Mk1 Focus - tyres, dampers etc

[nckr55]

We've had our Mk1 Focus 1.8 Zetev (2003) for a few years now, and it's beginning to geel a little baggy. Motor, gearbox, brakes all seem fine, but it's on rubbish tyres (our fault, random rubber applied to pass MOTs) and is starting to feel a little wallowy and vague.

We'd been planning to change it for something else, but now look to be keeping it through the winter at least.

So we're now in a quandary about spending money on a car that's not worth much, and won't be keeping long term.

I think the minimum I want to do is put a set of 4 All Weather tyres on (prob Kleber Quadraxer at £296 fitter, although I've been offered Bridgestone A001 for £320). Issue is that I reckon the alloys need the beading re-done / sealed, as the current tyres are losing presure slowly on at least 2 wheels.

So it should be a bit less skittery through the winter, but I'm wondering if I should take it somewhere (like National) that offers to check out the dampers / suspension. Have a feeling I'll only be told it needs x hundred pounds spending, and that would just be annoying.

It's our second car, and the Mrs will commandeer the Audi estate (Quattro on winters) for the next few months), so - while my commute is currently pretty short - I'll be stuck with the Focus, so I'd like to spend a bit of money in the right areas. Might get a bit of money for the tyres separately if we sell the car in the spring - but that wouldn't be the case for any suspension fixes...

Any advice ?

cheers , Nick

[ohtari]

Tyres should be your first priority. After that, it could probably do with some new bushings front and rear, the ARB ones are quite prone to failure. If you want an easy test carried out, put it through an MOT, they should pick up on any issues.

[Rickyy]

Get a four wheel alignment check carried out on it, especially if your steering wheel is sitting off centre. I had it done to mine for £60 and it transformed the handling.

A set of new front anti-roll bar link arms will probably make a difference aswell.

[nckr55]

Thanks all. Think I'll get an assessment of the suspension carried out before shelling out for tyres. Thinking being: if the suspension is knackered, I don't want to be spending money on tyres only and then finding out it's still a wallowy, skittery thing. If it needs work doing, I'm more likely to bring forward it's replacement.

[Karlos TDCi]

On the subject of tyres, for an extra £20, I'd go for the Bridgestones. All the all-season reviews rate them as ideal winter rubber for the UK as they seem to be considerably better in the wet than the Klebers.