Hi

 

I Had my car on full geo today for the second time since they messed up last week and well, long story short they cocked it up big time and managed to wreck my electric window cables in the process .

 

In rage I went and had the car up on the lift for free thanks to a great mechanic and it took us zero time to find that all bushings in the front end as well as the rear axle beam bushings were pretty much gone. So much for the best of the best geo guy beeing ordered to take a look before he started. Ok, I could've checked this before but naah...

 

I found that my front ARB is hitting the xenon leveling sender on the left hand side. It sits all right on the right hand side so I'm wondering if the bar can rotate in the bushings or if it could have been bent? It looks that way but how could that be?

 

I've just recently changed my drop links for some OEM Lemforder and they are the right length. I installed these by tightening the bolt only when the weight of the car was resting on its wheels.

 

Anyone got some ideas or previous experience?

 

 

Here is the plan. Need to sort this out before Rally Finland in 2 weeks. Please give some advice since I can't think straight

 

Bushings looking to be replaced:

 

- Wishbone bush

FRONT=poly

REAR=Audi TT (solid) or poly?

 

- Subframe to chassis bush:

Trying to find the two piece TT ones but my main dealer quoted them at £180 (hurra Sverige).

034motorsport has awful reviews online, they have solid aluminium bushings

Polybush sells the PU subframe bush

 

- Rear axle beam bush

Skoda Fabia vRS or Superpro two piece

 

- Ball joints

 

- New FARB if broken

 

- Wheel geo #3 :sun:

 

PSItuning sell a complete set with some polybushed wishbones, ball joints and so on for £200

 

http://www.psituning.com/product.php/20094/psi_suspension_energise_kit_stage_3____golf_mk4_2wd_etc

 

By the looks now I need to order everything from at least three online dealers so to get all in a kit would be awesome.

Solved! I removed the drop link bottom bolt on both sides, pryed the bar a bit and then refitted the nut just on the first threads. Then I dropped the car and tightened the bolt. Now the roll bar sits as it should.

 

Seems that he bar had twisted a bit due to me not having sufficient weight on the suspension on refitting before. Now the car feels more responsive than before.

 

So much for trying to be the king of DIY

Solved! I removed the drop link bottom bolt on both sides, pryed the bar a bit and then refitted the nut just on the first threads. Then I dropped the car and tightened the bolt. Now the roll bar sits as it should.

 

Seems that he bar had twisted a bit due to me not having sufficient weight on the suspension on refitting before. Now the car feels more responsive than before.

 

So much for trying to be the king of DIY

 

I find that strange as basically the drop links are on ball jonts fixed between suspension strut and arb so they can only sit in a position that is as long as the drop link is.

The ARB can rotate in bushings as designed to to adjust with the road level a conditions that the suspension travels at.

The ARB will just turn in the bushings. Perhaps your ARB is not greased and stiff    

I find that strange as basically the drop links are on ball jonts fixed between suspension strut and arb so they can only sit in a position that is as long as the drop link is.

The ARB can rotate in bushings as designed to to adjust with the road level a conditions that the suspension travels at.

The ARB will just turn in the bushings. Perhaps your ARB is not greased and stiff    

 

Well, I've been trying to get to grips with this too and it all seems strange. But the fact is that the roll bar sits as it should now on both sides. What I did:

 

- Jacked the front end

- Removed both drop link lower bolts

- Pried bar (in belief it was bent)

- Attached drop link bottom bolts on both sides (not tightening the nut)

- Dropped car on its wheels

- Tightened the lower nut.

 

When I first changed the drop links I jacked the front suspension up on one side to put some load on the suspension. That seems to be what caused this - not enough load.

 

Also the ARB was hitting the front part of the subframe before this (where the bar has an U-shape).

 

I greased the Superpro ARB bushes very good IMO. I ordered some new brackets for them now as I realized I didn't change them when I did the bushes.

 

Whatever was causing it, it's now sorted :wonder:

Well, I've been trying to get to grips with this too and it all seems strange. But the fact is that the roll bar sits as it should now on both sides. What I did:

 

- Jacked the front end

- Removed both drop link lower bolts

- Pried bar (in belief it was bent)

- Attached drop link bottom bolts on both sides (not tightening the nut)

- Dropped car on its wheels

- Tightened the lower nut.

