sounds like an army truck)!

I'm wondering about that one. It's almost as if he had the dashboard switch for 2WD or 4WD in the wrong position. OK, I suppose it's possible that the rear wheel on the other side was spinning its heart out, but when he goes back down the slope I can't see any obvious "holes" in the snow where...

A couple of observations: 1. There's snow, and there's "snow". Impressive YouTube videos of cars tanking through axle-deep snow look impressive, but fresh, new snow, is actually quite grippy. The nasty stuff, is the hard-packed snow, especially if the sun comes out and melts the top surface...

Yes, now this is puzzling. At 30 seconds in, the right hand front wheel starts spinning. Watching it at half speed, it looks like it gets 2 full revolutions in before the VCU transmits anything at all to the right and rear wheel. The around 33 seconds, you can see the rear wheel stopping and...

I found another FL1 video on YouTube. The trouble is, you can't really see what the wheels on the opposite side are doing all the time.