Omega Owners Forum
Omega Help Area => Omega General Help => Topic started by: JimE on 08 May 2012, 10:45:57
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Quick question guys, I have read through various posts, guides etc... Is this a job for a mediocre DIYer? Or should I just get my local garage to do it for me?
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Quick question guys, I have read through various posts, guides etc... Is this a job for a mediocre DIYer? Or should I just get my local garage to do it for me?
Easy enough to do but if you don`t feel confident.........................your choice Jim
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Quick question guys, I have read through various posts, guides etc... Is this a job for a mediocre DIYer? Or should I just get my local garage to do it for me?
Nothing too difficult, some just fiddly things as getting the old one out and new one in, esp the rear bush has IME been sometimes difficult. And one fiddly part is to get the strut on ball joint, I thought I needed at least a third hand :D
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I did it myself and it wasn't too bad and I'm a bit of an amateur. Don't forget to put the wheel back on and take the jack away (i.e. so weight of car is on wheel) before tightening the bolst to the correct torque setting. I tightened them with the wheel off the ground and wishbones only lasted six months...
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Some good advice there guys, I think I may give it a go at the weekend. I'll let you know how I get along with it.
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Research this well. Bolts MUST be tightened in wheels loaded/normal ride height position. Difficult on a drive way.
I use ramps but only if the jack will go high enough to place the ramps under the wheels.
Then once complete, get WIM, or your set up guy to re torque them on the ramp to be doubly sure.
Hth
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Quick question guys, I have read through various posts, guides etc... Is this a job for a mediocre DIYer? Or should I just get my local garage to do it for me?
Make sure you support the car securely. It weighs 1.7 tons & will kill you if it gets the chance.............
I have done mine 3 times now (on two different cars). I always struggle to lever the wishbone down far enough to plug the balljoint into the bottom of the strut.
The easiest way to do it is to undo the bolts that fix the stub axle to the bottom of the strut first. If you do you must get the camber set properly after or the inside edges of the front tyres will wear away in a few thousand miles.
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Pull the steering pin out fully. Lever arm down, place stub axle hole on top of pin. It should stay while you let go. Then with both hands and a shuv in board(make sure car is stable) it should just pop in.
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Pull the steering pin out fully. Lever arm down, place stub axle hole on top of pin. It should stay while you let go. Then with both hands and a shuv in board(make sure car is stable) it should just pop in.
That is the way I do it too. Doesn't feel good though forcing bushes & balljoints to the limit of their travel. :-\
I agree about making sure car is stable :y
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Phoned my local garage and for £75 he will fit both wishbones and reset the tracking/geometry etc at the same time so told him to book it in for Friday, saves me getting squashed underneath the car lol
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Phoned my local garage and for £75 he will fit both wishbones and reset the tracking/geometry etc at the same time so told him to book it in for Friday, saves me getting squashed underneath the car lol
Make sure he does it right, with the wishbones tightened with car lowered and weight on them. Also I'm dubious of any grease monkeys "tracking" - You want a full alignment done :y
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Not for £75 he won't. Fully expect buggered tyres in short order. Your car, tyres and money, but get it done properly.
Ask him what the camber setting is.
