New wishbone arms

[spartacus68]

For once, suspension work wasn't a complete pain in the a**e. Skoda dealer noted the wishbone bushes needed replacing when the car was in for an engine management light which transpired to be goosed air intake sensor wiring. They do like their health checks!

 

Car is 1.6 diesel on a 10 plate with 90k miles.

 

I opted to replace the droplinks too, given they can be a pain to remove. As it happens, they are probably no more than a year or so old. Meyle HD kit, you can't beat it. I've boxed 'em up. They can be my spares if needed. Fitted Meyle HD droplinks and Lemforder wishbones. £50 a side for the wishbones and £24 all in for the droplinks which is pretty decent in my book.

 

Good thing with this car is the lower balljoint is a bolt on part, so no reason to break the joint, just undo the 15mm nuts (x3) which hold the wishbone to the lower ballpoint.

 

The main bolts and nuts are 18mm to the wishbone bushes. Nothing a extension bar can't sort. I sprayed PB Blaster on all exposed threads and wire brushed too. Use a little marine grease on the withbone to ease it back in.

 

Good opportunity to refit the winter tyres too. If you're attempting the job, two trolley jacks are required, one to lift the car, and the other to lift the strut to align the droplink.

Edited 24 October, 2018 by spartacus68

[rum4mo]

Did you ever consider just buying 2 new rear mountings and press them out using one of these tools that allow you to do that while the wishbone is still on the car? For some reason I seem to have added one of these tools to my ebay watching list after my wife's August 2015 needed a new mounting before its 3rd birthday!

[spartacus68]

46 minutes ago, rum4mo said:

Did you ever consider just buying 2 new rear mountings and press them out using one of these tools that allow you to do that while the wishbone is still on the car? For some reason I seem to have added one of these tools to my ebay watching list after my wife's August 2015 needed a new mounting before its 3rd birthday!

 

After renewing the suspension on my wife's then Audi A2, I'm sceptical of home press tools. I agree the actual mounts are very cheap, but there's nothing quite like old part out, new part in. My time is pretty limited too. I'm on holiday this week and weather is half decent. I can imagine trying to do this job is rubbish weather and access is tight unless you have ramps.

[rum4mo]

Ah, so you had a bad experience pressing out the rear voided bushes on the A2, I did also think about buying one of these kits when I found a guy that was trying to market them many many years ago before the "big boys" in the tool business started arriving with their own solution - but ended up getting a proper VW Group Indie to fit SEAT Ibiza Cupra solid bushes into that 2002 Polo.

 

I can see that any of these home use press tools will be maybe strong enough just - or cause a lot of disappointment!

 

Ford used to be quite "tight" about how they treated these press in wishbone mounting bushes - on the MK3/MK4 Fiesta, their plan was that the workshop applied a dash of white paint to every wishbone that they replaced the mounting bush on, and I think these bushes could only be replaced once of twice before the wishbone was scrapped.

 

I think that the press tool for the later VW Group cars should now disappear from my ebay watch list!!

 

Edit:- A2s are increasing in value now it is said, a classic in the making, someone on one of the forums I frequent was looking for advice for swopping the powertrain to 1.2TSI 16V 110PS - okay not as original but ------- !

Edited 25 October, 2018 by rum4mo

[spartacus68]

8 hours ago, rum4mo said:

Ah, so you had a bad experience pressing out the rear voided bushes on the A2, I did also think about buying one of these kits when I found a guy that was trying to market them many many years ago before the "big boys" in the tool business started arriving with their own solution - but ended up getting a proper VW Group Indie to fit SEAT Ibiza Cupra solid bushes into that 2002 Polo.

 

Nope, replaced just about every damn part on my wife's 1.4 TDI. At 120k, replaced shocks on all 4 corners using BOGE kit. Lost count the number of times I replaced the front suspension top bearings, then did the front, new wishbones (Meyle) and the subframe console, ARB bushes, droplinks, rear springs and bumpstops. I had to get local garage to press the wishbone into the console bush. The drive was okay, but after renewing it, I expected more.

 

Sold it at 150k. Old technology. Yes A2 is an appreciating classic, but main Audi dealer looked down their noses at it. It was ahead of its time with aluminium body shell, and frugal fuel consumption. Down side, horrendous, no shocking headlights, dreaded 'moo' EGR valve, no rear wiper, never mind rear view visibility, tight engine bay and don't even get me started on fuel filter location.

 

Tools, then I'd be looking for Audi A4 pinch bolt removal tool. Laser make a drift, so I'll investigate that. A bearing tool would be useful, but like most things, it's getting the use out of it to justify it.

 

Back to the Fabia. I'm back on 16" Kumho winter tyres given the forecast for the weekend. Ride has been transformed following the suspension work. The tyres make it lighter steering than conventional summer 17" tyres, but I'm impressed. If you've got a jarring clunk over potholes, then change the wishbone bushes.

[rum4mo]

Yes, today I have been swopping wheels on both cars so it can get cold and miserable if it wants to!

 

These wishbone bones seem to be the way to go as VW Group tried that silly horizontal bush for just a few years on the MK1 Fabia, 9N Polo and 6L Ibiza before reverting to the well tried and tested vertical bush design. I think that the one that failed in my wife's 2015 Polo would have been due to one too many unsighted potholes, though on that Polo 6C there was no extra clunking, the clunking source was the light duty petrol engine type of gearbox mounting which might have failed slightly. VW dealer removed it as directed by VW Germany and greased it using copper grease and refitted it - this is what must be done as a first attempt to solve the clunking on Polos with the 1.2TSI 110PS - on second visit that gearbox mounting was replaced with the heavier duty TDI engine version and that sorted things out! How much of a fix for clunking greasing a bonded rubber mounting can be expected to give beats me, but it is the official "first fix method" for clunking complaints.

