Help figuring out which bush MOT advisory

[mikeybean]

Hi all. 

 

I have had an advisory on my recent MOT which states: 

 

Bonded suspension unit deteriorated but can function as intended offside front lower (arm (rear) bush) [2.4.F.3]

 

Am I correct in thinking this a console bush? I asked the garage to quote all the advisories up and they have quoted £98 for this bush...

 

Cheers in advance,

 

Mike.

[rum4mo]

Yes, I'd say so!

[Jaspire]

Aye that sounds about right.  Have a gander at it and see if you can any damage to it.  Most of the cost for changing it will be labour.  OEM part will be less than £20 I suspect, less than a £10 for non oem one.  Might as well get them both done and fit the cupra or meyle hd ones.  Powerflex ones are dearer to buy but simpler to fit (threaded rod and big washers anyone?) but they are too solid for me and my fat ass.

Edited 22 September, 2016 by Jaspire

[mikeybean]

Aye that sounds about right.  Have a gander at it and see if you can any damage to it.  Most of the cost for changing it will be labour.  OEM part will be less than £20 I suspect, less than a £10 for non oem one.  Might as well get them both done and fit the cupra or meyle hd ones.  Powerflex ones are dearer to buy but simpler to fit (threaded rod and big washers anyone?) but they are too solid for me and my fat ass.

Sorry I didn't say in the original post: £98 was not including labour. Labour was being charged at £30 on top of that. So, £128 for the supply and fitting of one console bush. I'd prefer to just get an OEM one. My car is not modified in any way and I'd prefer to have OEM replacements. Thanks for your knowledge/advice :-)

 

Mike. 

[rum4mo]

Sounds your pricing is back to front, or that garage is just fitting a new console? (complete with bush)

 

Edit:- even then they are being extremely cheap for labour.

Edited 22 September, 2016 by rum4mo

[mikeybean]

Sounds your pricing is back to front, or that garage is just fitting a new console? (complete with bush)

 

Edit:- even then they are being extremely cheap for labour.

 

From the email I have received (I confirmed these prices in a subsequent email): 

 

Hi Mike

 

Thanks for that.

 

I have priced up the parts as requested. Please find a breakdown below.

 

2x track rod ends - £27.00

Labour - £50.00

Front lower arm (rear) bush - £98.00

Labour - £30.00

Wheel alignment - £39.00

 

 

Cheers,

 

Mike

[rum4mo]

At that labour charge, I'd definately advice you to replace both (sides) if only because the only available VAG parts should be an improved version so different from the other side, I hope that getting this work done does not mess up that car's "4 wheel alignment" - as that will lead to uneven tyre wear and a crabbing car.

[mikeybean]

Yeh I'll get both sides done at the same time. Also i am having 4 wheel laser alignment post all work described above. Having two new tyres fitted too.

They seem to be adamant that the bush is indeed £98, which is ridiculous. So i am going to supply a pair myself and get them to fit.

So, as described above we reckon the advisory notice from my MOT is definately the console bushes?

Cheers,

Mike

[Tech1e]

For £98 that will be supplied in the console.

[sepulchrave]

^^ This, and it won't be a genuine part either.

[Breezy_Pete]

You may find that the labour charge goes up though, if they have to extract and replace bushes from existing consoles.

[sepulchrave]

It means they don't have the correct bush extraction/fitting tool, otherwise they'd use it and make more profit by fitting new bushes.

[Breezy_Pete]

Probably; or they have had a number of front bolts that refuse to come out without tearing up the console threads, and have decided to take the path of least resistance.

[mikeybean]

It's interesting because I have asked specifically and unmistakably whether the £98 is for the bush on it's own or as the the suspension arm console with the bush pre-installed and they have specifically come back saying the £98 is for the bush only, explaining that it is because it is in an aluminium casing (which is standard, so I don't understand why that is something to attribute the price to).

 

The garage who gave me this quote above is not the garage I had my MOT at (my usual garage). It is a different one who I have chosen because they seem to be more competent at wheel alignment/ steering related issues than the mobile wheel alignment guy that my usual garage calls out and charges £80 for. It is this garage from which I have received the above quote: http://www.bsmartautocentre.co.uk/wheel-alignment-in-leeds

 

They seem to get a lot of nice cars in there and seem (from their website and reviews at least) more specialist regarding wheel alignment, hence why I have approached them. Not sure what to do now to be honest because it's not very good that they don't appear to have a full understanding of the bush etc... 

[sepulchrave]

Probably; or they have had a number of front bolts that refuse to come out without tearing up the console threads, and have decided to take the path of least resistance.

 

I must admit on my elegance I had to really work the bolts back and forth with beaucoup de plusgas to get them out without damaging the threads in the console, if you gun 'em out you just tear the threads to pieces and need new consoles and new front bolts as well.

[Breezy_Pete]

w.r.t. #14: The factory fit bush has a plastic outer, no?

Edited 22 September, 2016 by Wino

[mikeybean]

It means they don't have the correct bush extraction/fitting tool, otherwise they'd use it and make more profit by fitting new bushes.

 

Yeh this would make sense, although they have said that if I supply my own bushes they will fit them?

 

w.r.t. #14: The factory fit bush has a plastic outer, no?

 

Possibly, the ones I have seen have aluminium ones but i can't claim to be very knowledgeable about this. 

Edited 22 September, 2016 by mikeybean

[sepulchrave]

w.r.t. #14: The factory fit bush has a plastic outer, no?

 

Yes, it's really easy to smash it out, you can crack the nylon outer with a rough screwdriver where there's a void and then just pry it out, refitting a new one is much trickier unless you use a PSB type PU bush.

[Breezy_Pete]

Yes, it's really easy to smash it out, you can crack the nylon outer with a rough screwdriver where there's a void and then just pry it out, refitting a new one is much trickier unless you use a PSB type PU bush.

Sorry, yeah, I know, it was more of a statement than a question. I made a cute little press tool for fitting the X-rubber upgraded OE or MeyleHD style ones, I'll pop a photo up in a bit. Supports the flared out bit as well as pushing axially.

 

 

Edited 22 September, 2016 by Wino

[sepulchrave]

Now that's good work.

[Breezy_Pete]

Ta.

[Tech1e]

I'm very impressed by the tooling.

[FollowingGhosts]

For what it's worth, I paid £150 labour and £150ish parts for both suspension arms, and the rear axle bushes to be done.

 

Unfortunately I don't have a breakdown of individual prices

[VWD]

w.r.t. #14: The factory fit bush has a plastic outer, no?

If the non Vrs models all have the same bush, then yes. SIL did one on mine and it fell out when hit by a screwdriver. Sort of plastic version of the old metalistic bush.

[rum4mo]

If the non Vrs models all have the same bush, then yes. SIL did one on mine and it fell out when hit by a screwdriver. Sort of plastic version of the old metalistic bush.

 

That is where the SEAT CUPRA bushes differed from the bushes fitted to all the other models, ie solid and with a metal outer skin - that worked well enough on my wife's old 2002 Polo 1.4 BBY and lasted still "feeling like new" when that car was sold on about 10 years later, which was more than the original version of these nasty things did after less than four years life!