Expert workshop keeps cars on track
When there’s an alignment or suspension issue too difficult for your run-ofthe-mill workshop, mechanics often call the crew at Hannah Motor Services, a family business so good at what they do that marketing scarcely matters.
The operation, tucked away in the commercial heart of Middleton, is like an industry secret for motorists, insurers and fleet operators in the know.
Without a website or even a Facebook page, Hannah Motor Services has instead grown its large and loyal following by word of mouth, and their expertise is matched only by the genuinely warm atmosphere of people who love their work.
The intimate approach has rewards for clients, who are sure to be seen by either Rob McKay, his partner Tina Butland, her daughter Kirsty Butland, or Kim Larkin, a qualified mechanic who joined the team recently with an already vast knowledge of mechanical and suspension repairs.
Any of them could talk your ear off about repositioning subframes, shimming suspension arms and correcting the camber and caster, but they are endlessly patient with the uninitiated.
The workshop handles all manner of mechanical repairs, as well as warrants of fitness, air conditioning issues and servicings, especially for company fleets. However, it is their work on vehicles whose wheels have been knocked out of position for which they have greatest renown.
Hitting a dimly lit judder bar or pothole can be enough to push wheels out of alignment and set them on a course to quickly chew through tyre rubber in an uneven fashion. Higher-impact accidents do even worse, of course.
Tina says people can take these problems to any number of mechanics around the city, who will dutifully run vehicles through state-of-the-art machines. But it is knowing what to do with the results produced by the machines that is the real test, she says.
Hannah Motor’s immense knowledge in this area comes largely from McKay’s focused work in this field over more than three decades.
His skills have been passed on to Kirsty, and it is she who often keeps the wheel alignment machine running from early morning till dusk at Hannah Motor Services.
With accurate and fast interpretation of a vehicle’s condition, the corrections required can be performed more quickly; this speed typically translates into lower costs and greater convenience for customers.
McKay says if a steering wheel isn’t straight or a vehicle is pulling to one side, it is most likely the wheels are out of alignment.
‘‘It can happen to any car and it’s one of those things you should keep on top of because otherwise it’s going to cost you in tyres.
‘‘General servicing is always advisable in winter too, to make sure your fluids, battery and coolant are in good condition so you don’t get caught out in the cold,’’ he says.
Located adjacent to the Southern Motorway, Hannah Motor Services is easily accessed from across the city. New customers are always welcomed.
Call Hannah Motor Services on
03 338 6632 or visit them at 7B Vulcan Place, Middleton. The workshop is open Monday to Friday from 7am.