Finally, after months of talking about it I am going to pull my thumb out and get it all done. Well as much as I can with the money I have.

So...

First issue: Wishbone bushes;

I need the both bushes for the front arms but I am not to sure what bushes I wan't.

I keep thinking about going Audi TT bushes but then reading on here I see some people go for R32 bushes, Fabia bushes and super pro bushes.

I don't want to go uber expensive, just want to replace and slightly improve on what I have before the problem gets worse.

Second issue: Brake pads;

I have now got the warning light come up for it so I need to change them at some point so why not when every thing is off! As before, I don't wan't to spend loads. Just a fresh set of pads. Need to Vag-com and find out what ones but out of the browns group pads, genuine skoda pads and the bosch ones available from vag parts, which would be the better ones to buy?

Third issue: Rear anti-roll bar;

Which one is the best value for money?

What MM do I need?

Does the RARB have everything I need included or do I need to buy other bits?

I have heard they are a bitch to install. Is this true and if so why?

Thanks,

Damian.

Edited 18 May, 201115 yr by DBP

I think, from looking at it that I will go for the SuperPro bushes. They seem the better option for the price. Where is the best place to buy them? Any Briskoda discount out there?

Brake pads. Been looking at Vagparts(vwspares.com) and they have a set of TWS pads on there for £36.42 all in but I went on euro parts http://www.eurocarparts.com/ and there options, with free delivery, seem cheaper than the TWS ones, but are they better quality? I noticed there are two different types of the Pagid and besides one being slightly thicker (and also cheaper) I can't work out the difference.

http://www.eurocarparts.com/ecp/c/Skoda_Octavia_1.8_2003/p/car-parts/brakes/brake-friction/brake-pad/?101440708&1&4ca255b12c2e226886b4d8f51f43171edc27e0ad&BKPA

http://www.eurocarparts.com/ecp/c/Skoda_Octavia_1.8_2003/p/car-parts/brakes/brake-friction/brake-pad/?101440718&1&65a6e410f97b91579d345a45667d14393488a670&BKPA

whiteline rarb is very popular and easy to fit. You will ideally need ramps or a lift to fit them though.

are uprated poly bushes considered a modification?

Im just thinking, as theyre much brighter coloured than OEM bits, and an insurance assessor could use that as a get-out-clause after an accident..

Any thoughts?

are uprated poly bushes considered a modification?

Im just thinking, as theyre much brighter coloured than OEM bits, and an insurance assessor could use that as a get-out-clause after an accident..

Any thoughts?

I would consider it to be a direct replacement? Because I would consider to be a mod something you add to the car that wasn't originally there. Even though you don't get poly as standard there not any different.

TBH, we have been through claims before and when they check the car they only really check the damage that was done. Only in the situation where you were to total the car and cause serious damage I think they dive that indepth. But thats my experince/thoughts.

I would consider it to be a direct replacement? Because I would consider to be a mod something you add to the car that wasn't originally there. Even though you don't get poly as standard there not any different.

Although after market alloy wheels would be a replacement, but also definitely a modification. Unfortunately you should declare anything and everything that you know or could reasonably be expected to know is not standard, although i'm sure many things would be disregarded for insurance premium purposes. In practice a poly bush doesn't really change the performance of your car, or the likelihood of having or not having an accident nor is it likely to be something that increases the likelihood of theft or deliberate damage, so i'd be surprised if it made any difference.

whiteline rarb is very popular and easy to fit. You will ideally need ramps or a lift to fit them though.

As long as you don't have arthritis or a massive beer gut it's easy enough to do it on a pair of stands I thought - I did mine in about half an hour.

As long as you don't have arthritis or a massive beer gut it's easy enough to do it on a pair of stands I thought - I did mine in about half an hour.

Wow, what a good buy! Front super pro bush kit for £57 delivered!

http://www.candrenterprises.co.uk/shop/superpro-uprated-suspension-bushes-skoda-1997-2004-3.html

Also, how do black diamond pads rate?

http://www.candrenterprises.co.uk/shop/black-diamond-predator-brake-pads-skoda-00-9.html

Because for £40 odd quid thats not a bad price!

Just bought the Super pro bushes kit from CnR for £57 delivered

I have gone for Mintex pads all round for £47

I have also bout the servicing kit from Opie for £40

All thats left now is the RARB! Then I can properly think about the Remap.

Next week I plan to start doing my wishbones. What bolts do I need to replace when I take off the wishbones. Also what torque do I need when putting it all back together?

The start of the of my over haul

The car about to be jacked. Rather shiney despite being bloody filthy!

All the bits waiting to go in.

Dad doing the easy work after I broke my back undoing the nuts!

Hmm, that disc looks a bit bad?

Proof I needed those bushes

This wasn't even one of the bad pads! One of the ones with the most meat on!

Hub assembly. Don't know if you can see but the captive bolt has broken off inside the hub.

Ok, those discs are ******! Off to uni part. Another £44 out!

More proof the bushes are shot!

Mmmm, new discs.

All back together.

Tomorrow will be the bushes and rears if the price is right!

We found out today as well that the passenger side hub doesn't have a captive thread anymore. So it will hold the bolt for the caliper cradle but it just spins at the end, goes in and out fine. How much does a new hub cost or are the alternative options?

Wow

Few things there, how the hell did they stop you?

Hubs are mucho £ new. A scrappy is best bet, I have hubs avail. Is it one of the bolts holding the calliper carrier on?

Pm me mate if you need one, prob need new bearing in tho. I've sold one hub but can't remember which. Ill look tomoz

Billy

Wow

Few things there, how the hell did they stop you?

Hubs are mucho £ new. A scrappy is best bet, I have hubs avail. Is it one of the bolts holding the calliper carrier on?

Pm me mate if you need one, prob need new bearing in tho. I've sold one hub but can't remember which. Ill look tomoz

Billy

They have only made my starfish pucker up a few times. Otherwise they have been alright, especially since that one of the pads was coming away and another was basically just the backing pad!

Really! :( sad times. I have both, but the top one just spins when it is fully in, it seems to hold and it has been like that since I bought the car as far as I am aware.

Kool, I have a breakers up the road and a skoda specialist breaker just around the corner from it as well. Very convienient .

To all the people who have done this on their own with just using two bits of metal and a bolt, I want to give you one hell of a round of applause. It took me and my dad, who use to be a mechanic, 5 hours! But finally it is all together and giving much better MPG as well!

To get the bushes in we had to use a friends hydraulic press and a bench vice to get it all done.

This is what they both looked like. As you can see they are a mess!

This is the horizontal bush. Both where alright but needed to come out.

The wishbone as whole.

With all new superpro bushes.