Omega Owners Forum

Omega Help Area => Omega General Help => Topic started by: Markjay on 05 January 2008, 00:53:55

Title: Wishbones wear?
Post by: Markjay on 05 January 2008, 00:53:55
How do you check for wishbone bushes wear? Look for back-to-front movement?

Thanks....


Title: Re: Wishbones wear?
Post by: JasonH on 05 January 2008, 00:59:04
Apply a lever to the bushes and look at the movement. Best bet is to compare one wishbone to the other.

However mine seemed OK until I took them off. Levering is very subjective.
Title: Re: Wishbones wear?
Post by: Darth Loo-knee on 05 January 2008, 10:54:42
Quote
How do you check for wishbone bushes wear? Look for back-to-front movement?

Thanks....



The only way I could see my Wishbone wear was to get someone to wobble the steering wheel quickly left and right while watching the wishbones... I could clearly see the wishbone moving forward then backwards.. :y
Title: Re: Wishbones wear?
Post by: Markjay on 07 January 2008, 15:17:32
OK, ordered two new wishbones.  :y

I hope to pick-up a ball joint separator from Machine&Mart on the way home.

I suppose they will come with a new ball joint nut...? Also, what about the two other bolts, are they stretch bolts that need to be renewed, or can the old ones be re-used?  :o



Title: Re: Wishbones wear?
Post by: Markjay on 07 January 2008, 15:32:31
...or I suppose I could check the Haynes manual when I get home...
Title: Re: Wishbones wear?
Post by: Olympia5776 on 07 January 2008, 15:33:06
No ball joint nut ,it is clamped by pinch bolt to knuckle.
Opinions re replacing the other two bolts vary. Due to the fact they are angle tightend when torquing up they really should be replaced.
HTH's
Don
Title: Re: Wishbones wear?
Post by: ians on 07 January 2008, 17:44:45
Haynes says you should replace the two bolts.  Vx looked at me like I was crackers when I asked for them..  read into that what you like!

I found the pinch bolt to be unbelievably tight/seized on mine - maybe worth a soak in PlusGas if it looks bad.
Title: Re: Wishbones wear?
Post by: TheBoy on 07 January 2008, 18:37:34
they are angle tightened, so ideally should be replaced. Some kits come with them, some don't...
Title: Re: Wishbones wear?
Post by: Markjay on 07 January 2008, 21:20:28
Quote
they are angle tightened, so ideally should be replaced. Some kits come with them, some don't...

OK, thanks, will see what I get when the wishbones arrive tomorrow, ordered them from vauxcentre.co.uk.


Title: Re: Wishbones wear?
Post by: Markjay on 08 January 2008, 12:00:36
* Update *

Just got the new wishbones. They were ordered from www.vauxcentre.co.uk. I am impressed with the service, they were ordered online yesterday at midday and arrived early this morning. However, I am less impressed with the actual product...

Firstly, it was very poorly packaged, squeezed into a too-small cardboard box with bit of the wishbone protruding from the sides.

Secondly, it has no manufacturing marking whatsoever. The manufacturer's code appear to be SSA2007 and SSA2008, but a search on the Internet did not come up with anything. They are also labelled as 'OPEL' not Vauxhall, so clearly an import. The only other bit of information are the equivalent GM and QH part numbers.

There is also no marking on the rubber bushes. What normally happens is that the company that makes the arm itself usually buys the rubber bushes from someone else, and you would then expect to see the rubber manufacturer's code on the bushes.

Thirdly, the wishbones, although clearly new, have some signs of rough treatment, with few scratches and bits of exposed metal showing. This is not very encouraging by itself, but what is even more worrying is that the paint seem to be flaking and peeling very easily, so the wishbones will rust very quickly.... might give them a Hammerite coat before installing them.

I guess I can't complain though, they cost £25 each as opposed to Vx which I understand are in the region of £200(?) each... hope they will last.









Title: Re: Wishbones wear?
Post by: Marks DTM Calib on 08 January 2008, 12:25:18
Quote
they are angle tightened, so ideally should be replaced. Some kits come with them, some don't...


