Super Mk2 Ford Escort Van

Article written by Bush Tyres

Immaculate Ford Escort Van

This immaculate second-generation Ford Escort Van visited our Scunthorpe branch to have all four wheels balanced. The fully restored ‘super-van’ also went on the lift for an alignment check and adjustment.

Ford Escort Van 1976

The second-generation Ford Escort began production in 1974. Identified easily over the MK1 by the squarer style body, the curves of the MK1 have been replaced by a more angular design. The Escort was produced in 2 door saloon, 4 door saloon, 3 door estate and 2 door van formats.

The example we have here was registered in the UK in 2016, having arrived in the UK as an import from warmer climates. This rust-free Ford Escort van is a very rare survivor, many UK based vans were used as originally intended and heavily worked by their owners, many were lost to rust and decay.

Developed jointly by Ford in the UK and Germany, the MK2 project was codenamed ‘Brenda’ by the team of engineers.

When ‘Brenda’ was originally produced, the Ford Escort Van had a 1.6 petrol engine, looking at this example closely it appears to have a larger 2.0 litre engine fitted. This extra power in such a lightweight vehicle makes it a true ‘Sleeper’ car / van in the ‘Traffic light grand prix’.

It sounds amazing too with those individual throttle bodies. As well as the engine upgrades, the owner of this van has also upgraded the overall interior to give a more modern feel,  the sporty steering wheel and leather bucket style seats finish the look of the interior to perfection.

The Importance of wheel balancing

Your wheels and tyres should be balanced regularly, at every tyre change and both Tyre and Car manufacturers all agree that checking your wheels and having them re-balanced every 5-10,000 miles if required goes a long way to ensuring better safety. When wheels are incorrectly balanced you can get unwanted vibrations that affect the cars stability and handling which compromises your level of control.

Not only does this result in an unpleasant driving experience, these vibrations can also cause excessive and premature wear to not only your Tyres, but also your vehicles suspension and steering components. Regular balancing will help avoid uneven tyre wear and prolong the life of your tyres and ultimately save you money in the long run.

A smoother ride helps improve your comfort, reducing fatigue and stress while driving, especially on longer high-speed journeys such as a trip on the motorway. As mentioned above, wear on your suspension and steering is compromised by poor balance, but these vibrations can also affect your fuel economy. Regular balancing will make your car more efficient, and you will save fuel and money as a result.

During wheel balancing our technicians remove the wheels from your vehicle exactly as they did on this featured Ford Escort van, the tyres are then checked for correct pressures and any damage or imperfections in the tread or side wall. Old balance weights are removed before the wheel is placed on a calibrated wheel balancing machine.

The machine spins the wheel to check the tyres balance. Once completed the machine then identifies the positions and sizes of the weights required to re-balance the wheel.

The weights are then stuck on, common on alloy wheels using adhesive weights, or alternatively some alloys and steel wheels use a knock-on weight that “clips” to the inner or outer edge of the wheel rim. Once these weights are added, the whole assembly is spun again to double check the process has been successfully completed.

The wheel is refitted to the vehicle and the wheel bolts/studs tightened to the correct torque setting. The wheel bolts/studs should then be rechecked after 120 miles, all locations carry calibrated torque wrenches and can do these checks for you as part of the service.

When this incredible Ford Escort Van left our Scunthorpe depot, the wheels and tyres were perfectly balanced, plus the owner had total peace of mind knowing that the wheel alignment had been re-calibrated which in turn will provide, better handling, fuel economy and tyre wear.

Prevention Is Better Than The Cure

If you have noticed any unwanted or unpleasant vibrations from your wheels through the steering wheel or just when driving. Bush tyre’s locations and even all out mobile fitting vans are equipped with the most up to date balancing equipment available.

Our branches can help improve your comfort and efficiency and ultimately save you money on premature tyre wear and improved fuel economy just as we did for the featured Ford Escort Van.

Call into your local branch to discuss wheel balancing options for your vehicle, the weights can often be hidden behind spokes and even colour coded to your wheels beyond the standard chrome or black options available.

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