Omega Owners Forum
Omega Help Area => Omega General Help => Topic started by: Webby the Bear on 16 October 2025, 21:49:26
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Good evening men, hope you’re all well.
Sprucing up a load of things on the omega. I’m currently fitting the atp 6 piece wishbone kit. I know they get mixed reviews but I’ve used them and personally never had a problem.
Anyhoo, I came across a load of other parts they sell… front shockers and springs in particular.
Anyone ever fitted them and got some feedback on their performance? Mine are, I believe, still the originals on the front.
TIA
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Uses them to good effect for various bits.
Shocks, Sachs made the original shocks, so are my go to suggestion. For springs, Kilen HD, as per the link in Als parts wanted post.
Sachs also do the front strut/top mount fittings. Their rear shocks included everything. :y
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Thanks Al. I saw the price of a PAIR of atp shocks and got super excited!
I’ll check out the sachs stuff. Cheers mate 😎
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Thanks Al. I saw the price of a PAIR of atp shocks and got super excited!
I’ll check out the sachs stuff. Cheers mate 😎
The Sachs stuff isn't stupid expensive ;)
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I found Bilstein B4's lasted well on mine (>100k and I think scrapped with them still on) as well, but I got them at a sensible price. B4 is supposedly similar to factory spec, though I've heard some say they felt hard (probably because the old shocks they took off were utterly fubar)
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I found Bilstein B4's lasted well on mine (>100k and I think scrapped with them still on) as well, but I got them at a sensible price. B4 is supposedly similar to factory spec, though I've heard some say they felt hard (probably because the old shocks they took off were utterly fubar)
The Sachs ones are the factory fit shocks, Bilsteins are an equivalent at best. And their supplied fittings are dire compared to the Sachs ones which are indistinguishable from the genuine VX parts in my experience. ;)
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Looking at €100 for both rear shocks, and €55 for the front strut fittings and top mount bearings, the mounts themselves are about €26 each.
Even if you buy the cheapest bits off Amazon, rebuilding Omega suspension will leave little change from £500. May as well spend another £100 and use decent bits. ;)
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Thanks for input boys.
Got rare day off today so got the osf wishbone and drop link done.
2 things noted…
The strut body on os is quite a lot crustier than when I last looked so they’re defo gonna need doing.
More worryingly the os chassis rail starting to look rough as fuk. I’ll have to recheck but don’t remember the ns looking anywhere near that bad.
I smashed hammer in to it and couldn’t get a hole. But doesn’t look good. Any idea how thick rail is? (from where subframe bolts all way back to the start of the floor pan). I’d put photos up but I’ve no idea how to do that following loss of photo bucket 🪣
I’ve had enough for today but I’m gonna get the dremel out and see what it looks like after a clean up.
Assuming I don’t find any holes have u got any recommendations on rust converter? I used kurust before but apart from it going a little blue it didn’t really do fek all 🤷♂️
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Kurust was going to be my suggestion. :-\
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After a reasonable clean up (but don't grind all the rust off , just the majority of the crusty stuff as you need some surface rust for it to be effective and the metal will be also be weaker) I use Dinitrol RC900 followed by a coating of Dinitrol 3125, finished off with Dinitrol 4841.
If you Google them, you can decide if they are suitable for your use.
You can also use a nozzle to spray the RC900 through the cut outs in the chassis rail to arrest any corrosion around the subframe mounting points in the chassis rail where they usually rust. You can spray rust proofing wax coatings in their as well, but if any welding is required at a later date, then heat and some wax based products can set your car alight, so it's worth checking the spec sheet before you apply any into the box sections if subsequent welding is a possibility.
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Thanks guys.
Cheers J dog. I’ll check those out! 🥰🥰🥰
Is the chassis rail / leg fairly thick? I’m hoping it’s just unpretty surface rust. I’m hopeful bearing in mind I couldn’t smash any holes.
Is there a way to put photos on here?
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I use Bilthamber Hydrate 80 for rust.
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Bilt Hamber products are also very good too.
The chassis rail is reinforced above the mounting by the ABS sensor clip, but they also tend to rust and corroded through in the areas either side of that reinforced section as the metal is thinner / weaker.
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……..
Is there a way to put photos on here?
