Product PULSE 07 Apr-Jun 2023

6 AROUND THE WHEEL

STARLINE – STEERING, SUSPENSION, TRANSMISSION

STARLINE – MOT/NCT PRICE SUPPORT!

Market Leading Prices

Product group: 635

Product group: 627

Offer Starline to your customers with confidence

Shock Absorbers

Coil Springs

What products have we changed? We’ve aligned our pricing to match and in most instances be better than our competitors, so that you can sell with confidence to our customers. Not only do we have one of the largest automotive ranges, but we now have one of the most competitive.

Product group: 605,615, 617, 624, 630, 632 (key groups 615, 624, 632)

Product group: 628

Get familiar with our Shocks and Springs brands! Our range of Steering, Suspension, Linkages and Bearings are all key MOT/NCT products and what’s more they’re premium products at no extra cost. Wheel Bearings

Linkages

Brand Positioning

AFTERMARKET

OEM

OUR BRANDS

STARLINE SUBFRAMES AND AXLES

Product group: 684, 685

Did you know, corrosion is the biggest cause of MOT/NCT failures for subframes and axles? We offer a comprehensive range through our Starline brand to customers.

Read the full article Service, Maintenance and Repair

Around the Wheel

Around the Wheel

14

15

Subframes

“A highly stressed component should be rejected if corrosion has resulted in serious reduction in the overall thickness of the material or has caused a hole or split. Welded repairs to highly stressed components are not normally acceptable. To pass, the repair should appear to be as strong as the original design.” A welded repair would only be acceptable according to the guide is: • Repairs to structural components must be properly carried out and appear to be as strong as the original structure. This requires the use of suitable materials and any plating or welding extends to a sound part of a load- bearing member. • You can only pass spot welded repairs if the original panel was spot welded and the original panel or section has been removed. • Stitch or plug welding can be used instead of spot welding. In all other circumstances, patch repairs must be continuously seam welded. • Some vehicle manufacturers have recommended repair methods that use MIG brazing, a combination of adhesive bonding and riveting, or amalgamations of these with other joining methods.

GOOD TO KNOW

GOOD TO KNOW… ■ Biggest cause of MOT/NCT failure​ ■ 150 + subframes in the range ■ 100 + Rear axles in the range ■ Both ranges come with a 3-year warranty.

There are generally three basic forms of the subframe. 1. A simple "axle" type which usually carries the lower control arms and steering rack.

The purposes of a subframe are to spread high chassis loads over a wide area of relatively thin sheet metal of a monocoque body shell and to isolate vibrations and harshness from the rest of the body. In a car, with its powertrain contained in a subframe, forces generated by the engine and transmission can be dampened enough that they will not disturb passengers. As a natural development from a car with a full chassis, separate front and rear subframes are used in modern vehicles to reduce the overall weight and cost.

To fix the problem would normally require the frame to be removed and then repaired so an aftermarket product here would be beneficial plus it will be the considerably cheaper and longer lasting option to a repair of an already heavily corroded frame.

What causes subframes to fail?

Our Starline products use OE spec or better material and, in cases where the possibility of corrosion is extreme, we increase the thickness of the plating and add additional drain holes and points. Starline offers a range of over 150 front and rear subframes for popular vehicle marques such as BMW, Citroen, Ford, Mercedes, VW and many more available on demand.

6% MOT Failure Rate Source: DVSA

2. A perimeter frame which carries the components in box 1 but in addition supports the engine.

In a word – corrosion. 99% of subframe components are made from pressed streel plates welded together. All subframes have drain holes, however this doesn’t allow for any form of effective cleaning and leads to a heavy build up of dirt, road grime and salt. This material can rot the frame from the inside.

Beam Axles

All the corrosion shown in the image has happened due to the road and weather conditions. The MOT check needs to be thorough as this can be easily missed. The best way to check is round the drain holes in the frame, taking special attention to the areas of the frame where multiple layers of the steel meet and are welded together.

3. A perimeter frame which carries the components in box 1 and 2 but in addition supports the engine, transmission. (Front wheel drive cars)

Offer Your Customer

A beam axle, rigid axle or solid axle is a dependent suspension design in which a set of wheels is connected laterally by a single beam or shaft. Historically they have also been used as front axles in four-wheel-drive vehicles. In most cars, beam axles have been replaced with front and rear independent suspensions. Starline offer a range of over 100 rear axles which offer a solution where changing the complete axle is a much better than changing a worn bush. For PSA vehicles, changing the internal axle shafts and bearings requires specialist tools and a complete disassembly and rebuild of the axle. There is also no guarantee the repair will last, so changing the entire item is a much better way to go.

• Corrosion is the biggest cause of subframe failure (And MOT Failure) • Replacing the subframe is often the cheaper and safer option than repair • Starline offers a range of over 150 subframes and 100 rear axles.

When found the corroded part needs to be replaced and the only option is a new replacement. The average cost from a main dealer can be in excess of £600, and then other fitting costs can easily raise the cost of completing the job to over £1000. The subframe cannot normally be welded or repaired as they subframes are high stress components.