 

When I first changed the drop links I jacked the front suspension up on one side to put some load on the suspension. That seems to be what caused this - not enough load.

 

Also the ARB was hitting the front part of the subframe before this (where the bar has an U-shape).

 

I greased the Superpro ARB bushes very good IMO. I ordered some new brackets for them now as I realized I didn't change them when I did the bushes.

 

Whatever was causing it, it's now sorted :wonder:

 

I would love to see some pics on this.

 

from what you describe (where bar has a U shape) kinda worries me.

 

The VRS has a pretty straight ARB bar that just curves from end of subframe to drop link.

 

I hope you have correct ARB as if it has a U shape that is a none VRS ARB

 

you can tell this by how bar is attached

 

A VRS ARB has it's drop links attached to the suspension strut

 

A none VRS ARB has it's drop links attached to the wishbones . 

 

If you have correct ARB than I can only assume you have a very tight ARB that is not turning in the bushes and so when you tighten it in the air that is not the angle the ARB will sit at with car on the ground.

 

So tightening on the ground may help the bar shift to the correct position.

 

very strange. I can move my bar in it's bushes (I have super pro poly bushes too) so when i tighten in the air it just moves as i lower it.

 

Anyway you have it sorted but would be interesting to understand why...

I would love to see some pics on this.

 

from what you describe (where bar has a U shape) kinda worries me.

 

The VRS has a pretty straight ARB bar that just curves from end of subframe to drop link.

 

I hope you have correct ARB as if it has a U shape that is a none VRS ARB

 

you can tell this by how bar is attached

 

A VRS ARB has it's drop links attached to the suspension strut

 

A none VRS ARB has it's drop links attached to the wishbones . 

 

If you have correct ARB than I can only assume you have a very tight ARB that is not turning in the bushes and so when you tighten it in the air that is not the angle the ARB will sit at with car on the ground.

 

So tightening on the ground may help the bar shift to the correct position.

 

very strange. I can move my bar in it's bushes (I have super pro poly bushes too) so when i tighten in the air it just moves as i lower it.

 

Anyway you have it sorted but would be interesting to understand why...

 

I did exactly what I higlighted in your post. I even pushed the whole control arm assembly up with a jack to simulate the normal load. I must've done something wrong.

 

Will try to take some pics tomorrow of the ARB, drop links and so on. I know you have very good know-how of these cars so for you to say this kind off worries me.

 

Damn them rebuilt Octavia GLX's

 

Thank you for the info though!

I did exactly what I higlighted in your post. I even pushed the whole control arm assembly up with a jack to simulate the normal load. I must've done something wrong.

 

Will try to take some pics tomorrow of the ARB, drop links and so on. I know you have very good know-how of these cars so for you to say this kind off worries me.

 

Damn them rebuilt Octavia GLX's

 

Thank you for the info though!

 

You are welcome my friend.

 

I just intrigued with this one a little..

 

It is not uncommon for folks who don't know the VRS has different FARB set up to swap over to a none VRS ARB , like a VW Golf etc. 

 

I have even known garages to do this which is crazy....

Why does this sound like the arb is upside down

It's Sweden guys - anything can happen here. Anything appart from getting anything right...

Ha ha if you have a "U" shaped FARB then the loop goes over the top of the drive shaft not under it

Unless you have a mk4 golf FARB then it goes under the drive shaft

Wil try to take some pics during lunch or after work today.

 

Can't even remember what color my car is atm...

Can't even remember what color my car is atm...

Same here I'm on to my 3rd turbo change this month after a scam artist got me so having to walk to work etc gutted

Same here I'm on to my 3rd turbo change this month after a scam artist got me so having to walk to work etc gutted

 

Wow. Funny how some people can go to bed at night at all. Feeling with you man!

 

eBay scam or was it?

Gumtree, said it was perfect almost new only done a few 100 miles taken off as he was upgrading, turned up opened the box shaft had loads of play up down and in and out, gutted. Only good thing was it had an uprated a tauter and because he took the mick to send me the turbo he have me a set of injectors for the trouble as well