You can register at ImgBB or Postimages for free (others may suggest a different site), and then use the link within that site to post a photo on here. :y
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the rust converters vary and as mentioned some can work very well but in my experience they only slow down or work for a while and the rust can come back in a few years .by which time it may need a section cutting out and replacing.the other very good method is by sandblasting .this gets rid of all the rust in the nooks and cranny's and is now my go to for any rust issues as it's permanent .(unless it's coming from the other side in which case cutting is the only solution anyway !)
the main thing to remember if its a car you intend to keep is catching any rust as soon as you find it .it won't go away and will be worse next year . in other words :sand it /convert it or patch it if you intend to keep the car only a few years or do a thorough job and protect it well afterwards if you intend keeping it a long time /indefinately
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ps .did you sort the dash ?
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I found Bilstein B4's lasted well on mine (>100k and I think scrapped with them still on) as well, but I got them at a sensible price. B4 is supposedly similar to factory spec, though I've heard some say they felt hard (probably because the old shocks they took off were utterly fubar)
The Sachs ones are the factory fit shocks, Bilsteins are an equivalent at best. And their supplied fittings are dire compared to the Sachs ones which are indistinguishable from the genuine VX parts in my experience. ;)
Don't recall any fitting issues with either fronts or saloon rears.
I only mention them because they lasted so much longer than the ones from the dealer, for similar price :y
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ATP are doing the Sacha ones for ~€45 each
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Thank you all for ur input. I’ll give it a go trying to get the photos up. My colleagues don’t think it’s bad at all. But I don’t like it lol
CiH… yes mate I’m still to remove the cluster. Only reason I haven’t was I found this rust 🤦♂️
There may be an incoming PM soon 🤣😎
Thanks guys.
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I found Bilstein B4's lasted well on mine (>100k and I think scrapped with them still on) as well, but I got them at a sensible price. B4 is supposedly similar to factory spec, though I've heard some say they felt hard (probably because the old shocks they took off were utterly fubar)
The Sachs ones are the factory fit shocks, Bilsteins are an equivalent at best. And their supplied fittings are dire compared to the Sachs ones which are indistinguishable from the genuine VX parts in my experience. ;)
Don't recall any fitting issues with either fronts or saloon rears.
I only mention them because they lasted so much longer than the ones from the dealer, for similar price :y
No me either, fitting kit with B4's were fine with the sets I bought (fitted full sets to three or four Omegas IIRC). Rears on black car are weeping now, but with the age, mileage and style of driving i'd say it's fair enough.
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The Sachs shocks, along withIrmscher and dealer supplied have the factory upper mounts. Bilstein do not.
Yes, they fit, but they're not a patch on the genuine ones.
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Yes, they fit, but they're not a patch on the genuine ones.
I have to disagree. They are much of a muchness, but the B4's last significantly longer in my experience.
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Perhaps they have upped their game since I was regularly doing suspension work on various members cars... To be fair to Bilstein, it was about 15 years ago... But what I know is that on at least two occasions I had to reuse the mounting hardware that came off because the Bilstein supplied parts simply didn't fit or resemble the original parts.
All my cars got either genuine or Sachs aftermarket, even my last Omega, a £400 estate. In no small part due to previous experience. And why I still won't recommend them.
I only recommend stuff that I have positive experience of, agree or disagree at leisure ;)
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Is there a way to put photos on here?
https://www.omegaowners.com/forum/index.php?topic=137219.0
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To be fair to Bilstein, it was about 15 years ago
Around the same era I'd suggest :y. In fact, the B4's that went on the back of the mighty Silver Bullet around that time - and everyone who had a go in that car said it was one of the best handling Omega's they'd ever driven - stayed on for over 100k before the car was scrapped in 2017, at whilst point the shocks and springs were swapped over to TBE and used as a daily to Coventry and back until the chinky batflu came, so probably did another 50k on that car as well. And, no, they weren't knackered even after that time.
I only recommend stuff that I have positive experience of, agree or disagree at leisure ;)
Exactly! Hence why I said that I felt B4's were every bit as good as OE/Sachs/ZF on performance grounds, but lasted significantly longer than the 30-40k I got from those.
It's also why I've always said those front suspension kits ATP used to sell are a waste of money, because, well, they are - they don't last and can't be refurbed. And why I said ATP as a company are a shit to deal with when things go wrong with the order or the item.
