Been informed on my MOT that the Front ARB is on its last legs, so having to move my plans forwards and replace this/fit rARB before remapping.

Question is can anyone confirm the part no for the OEM R32 FARB, as recommended by many for the mk1 octy? Thanks muchly!

Is it the bar thats shot or just the bushs,

The R32 is 23mm and part no 1J0 411 305AF,

You still need new larger bushs aswell, i have superpro's in mine

I am guessing you would have to get this from vw?

Anybody have a rough idea of price?

Thanks for the replys guys. I had the bushes replaced with OEM to pass the MOT last week but was advised the fARB was on its last legs. The R32 front and 25-28mm rear is often cited as the best way to go so looking into it. Found an eBay listing for an R32 compatable fARB (NUMBER - 1K0 411 303 AQ) and am wondering if this was the right part, hence the post.

Original plan was always for a Whiteline 24mm rear and keep the std 19mm front, but seeming I need to replace it anyway I want to weigh up the options.

I got it from TPS and think it cost me 85 quid

Thanks for the replys guys. I had the bushes replaced with OEM to pass the MOT last week but was advised the fARB was on its last legs. The R32 front and 25-28mm rear is often cited as the best way to go so looking into it. Found an eBay listing for an R32 compatable fARB (NUMBER - 1K0 411 303 AQ) and am wondering if this was the right part, hence the post.

Original plan was always for a Whiteline 24mm rear and keep the std 19mm front, but seeming I need to replace it anyway I want to weigh up the options.

My advise is don't fit the R32 FARB until you have fitted a RARB.

But agree great all round Handling mod is a 25/28mm RARB and R32 FARB.

If you are gettng a whiteline RARB then I would personally stick with the std FARB as a R32 FARB would be a tad to much IMO.

Agree with you Bowders. If I went down the R32 route it would be all in and get a suitable rARB at the same time. I don't drive my car hard so a 'full on' set up isn't vital to me, but wanted to explore the options whilst I'm mulling it over.

I'm now leaning towards my original plan of sticking with the std 19mm front (after all I've just paid for new bushes anyway now!) and a Whiteline rear at a later date.

Guess now the question is where can I get a good std fARB from, how much and how hard is it to fit?

Really appreciate all your comments and advice guys. Cheers!

Edited 6 September, 201213 yr by BobSmoke

Ive been running a R32 front bar for about 6 months now with only the standard bar on back and its been fine as ive not come across a rarb as yet

Agree with you Bowders. If I went down the R32 route it would be all in and get a suitable rARB at the same time. I don't drive my car hard so a 'full on' set up isn't vital to me, but wanted to explore the options whilst I'm mulling it over.

I'm now leaning towards my original plan of sticking with the std 19mm front (after all I've just paid for new bushes anyway now!) and a Whiteline rear at a later date.

Guess now the question is where can I get a good std fARB from, how much and how hard is it to fit?

Really appreciate all your comments and advice guys. Cheers!

I can't see that your std ARB is fuburb to be honest , the only thing that goes wrong with them is the sleeves crack or the bushes wear out and or the paint flakes on the ARB making it look a tab bad but still performs ok.

Most MOT Garages will lean towards you replacing the ARB and not just stating you can just preplace bushes and or remove sleeves.

Therefore consider that your STD ARB is fine and you have new bushes and you may lean towards a Whiteline RARB(they are twice as cheap as a Neuspeed if you are money contious)

The set up with new FARB bushes and a RARB will transform your car handling anyway. I made do with only a 22mm whiteline for a few years and only went to a 28mm Neuspeed because I wanted to track my car and complete a full chassis upgrade. If you just want nice positive handling and sharper than std then a 24mm whiteline and std FARB will do this for you.

Removing the FARB maybe to spray it or replace it is not hard but you need to lower the subframe to get to it and this means loosening steering rack and rear subframe bolts and removing front subframe bolts and drop links for FARB. Done it lots of time and is a simple job.

Ive been running a R32 front bar for about 6 months now with only the standard bar on back and its been fine as ive not come across a rarb as yet

you not driving hard enough then.....

I'd be happy if the current bar can stay. I've not had a look myself yet. The MOT was done by my brother in law so know I can trust him when he says something needs doing. He mentioned that the replacement bushes needed packing out to fit hence his view it's on it's way out.

Hopefully your right (gut feeling is you are) and I can go back to plan A and just source a Whiteline rear ARB. That should help save a few pennies towards the remap

Cheers again for the advice.

You can get various different sized bushes. I wouldn't junk it unless you were after an upgrade specifically...

I'd be happy if the current bar can stay. I've not had a look myself yet. The MOT was done by my brother in law so know I can trust him when he says something needs doing. He mentioned that the replacement bushes needed packing out to fit hence his view it's on it's way out.

Hopefully your right (gut feeling is you are) and I can go back to plan A and just source a Whiteline rear ARB. That should help save a few pennies towards the remap

Cheers again for the advice.

Perhaps you can trust your brother in law , but what he should of told you then is that if the sleeves were fuburd you don't need to pack out the std bushes if you buy 17mm bushes instead of the 19mm ones. He was obviously stating that if using std bushes. Why he did not state use a smaller bushes I can't say.

Just because you know folks does not mean they know everything. and that is not be disrespectful buddy just honest.

It is not just about trust but experience counts.

Perhaps you can trust your brother in law , but what he should of told you then is that if the sleeves were fuburd you don't need to pack ot the std bushes if you buy 17mm bushes instead of the 19mm ones. He was obviously stating that if using std bushes. Why he did not state use a smaller bushes I can't say.

Just because you know folks does not mean they know everything. and that is not be disrespectful buddy just honest.

It is not just about trust but experience counts.

Haha, don't I know it. He's a good fella, but a by-the-book mechanic so would have just fitted 19mm bushes as that's the std part. His garage is so busy he won't research or risk fitting non standard parts (he's not the owner, just head mechanic). It's reassuring that cos they're so busy they don't do unnecessary work, but sometime a bit of a pain cos he won't go that extra mile sometimes.

End of the day, I'm happier now thanks to your helpful advice that I can keep the current ARB. It's one less expense.

Edited 7 September, 201213 yr by BobSmoke

I've heard some rumors, that if you put a r32 FARB on a lowered car the farb will rub somewhere...

I have weitecs about half way down, so is that true or not?

Its the hoop style bars that the lower model golf has fitted that causes problems not the r32 bars

I've heard some rumors, that if you put a r32 FARB on a lowered car the farb will rub somewhere...

I have weitecs about half way down, so is that true or not?

Not true buddy on the VRS platform.

As volvomeg states.

The VRS shares same FARB to droplink set up as Audi TT/S3 LCR and Golf R32 where the drop links attach from FARB to suspension strut well out of the way of the drive shaft.

The none VRS Octavia is the same as the 1.8T Golf and all none R32/4motion models where the FARB have drop link attached to the Wishbones(hoop style over the drive shaft). It is when you lower these types the drive shaft hits the FARB regardless of 23mm FARB fitted or std one.

Also you can't fit a R32 FARB to none 1.8T Golf and all none R32/4motion models for the reasons i mentioned on how they fit, unless you convert those vehicle's