Yes but, they are not angle tightened to the point where they stretch...........
Title: Re: Wishbones wear?
Post by: TheBoy on 08 January 2008, 12:36:30
Quote
Quote
they are angle tightened, so ideally should be replaced. Some kits come with them, some don't...


Yes but, they are not angle tightened to the point where they stretch...........
Thought any angle tightened bolt should be renewed?
Title: Re: Wishbones wear?
Post by: Markjay on 08 January 2008, 12:40:59
Will go and see if my local Vx has these bolts...
Title: Re: Wishbones wear?
Post by: TheBoy on 08 January 2008, 12:43:14
Quote
Will go and see if my local Vx has these bolts...
If Mark reckons not required, who are we to disagree?
Title: Re: Wishbones wear?
Post by: Phil on 08 January 2008, 12:51:47
If you are worried about the new ones being poor quality and not lasting, keep the old ones you take out and get them 're-bushed'. Really push the boat out and strip them down and get them powder coated as well

Then if the cheap ones are knackered in 6months you have a nice newly bushed genuine ones to put back on.

I recently changed mine to the cheap ones (£44 for the pair delivered) and after chatting to a few people i'm thinkig about going down the re-bushing route
Title: Re: Wishbones wear?
Post by: ians on 08 January 2008, 13:32:25
Quote
If you are worried about the new ones being poor quality and not lasting, keep the old ones you take out and get them 're-bushed'. Really push the boat out and strip them down and get them powder coated as well

Then if the cheap ones are knackered in 6months you have a nice newly bushed genuine ones to put back on.

I recently changed mine to the cheap ones (£44 for the pair delivered) and after chatting to a few people i'm thinkig about going down the re-bushing route

Any idea what the cost is like to rebush the original wishbones?  
Title: Re: Wishbones wear?
Post by: Kevin Wood on 08 January 2008, 13:38:04
Sounds like we need to collect a load of old wishbones and go and find someone who's got access to a press..

Kevin
Title: Re: Wishbones wear?
Post by: Elite Pete on 08 January 2008, 13:38:08
Try this :y

http://www.omegaowners.com/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1199210782

Ive had three sets now and had no trouble :y
Title: Re: Wishbones wear?
Post by: Marks DTM Calib on 08 January 2008, 14:49:29
Quote
Sounds like we need to collect a load of old wishbones and go and find someone who's got access to a press..

Kevin

I have a home made press and the correct drifts to fit and remove the bushes......it works out at 60+ quid for genuine bushes!
Title: Re: Wishbones wear?
Post by: Markjay on 08 January 2008, 15:41:25
Quote
If you are worried about the new ones being poor quality and not lasting, keep the old ones you take out and get them 're-bushed'. Really push the boat out and strip them down and get them powder coated as well

Then if the cheap ones are knackered in 6months you have a nice newly bushed genuine ones to put back on.

I recently changed mine to the cheap ones (£44 for the pair delivered) and after chatting to a few people i'm thinkig about going down the re-bushing route


OK, thanks....
Title: Re: Wishbones wear?
Post by: Markjay on 08 January 2008, 18:00:53
Quote
Quote
Sounds like we need to collect a load of old wishbones and go and find someone who's got access to a press..

Kevin

I have a home made press and the correct drifts to fit and remove the bushes......it works out at 60+ quid for genuine bushes!

Mark, dave c, in previous posts you seem to be recommending the wishbones supplied by VSC:

http://www.omegaowners.com/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1199210782/5#5

http://www.omegaowners.com/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1173728929/14#14

Yet as posted above the ones I got do not seem up to scratch...

This is what I have:

http://www.vauxcentre.co.uk/index.php?option=Prod_detail&product_id=485975&image_id=190941

At the very least the paint job on mine is cheap and nasty.... also. no mentioning of Boge on the rubber, all I found is a marking saying 'DK'... I wonder if VSC changed their supplier recently?