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The cheap ATP shit served a purpose and could be refurbished to a point, but it was, and still is, advisable to t
treat cheap parts as a service item. ;)
Whether ATP are any better than the likes of Autodoc or Eurocrapparts is always going to be open for debate. :y
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Evening guys.
Happy to report I’ve tonight got the dremel out and it appears to be only surface rust. Touch wood.
I’ve painted the hydrate80 stuff on. It’s still up on stand so I can keep coating it all week lol
And then I’ll paint.
Touch wood there’s no dramas when I go through the rest of the car. 😃
Thanks for all ur help boyos. 🥰
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thats great news .if you've been pretty severe in that area and found no holes then thats good.just need to keep it all well protected and deal with any rust as and when you find it .that way you dont get any suprises .
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also worth noting if you intend on keeping the car (which i assume you do !) is to remove the sill covers and repair any bits you find under there. virtually guaranteed that there will be some holes ,same goes for the inner rear lower arches under the black plastic cover /sill ends. once repaired and suitably rust proofed you should be ok for many years then. (whilst this area is being done it might be a good idea to replace the rear end of the sill and up the arch inside the rear door area as they all seem to rust there too (eventually if not now ?)!. i did mine 10 years ago shortly after i got it and just rechecked them again this summer. all still good.
all cars rust .possibly even new ones eventually with their better protection ( if the electrics dont get them first !) but omegas dont fare too badly at all especially if youve spent a lifetime working on pre 90's stuff and way older which often were rotten after only a few years.
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Did all of the above on mine within the last month or so.
Now in the process of doing a very similar job on Sons 05 Civic. Although there is only one area around 4 inches square that will need welding on that.
The Omega needed a lot more, but its all done now and hopefully ok for quite a few years.
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Thanks for replying boyos.
Last year I had sill covers off and found lots of nasty holes. I welded it all up. Im going to have the covers back off and they’re going to be sent off for painting. So whilst that’s being done I shall go through everything I did and make sure there’s no more!
Last year at same time as sills I did the rear inner wheel arches and rear boot floor and boot flanks behind rear bumper.
So touch wood that is still all good and I can box it up and move on with my life 🤣
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Ps I’ll be glad when this shits over so I can relax and worry about the only thing an omega owner should worry about… what tyres am I going to put on this year 🤣
Whilst on the subject. I’m due a full set and I may be getting Christmas bonus. I’ve never had premiums on the omega and I’ve always wanted some. So I’m thinking a beautiful set of primacy 4’s!!!!!
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Ppps, I would also love to put new rear springs on as well as the aforementioned fronts.
I’m more than happy to follow the guides. However with the rear shock unbolted and trailing arm dropped down a bit I reckon I can get the death clamps in. Anyone ever done them this way?
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Undo the lower shock bolt and hang off the hub and you can pretty much drop the springs in :y
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Undo the lower shock bolt and hang off the hub and you can pretty much drop the springs in :y
Not in my experience you can't. Having changed umpteen sets of rear springs on my Elites over the years, yes, I agree, undo the lower shock mounting, but you also need to disconnect the rear track control arm (I find it simpler at the inboard end) to allow the swinging arm to drop further. Even so, the springs have to be compressed to allow removal and refitting, but due to the lack of space to fit spring compressors, this is a challenge. There's no room to fit the large compressors with plates, so you have to resort to using the smaller hook type.
I would argue there is no way of removing the spring by just undoing the lower shock mount and levering the swing arm down, which isn't helped with the protrusion of the spring seat down the centre of the spring.
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hi johnny .hope all is well .
i must admit i have to agree with mr DG on this one .undo lower shock bolt and have an assistant press down the hub with their foot and springs come out or go in .
ive done few omega springs and also carlton /senators like this as well as more modern stuff too .
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as regards the rust it sounds you are on top of it anyway having done your previous repairs . this way you don't get any nasty surprises and large areas in one go .brilliant.
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hi johnny .hope all is well .
i must admit i have to agree with mr DG on this one .undo lower shock bolt and have an assistant press down the hub with their foot and springs come out or go in .
ive done few omega springs and also carlton /senators like this as well as more modern stuff too .
I'll have to try and recruit someone with a bit of weight Chris next time I need to do a spring change! :y
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Undo the lower shock bolt and hang off the hub and you can pretty much drop the springs in :y
Nah. Something else needs to be undone as well, easiest is arguably the diff.