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Phoned my local garage and for £75 he will fit both wishbones and reset the tracking/geometry etc at the same time so told him to book it in for Friday, saves me getting squashed underneath the car lol
Make sure he does it right, with the wishbones tightened with car lowered and weight on them. Also I'm dubious of any grease monkeys "tracking" - You want a full alignment done :y
Haha Grease monkeys? >:( I think not! It is an excellent local garage/motor engineers with an excellent reputation. they always do a sterling job and really know their stuff. They have worked on my and other family and friends cars for years.... complete faith in them! ;D
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Phoned my local garage and for £75 he will fit both wishbones and reset the tracking/geometry etc at the same time so told him to book it in for Friday, saves me getting squashed underneath the car lol
Make sure he does it right, with the wishbones tightened with car lowered and weight on them. Also I'm dubious of any grease monkeys "tracking" - You want a full alignment done :y
Haha Grease monkeys? >:( I think not! It is an excellent local garage/motor engineers with an excellent reputation. they always do a sterling job and really know their stuff. They have worked on my and other family and friends cars for years.... complete faith in them! ;D
Best of luck then. :)
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Phoned my local garage and for £75 he will fit both wishbones and reset the tracking/geometry etc at the same time so told him to book it in for Friday, saves me getting squashed underneath the car lol
Make sure he does it right, with the wishbones tightened with car lowered and weight on them. Also I'm dubious of any grease monkeys "tracking" - You want a full alignment done :y
Haha Grease monkeys? >:( I think not! It is an excellent local garage/motor engineers with an excellent reputation. they always do a sterling job and really know their stuff. They have worked on my and other family and friends cars for years.... complete faith in them! ;D
Heard it all before, seen aftermath/butcher methods of the "excellent local garage".
Still, best of luck! :y
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god what a cynical site. ::) I do have faith in them, have used them for years and will continue to do so..... So there! ;)
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god what a cynical site. ::) I do have faith in them, have used them for years and will continue to do so..... So there! ;)
Pray tell..? Full geometric set up and new wishbones fitted for £75. I'll drive down meself next time. :)
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god what a cynical site. ::) I do have faith in them, have used them for years and will continue to do so..... So there! ;)
Pray tell..? Full geometric set up and new wishbones fitted for £75. I'll drive down meself next time. :)
At that price, he must already have the wishbones.
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£75?
The full geometric costs more than that!
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Cynical yes, but not without good reason unfortunately :(
It seems that the data issued by Vauxhall is far too lax. Places that offer 'full geometry check' tend to take readings, see that they are within the published limits and leave it at that.
What is the name of the garage you are taking your car too? (if you don't mind me asking?)
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god what a cynical site. ::) I do have faith in them, have used them for years and will continue to do so..... So there! ;)
Pray tell..? Full geometric set up and new wishbones fitted for £75. I'll drive down meself next time. :)
At that price, he must already have the wishbones.
Yep already got the wishbones from father-in-law, late birthday present. He too uses the same garage for his v6 Omega
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god what a cynical site. ::) I do have faith in them, have used them for years and will continue to do so..... So there! ;)
Pray tell..? Full geometric set up and new wishbones fitted for £75. I'll drive down meself next time. :)
At that price, he must already have the wishbones.
Yep already got the wishbones from father-in-law, late birthday present. He too uses the same garage for his v6 Omega
What make?
The wishbones on the Omega never really fail, its the rubber bush. You are replacing current ones because they are warn? MOT adviso/fail?
Often, best case is to actually re-use the old wishbone, and just fit a new bush.
But of course, your motor engineers would have told you that? ;)
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Where the strut bolts to the hub, is there not a slot where the strut locate into so it goes back in the same position as it originally was?
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Where the strut bolts to the hub, is there not a slot where the strut locate into so it goes back in the same position as it originally was?
The strut bolts to the hub using two bolts. One of the holes is slotted to allow movement/adjustment.
There isn't any means of positive location, any alignment is lost as soon as the bolts are slackened.
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In these parts, there's only one person that I trust to do this task correctly ..............
........... and that's me! 8)
However, good luck to the OP! ;)
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What make?
The wishbones on the Omega never really fail, its the rubber bush. You are replacing current ones because they are warn? MOT adviso/fail?
Often, best case is to actually re-use the old wishbone, and just fit a new bush.
But of course, your motor engineers would have told you that? ;)
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I was told when I bought the car the bushes were shot, the guy knocked the price of a new pair of wishbones off the price so I wasn't going to say no just buy the bushes ::) It is easier to fit a complete unit rather than try and get the old bushes out and new ones in. If I had to pay for it myself it would have been a case of new bushes!
So therefore there was no need for my garage to mention it!