New MKIII after Break-in

[Intouch]

now on to the questions.....

what are the typical areas to check after the first 500-1000 miles on the car ?
mainly i am referring to frame, suspension etc.

how often does everyone check their spinners ? being new to knock-off's i have them on my mind constantly while driving.....

[jwoodard]

If you can get your car on a lift or jack stands, do a good visual inspection. All the bolts in the frame/suspension come from the factory with red paint marks so it's easy to see if any have loosened ( very unlikely). Also, check the bolts on the flange connecting the drive shaft to the rear end.
You should safety wire Your spinners if they aren't already. That provides a very easy visual inspection method.

[peters44]

When I purchased my new car I was given a list of components to inspect at the first 100 miles, 500 miles and so on. Many of the items like header bolts etc did require tightening. My list is at home in my paper work. Maybe Jay or some one with the list on there computer can post it. Enjoy the new car.
Good luck
Peter

[RedBarchetta]

Don't overtighten the spinners. A good whack is usually all that is needed...they don't need to be pounded on like you're driving a train spike into a railroad tie. I beat on mine until they just stop moving, then one final good whack, then safety wire. Do a search here on safety wiring for the best tips on that...been repeated often enough here.

Also make sure you use anti-seize on the back mating surface and pins.

-Dean #747

[Intouch]

Originally Posted by RedBarchetta

Don't overtighten the spinners. A good whack is usually all that is needed...they don't need to be pounded on like you're driving a train spike into a railroad tie. I beat on mine until they just stop moving, then one final good whack, then safety wire. Do a search here on safety wiring for the best tips on that...been repeated often enough here.

Also make sure you use anti-seize on the back mating surface and pins.

-Dean #747

RB, thanks for the info. My spinners are sitting tight and are safety wired. what i wanted to know is how ofetn does everyone check the spinners ? before every drive ? every now and then ?

[RedBarchetta]

Originally Posted by Intouch

what i wanted to know is how ofetn does everyone check the spinners ? before every drive ? every now and then ?

Most folks will make a visual inspection using the safety wire as a tell-tale sign. You will get many opinions on proper safety wiring. I place an ever-so-slight loop/curve in the wire so that if the spinner were to show signs of loosening, the wire would be straighter/taut.

Also, anytime that I remove a wheel and re-tighten, I tend to give that particular spinner an additional whack for the next few drives just to make sure.

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by Intouch

My spinners are sitting tight and are safety wired.

But are they anti-seized? If they're not, you're in for a tough time when you try and remove them. You don't have to do it right away, but I would put "Remove, apply A-S, and Reinstall" on my list. Believe, the last thing you want to be doing is staring at a seized spinner while the sand blows in your face and you utter "Well of all the gall...."

[Bartruff1]

I had the heads , headers, trans bolts retorqued.....the shock mount bolts checked, the brake pads checked....the wiring tie's checked. The emergency brake cable needed to be tied up and one of the ball joints was replaced... as I recall at $75/hour at the Roush dealer it came to about $500 and was worth it. Given the kind performance these things are capable of, I wouldn't take any chances . You maybe able to do it yourself, but I can't see and I don't know what I am looking at anyway.

[jhv48]

I took mine to my mechanic and had him do a thorough front to back inspection of all nuts and bolts. Everything!

Took him about 6 hours to complete. And cost about $500. Worth the peace of mind.

Now I do it once every year!

[Got the Bug]

Like Jim said. Get your car on a lift or put it up on jackstands and do a thorough inspection from front to back.

You also might want to buy a grease gun and make sure that the tie rod ends and ball joints have been properly greased.

# of grease fittings

If the spinners were installed correctly, it's unikely that you'll run into an issue with a spinner coming loose. Do a quick visual inspection of the wheels each time before you drive your car to see if there's been any movement.

You may also want to check/retorque the valve covers and check that the bolts on the water pump and alternator are snug.