Enforced Townsville stay-2 weeks

[Macca]

Where to start. Got to Balgal Beach to friends for the night. Next morning Bruce noticed that rear van wheel not in line with front wheel& extremely close-could barely get his hand between the two. Off comes the wheel onlyto discover that the mainleaf of springs had broken. Question? when. We both remembered a very loud bank the other side of Georgetown as we got off the road for a huge mine truck.
Ok, had to get to Townsville. Rob (very handy friend) bent a piece of steel to make a bracket. All done & down to T'ville to another friend's home. Bruce & Peter went driving around to find someone to make a set of new springs. In the mean time Bruce had rang Caboolture where the springs had been put on van only to find that the manufacturer had gone out of business.
Ok this "supposedly best man in T'ville" who makes trailers etc measured etc etc & rang Bris ordering springs for both sides. This was Thursday 2 weeks ago. Van booked in for 2 days last Wed/Thursday. Collected & handed over $1600. Drove 4.7k to friend's place.
Under the van & Bruce & Peter noticed that there was a rub mark around the inside of both back tyres- caused by grease nipples but none on front tyres as they were not on the van. On the phone to the guy. He came to house on way to work the next morning. Bear in mind that Bruce had told him that there was not a lot of room between the wheels & springs.
Ok admitted his mistake. Checked how much space there was from the outside of the tyre to level with the wheel arch. Plenty to spare so he decided that the cheapest for him would be to put 2 new longer axles under the van. Bruce happy with that so they were ordered last Friday. he was also basically getting 2 10 mth old axles which we had put on in Wentworth last year which he said he wold definately be able to use! Now, Monday was a public holiday & we were meant to be in Bundaberg this week . Checked with him Tuesday midday to see what was happening , had they left Bris etc. Alright he said he would ring Bris & let us know. 4.15pm no return call. Oops he had not rang Brisbane. Ring please & let us know to-day. Call about 10 mins later. Yes they on the transport. No call so rang him 10am this morning. They in T'ville so have to take the van back in am .
As soon as we get back near home going to put an insurance claim for the original breakage.
Joys of meeting those B-doubles with 2 dogs on narrow roads.

[Busman]

Ours maybe a bit similar ?
We broke a wheel stud in Gilgandra on the way to Albany for the rally.
First replaced one, when doing up the others broke 2 more, not enough spares
So get some made overnight and sent to us from Brissie, on transport Friday, will be in Dubbo tomorrow.
Actually they do not drive on weekends so we actually got them on Wednesday, but wrong size where the knurling is.
Made another lot and told we could get them next Monday ! WTF !! called my produce carriers and they will arrive at Gilgandra at 1:30 am and I have my mech organised for 7 am. We are ready to leave after 2 weeks here !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
William

[bagmaker]

I have been stuck on this crazy planet for 52 years now, stop your complaining

[Busman]

First lot were too small, next lot are too big, starting to sound like goldilocks here !!!
William

[Kelvin12]

Geez Bill whoever thought this crap would go on for this long. Time for a good night on the red to settle the nerves. Keep me up to date.

Dirk

[BruceS]

Those shiny new rims might look nice but by joves they are a big headache for you William!
All the 10 stud alum rims on trucks... surely some of those would fit? I guess not or you'd have them already?

[Chuck]

First lot were too small, next lot are too big, starting to sound like goldilocks here !!!
William

Perhaps more like Snow White ... comparing her 7 dwarfs.

[PeterinSa]

When we plan a trip to the outback I carry a complete spring set for our Tandem van in the front boot. Our van does not have the wrap around the shackles 2nd top spring, which to me is good for top spring brakes, but you must check the tyre positions at every stop, because, to me if the top spring breaks the 2nd wrap around spring will not hold the wheel in line forever.

[Busman]

Yeah it has been a bit of a saga.
The original new studs were made from defective material and the maker has vanished.
Found a reputable semi trailer parts manufacturer and he has made some in the past for us, no probs, just not for VP.
Saga is :
Got some spare sent overnight and replaced but broke a couple doing them up.
Got the brissie manufacturer to make some new ones, when they eventually turned up they were too small in the knurling area.
got him to make more which we got this morn, he had overcompensated and they were too big !
So now an engineer is taking a mill off them so they can fit. They are also too short in the thicker part that goes into the hub itself, so when we get back to brissie, he is going to have to make another set, just right (I hope) hence the goldilocks alliteration.(That the right word ?)
They are truck wheels Bruce it is just the defective studs that are the problem, and getting the right ones to replace them. And maybe my paranoia as well, probably ok to drive back to brissie but not for me the wondering if the wheel will fall off in this corner or the next.
One thing in their favour though, I have always said that when humans are involved it is inevitable there will be stuff ups in any business, it is the mark of the business in how they handle those stuff ups, or just shrug the shoulders. They were prepared to drive down here with them, but the produce transport company we use on a daily basis had a B dub going to Melb at the right time so save them the trip, BUT they were willing to do it, I think that is a very good reaction to a stuff up.
William

[Shirley]

Sounds good to me, hope you get going on your way back home soon.