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Omega Help Area => Omega General Help => Topic started by: terry paget on 08 June 2015, 19:35:18

Title: Buying ATEC wishbone kits on German ebay
Post by: terry paget on 08 June 2015, 19:35:18
Having fitted my last set of ATEC wishbones, track rods and drop links to my recently purchased 2.6, I needed to restock. I cannot buy them on e-bay.uk any more, but as Al advises they are still available on ebay.de, if I can order in German. With help from my wife, a German dictionary and paypal I ordered two sets last Thursday night, and I am happy to announce they arrived today. I checked with my bank, no money gone yet; checked with paypal, I have spent 177.87 euros, at 1.30 euros to the pound that should be £136.82. Sounds cheap to me. Thanks Al.
 
Title: Re: Buying ATEC wishbone kits on German ebay
Post by: 05omegav6 on 08 June 2015, 19:44:18
 :y

You really can't argue with the value for money... Two complete sets for less than half the price of one Gm wishbone...  Even if you change them every 10000 miles, they're still exceptional value ;)
Title: Re: Buying ATEC wishbone kits on German ebay
Post by: terry paget on 08 June 2015, 20:45:07
And they last a lot longer than that. Runnning 6 Omegas I have yet to replace an ATEC wishbone. Highest mileage to date is on the Opel 2.5 (now scrapping) on which a pair of ATEC wishbones has done 27000 miles and seems fit for many more.
Title: Re: Buying ATEC wishbone kits on German ebay
Post by: biggriffin on 09 June 2015, 21:54:14
 refurb a set with polys,,new ball joints and bushes.
Title: Re: Buying ATEC wishbone kits on German ebay
Post by: steve6367 on 09 June 2015, 23:59:34
Are these an alternative to ATP?

Better?
Title: Re: Buying ATEC wishbone kits on German ebay
Post by: 05omegav6 on 10 June 2015, 00:00:54
Are these an alternative to ATP?

Better?
ATP are the supplier, ATEC are the brand they tend to sell in their bumper pack... The one I always link to :y
Title: Re: Buying ATEC wishbone kits on German ebay
Post by: steve6367 on 10 June 2015, 00:01:35
Fair enough, bumper pack has been great here  :y
Title: Re: Buying ATEC wishbone kits on German ebay
Post by: Steve B on 10 June 2015, 01:11:42
Are these an alternative to ATP?

Better?
ATP are the supplier, ATEC are the brand they tend to sell in their bumper pack... The one I always link to :y
Go on.. Do it again.....you know you want to  :y
Title: Re: Buying ATEC wishbone kits on German ebay
Post by: VXL V6 on 10 June 2015, 07:27:50
:y

You really can't argue with the value for money... Two complete sets for less than half the price of one Gm wishbone...  Even if you change them every 10000 miles, they're still exceptional value ;)

Don't think I could face four wishbone changes and subsequent Geo setups every year but for cars that do a lot lower mileage I can see they are a good alternative.
Title: Re: Buying ATEC wishbone kits on German ebay
Post by: terry paget on 10 June 2015, 08:30:45
:y

You really can't argue with the value for money... Two complete sets for less than half the price of one Gm wishbone...  Even if you change them every 10000 miles, they're still exceptional value ;)

Don't think I could face four wishbone changes and subsequent Geo setups every year but for cars that do a lot lower mileage I can see they are a good alternative.
As said above, they last much longer than 10000 miles.
I can set my toe-in precisely by my previously described (front wheels parallel to rear) method in 15 minutes, so car drives perfectly and feels right. Following chat with Nick at Wycombe I am working on camber setting, but that is not so critical.
Incidentally, Al tells me that WIM set the geometry with car body suspended and wheels hanging down. It occurred to me while changing wishbones that how low the front wishbones hang depends upon the state and mood of the wishbones rubbers. Extracting the ball joint pin from the hub imvolves forcing down the wishbone; once out wishbone springs back up again.
It is easy to devise machines to measure toe-in, camber and castor. It's not so easy to imagine ways of setting them to best settings, bearing in mind movement of suspension. It's impossible to reset things if the adjusters are rusted solid. Last 2 cars I bought came with recent geometry setups, and had rusted solid track rods.
Title: Re: Buying ATEC wishbone kits on German ebay
Post by: Lazydocker on 10 June 2015, 10:54:29
.... that WIM set the geometry with car body suspended and wheels hanging down. ....

Do they? Been a while but I thought they did it suspension loaded. That's why they suggest full fuel tanks and have been known (with one of my visits) to add weight to the front too
Title: Re: Buying ATEC wishbone kits on German ebay
Post by: VXL V6 on 10 June 2015, 13:01:39
.... that WIM set the geometry with car body suspended and wheels hanging down. ....

Do they? Been a while but I thought they did it suspension loaded. That's why they suggest full fuel tanks and have been known (with one of my visits) to add weight to the front too

Loaded on the ramp is the way they've set up all mine over the last 9 years as well.
Title: Re: Buying ATEC wishbone kits on German ebay
Post by: tunnie on 10 June 2015, 13:03:55
WIM always do it with wheels on the ramp, never hanging down in all of my visits either.
Title: Re: Buying ATEC wishbone kits on German ebay
Post by: terry paget on 10 June 2015, 14:12:22
WIM always do it with wheels on the ramp, never hanging down in all of my visits either.
That makes more sense. With the front wheels on turntable greased discs so that they can respond promptly to track rod adjustment.
Title: Re: Buying ATEC wishbone kits on German ebay
Post by: Kevin Wood on 10 June 2015, 15:46:25
I think their kit follows the changes in camber as the axles are unloaded, so that the machine can still give you an approximate reading when unloaded. You use that to make the adjustment before checking it with the wheels loaded again. Saves you repeatedly lifting, setting, measuring and repeating the whole process until you get it correct.
Title: Re: Buying ATEC wishbone kits on German ebay
Post by: chrisgixer on 10 June 2015, 18:55:26
I think their kit follows the changes in camber as the axles are unloaded, so that the machine can still give you an approximate reading when unloaded. You use that to make the adjustment before checking it with the wheels loaded again. Saves you repeatedly lifting, setting, measuring and repeating the whole process until you get it correct.

Yep. The machine calculates the setting once thar car is jacked, to give the operator a chance. Final check is then done once wheels loaded again. It might be jacked again for another tweak, among some swearing from the operator ;D , or it might come off the ramp all sorted.

In essence, the machine works it out. But final measurements are taken wheels loaded.


I would add, it's very easy to get the car to "feel right" or something approaching normal, by tweaking diy. But that can be very far from the correct setting that won't cause premature tyre wear.

Of course, if fitting tyres at £50 for all four then who gives a shit! ;D

Keep a very close eye on wear accross the entire width of the tread.
Title: Re: Buying ATEC wishbone kits on German ebay
Post by: TheBoy on 10 June 2015, 19:02:18
.... that WIM set the geometry with car body suspended and wheels hanging down. ....

Do they? Been a while but I thought they did it suspension loaded. That's why they suggest full fuel tanks and have been known (with one of my visits) to add weight to the front too
The measurement is taken when loaded, but the machine then monitors the change as car is lifted, in order to be able to give calculated values.
Title: Re: Buying ATEC wishbone kits on German ebay
Post by: 05omegav6 on 10 June 2015, 19:38:41
I misphrased that slightly... They jack the car up to adjust it according to the wow measurements :y