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[Marie]

Good Morning Gents,

well after all the work  i have put into my baby she has now decided that the N/S wishbone is on it way out if not givin up. you can feel it knocking when braking. this was confirmed after i went to have a new tyre put on her.

So i called vauxhall to see how much to change the bushes both sides and to change the wishbones OMG couldnt beleive it £750. politely told the lady thankyou but no thank you.

right so here are my questions:

1. Do i change the whole wishbones ? who is currently the best supplier for wishbones dont beleive in paying for cheep ones to fail

is it easier then .....

2. Do i replace the bushes ? Standard or poly and how do i get them back in.

3. with removal do the bolts need replacing too ? good idea to have them at the ready just in case

or

4. Pay someone else to do it. i am not normally defeeted but this is one thing that scares me. if you get it wrong can cause snags later on. so i am will to Pay a good mechanic to do it for me anyone know someone in somerset who would be will to remove some cash from my pocket? if its a fello OOF'er id be willing to help
 
Thanks you guys for reading this and advising me further.

[sassanach]

i gather the current thinking is to go poly bush,don't bother replacing the bolts, total waste of spondulicks.

[sassanach]

also if you are capable of "tinkering" with engines then changing wishbone bush's will barely wake you up.piece of p*ss.

[Marie]

also if you are capable of "tinkering" with engines then changing wishbone bush's will barely wake you up.piece of p*ss.

Is it really that easy? I guess i have the same feeling from when I had to do the cambelt myself for the first time fear of getting it wrong.

[Andy H]

also if you are capable of "tinkering" with engines then changing wishbone bush's will barely wake you up.piece of p*ss.

If you have the means to support the weight of the car safely then it should take a home mechanic a couple of hours to swap the front wishbones. Wouldn't describe it as 'a piece of pish' though 

I always struggle to find the strength to get the balljoint out of the bottom of the strut and if you drop the rear bolt inside the box section it can take a while to fish it out again

[feeutfo]

Best thing to do is research it, see how you feel about the job once you have all the info.

If your wb's are knocking they have been failed for some concider able time. So re bushing is out IMO as the ball joints will fail soon if not already.

So as i doubt your into refurbing, IMO bin the old ones.

So what to fit.
See lemforder on all Germans web site. IMO don't bother with the cheap shite copies.

Fitting.
See the guide. With extra highlight on insuring the bolts are tightened to the correct torque setting WITH WHEELS LOADED.
This may mean buying equipment such as ramps and a steady high lift jack of at least 2.5 tons to give clearance under the car, allowing you to place ramps under the front wheels taking the full weight of the car.

[Kevin Wood]

If it's the front bushes that have failed I'd cut them out and fit poly bushes. No aggro of getting the geometry checked again, and ball joint is not much of an issue if it fails later.

[05omegav6]

also if you are capable of "tinkering" with engines then changing wishbone bush's will barely wake you up.piece of p*ss.

If you have the means to support the weight of the car safely then it should take a home mechanic a couple of hours to swap the front wishbones. Wouldn't describe it as 'a piece of pish' though 

It's only 3 bolts, but there is definitely a knack to them

If you drop the rear bolt inside the box section it can take a while to fish it out again

This reason alone is worth having a set of spare bolts

[Marie]

If it's the front bushes that have failed I'd cut them out and fit poly bushes. No aggro of getting the geometry checked again, and ball joint is not much of an issue if it fails later.

i am asuming i can cut them out in situe then Kevin? do the polly bushes go in okay?

i also have the added advantage of a ramp at my disposal which i will be using for this job.

I have read through the job several times now and with the use of the ramp shouldnt be too difficult i guess.

sorry stupid question when the guide says angle tighten could someone explain this for me please imhaving a blond moment :/


Just trying to decide whether to to a complete replacement or just do the bush. is it worth replacing the drop arms too?

[feeutfo]

As said if the bushes are so far gone that they are knocking, the rearward bush will be buggered as well. Replace. IMO.

120nm via torque wrench, that's easy.

Then angle tighten 30 degrees, so guess turning the wrench 30degrees of further travel, knowing what 90 degrees/a right angle looks like turn the wrench a bit less than half of 90degrees.
Then for 15 degrees turn it half as much further again. Seemples.

[Marie]

As said if the bushes are so far gone that they are knocking, the rearward bush will be buggered as well. Replace. IMO.

120nm via torque wrench, that's easy.

Then angle tighten 30 degrees, so guess turning the wrench 30degrees of further travel, knowing what 90 degrees/a right angle looks like turn the wrench a bit less than half of 90degrees.
Then for 15 degrees turn it half as much further again. Seemples.

Thank you i thought thats what the guide was getting at just wanted to double check.

I will be changing the whole arm. as much as id like to get away with just puting polly bushes on her i doubt like you have said ill get away with it. so 0full replacement it is then and i will be using those recommended on here not too bad price tbh.

[Kevin Wood]

Get the geometry set ASAP if you have to replace the arms as it will put everything way out.

[Marie]

Get the geometry set ASAP if you have to replace the arms as it will put everything way out.

Okay Kevin just need to find somewhere in Somerset that does it lol

[Marie]

Here's another question sorry guys

So I change the wishbones and during this job is there anything else I need to look at changing : have off any way before I have the geometry done?

Both track rod end have been changed in the last two years already.

Looks like I'll have to travel to get the geometry done and the last thing i want is to get there and find I should have changed something else too. Although I'm not flush with pennies I want to get this bob on before I am hard up

[05omegav6]

Try http://www.brauntonengineering.co.uk/ bit pricey £90+vat, but saving on fuel traipsing up to WIM If too far away try searching for similar specialists near you

As for what else to change, if you're happy with the track rods, shocks and top mounts, then you're good to go

Polys are £35 and genuine rear bushes are £20 each, so probably better off refurbing existing arms against fitting brand new when the ball joints fail they can be replaced without upsetting the geometry