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If my memory serves, the first time I removed one I just undid the lower shock bolt.
It was a nightmare to get out, and only managed with my son jumping up and down on a scaffold pole as a lever, while I pulled on the spring.
After that, I undid more stuff so they just more or less drop out.
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Drop link maybe, but don't remember ever undoing a track rod unless it was to replace it.
Eibach 30mm lowering springs didn't need compressing even on the front ;D
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Undo the lower shock bolt and hang off the hub and you can pretty much drop the springs in :y
Nah. Something else needs to be undone as well, easiest is arguably the diff.
When I changed mine I’m sure that I recall putting a trolley jack under the diff and undoing the diff mounts, as well as the lower shock bolt obviously. I still used spring compressors partially loaded though to make life a bit easier. :y
The car was on stands at the time, so the trolley jack was just taking the diff weight, not holding the car up. :y
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Undo the lower shock bolt and hang off the hub and you can pretty much drop the springs in :y
Nah. Something else needs to be undone as well, easiest is arguably the diff.
When I changed mine I’m sure that I recall putting a trolley jack under the diff and undoing the diff mounts, as well as the lower shock bolt obviously. I still used spring compressors partially loaded though to make life a bit easier. :y
The car was on stands at the time, so the trolley jack was just taking the diff weight, not holding the car up. :y
This is the way to do it :y
Remember to release the handbrake, as with the handbrake on, the cable provides just enough tension to the suspension dropping all the way down. No need to ask how I know this, and how is saves jumping up and down on the hub to release the suspension spring ;D
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Thanks for all the advice boyos.
I bit the bullwt and new springs en route from factors (KYB BOGOF offer). To be honest the only real reason I want to remove springs is so I can inspect and rust proof where they sit.
I’ll give death clamps a try first and see what happens 🥰
In terms of rust proofing it’s going very well. Finished the OS. Gonna start the NS on Friday night. I’ve had os arch liner out and no new nasties found so very pleased.
I also found this lovely stone chip paint. Goes on lovely and leaves a lovely finish. So hopefully I won’t have to look at it all for a while 😃😃😃
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Oh and just to add… I’ve found a new body guy here in Northampton so front n rear bumpers and sill covers going to him over next little while. I’d love to get them painted all at once but due to money it’s not an option.
But hopefully by spring next year she’ll (he) be cruising once again ready for FOTU 😎
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Oh and just to add… I’ve found a new body guy here in Northampton so front n rear bumpers and sill covers going to him over next little while. I’d love to get them painted all at once but due to money it’s not an option.
But hopefully by spring next year she’ll (he) be cruising once again ready for FOTU 😎
Is he reasonable on cost? Given Mrs TheBoy's recent shenanigans - which fortunately this time I think will polish out, aside from the lights which I've replaced already - it's good to know of a decent, near-ish sprayer...
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Yes good cash prices bro. Not used him yet but he’s done wings for mates car and he was impressed.
If u need anything doing let me know and I’ll arrange 😃😃😃
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Yes good cash prices bro. Not used him yet but he’s done wings for mates car and he was impressed.
If u need anything doing let me know and I’ll arrange 😃😃😃
Cheers :y
We've got away with the car's most recent bout of jousting, but it's nice the options for when a bit of respraying is needed, lol.
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not the cheapest thing around nowadays .a bodyshop by me that i use now and again has just painted a capri and fitted a pair of wings and a front panel .
12grand for the privellege !
so it's nice to find somewhere decent and resonable pricing
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That’s a lot! lol
Bumpers r costing me 150 cash each. Not sure how much sill covers will be but I don’t anticipate a fortune.
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Probably another £150 for the pair...
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Which is very cheap at todays prices. :y
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it is .i had my omega done 5 years ago for 1 1/2 but now they say it would be 4 grand so yes it's nice to find a cheaper place providing of course it's done well and they don't use cellulose or any of that fangled water based crap !
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Thanks all.
I got front bumps off today ready for transporting next Saturday. I’ll let u know how it turns out 😃
Meanwhile I’m steaming on with the work. NS arch liner off and the surface rust is nowhere as bad as the OS. Mainly it’s round where the holes are for arch liner clips. But nonetheless I’ve done first Bilt Hamber coat. Now a coat every evening for a week and then paint. 😃
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*bumper