[Bertie90]

i did what this guy did. Replaced the bushes with powerflex.

 

 

 

[rum4mo]

Ah the mention of the "TT" version of these mountings, I thought that some time ago I checked to see which version the SEAT Leon Cupra used, but maybe not.  That might be the version to use if my wife's 6C Polo ever needs new mountings again.

[rrjmaier]

Hello all, 

 

I am about to change my wish bones on my Fabia MK2 (5J,  2012) and have two questions:

 

A )   Do I need to loosen the wheel nut and push back the drive shaft to lower and remove the wish bone 

and 

B )   The horizontal bolt holding the wishbone at the front is quite long and it looks to me if it could foul on the oil sump of the engine when it is fully retracted ?

       Could this be a problem?   

       I remember reading somewhere that I would need to lift the engine by an inch or so to give me enough space to pull out the bolt far enough to releade the wishbone.     

 

I am getting the complete wishbones with bushes from eurocarparts.    ( Starline Suspension Arm (Front Axle Right)  Product Code: 615780089 )

There are two Brand options available  "Starline" at £61  and "Lemfoerder" at £96,   any preferences there?    

 

Thanks for your help 

 

[sepulchrave]

If you want cheap:

 

https://ultimatestyling.co.uk/suspension-arm-front-lower-lh-audi-a1-s1-seat-ibiza-toledo-skoda-fabia-volkswagen-and-others-ult6875-ssa?utm_source=google&utm_medium=paid%2C merchant&utm_campaign=wishbones-mob&utm_term=utm_term&gclid=CjwKCAjwmv-DBhAMEiwA7xYrd8QeFpJZIP1FMghReS7nIf2aHpQclq5W66f6nTt-U3XN6gjtwEGcqxoClvkQAvD_BwE

[DieselMonte]

On 21/04/2021 at 14:17, rrjmaier said:

Hello all, 

 

I am about to change my wish bones on my Fabia MK2 (5J,  2012) and have two questions:

 

A )   Do I need to loosen the wheel nut and push back the drive shaft to lower and remove the wish bone 

and 

B )   The horizontal bolt holding the wishbone at the front is quite long and it looks to me if it could foul on the oil sump of the engine when it is fully retracted ?

       Could this be a problem?   

       I remember reading somewhere that I would need to lift the engine by an inch or so to give me enough space to pull out the bolt far enough to releade the wishbone.     

 

I am getting the complete wishbones with bushes from eurocarparts.    ( Starline Suspension Arm (Front Axle Right)  Product Code: 615780089 )

There are two Brand options available  "Starline" at £61  and "Lemfoerder" at £96,   any preferences there?    

 

Thanks for your help 

 

I'm after doing wishbones last weekend so I might be of help here.

For your first question: You dont need to undo the nut to the driveshaft to get at the ball joint nut, I used a spanner to get at it and while it did need some persuasion to crack the nut loose, and it was a little annoying sitting there getting the nut off a little bit at a time I did get it out just fine. Fabias have the balljoint bolted to the wishbone so you can just undo the 3 nuts on the balljoint and leave it in place if you dont need to touch it. I had to give both balljoints a lot of hits with a hammer to get them out, in hindsight I would've bought a ball joint separator and have them off in 2 minutes.

For your second question:

Neither front bolts on my car contacted the engine, the impact gun I was using did touch ever so slightly on the sump but I could still get it on the bolt to remove it no problems. Word of advice though, douse them in wd40 a few days before you do it. If I didnt have an impact gun I doubt I would have gotten them off. I wouldn't be surprised if the bushes and ball joints were the original on mine. The ball joints had a few miles left in them but since I had all out I felt it best to just do them too.

Edit: I didnt buy new wishbones, I bought urethane bushings to go in place of the originals and just replaced the old bushes, I think it was only £40 for the front and rear bushes. The rear one seems to be the one that takes the most abuse, its also pretty easy to do with a vice. Front bush is a massive PITA to remove without a press. If the console bushes are the reason you are changing them out I can highly recommend the psbushing ones, made a massive difference to my car.

Edited 22 April, 2021 by DieselMonte

[rrjmaier]

DieselMonte,  Great many thanks for your detailed response.

That was very helpful.  

 

I will wait and see what the MOT tells me next week. 

It might just be that the bushes (especially the rear ones) are only advisory at this stage and might go through for another year.  I didn't drive much in this lockdown year and they were advisory at the last MOT.   

But it looks most likely if the MOT complains, that it will only be the rear ones which might need to be done and if so, I will follow your advice on just replacing the bushes.  

The front ones seem to be very solid and no play.  

 

Thanks again

Robert

 

PS:

I checked if the bolts are moving, including the 3 nuts on the ball joint,  and they all do, so no worries about needing an impact gun, just a long lever.  :-)

Ball joint feels OK, so I will just remove the bottom 3 nuts and leave the ball joint in place for another day under the car in years to come

[DieselMonte]

18 hours ago, rrjmaier said:

DieselMonte,  Great many thanks for your detailed response.

That was very helpful.  

 

I will wait and see what the MOT tells me next week. 

It might just be that the bushes (especially the rear ones) are only advisory at this stage and might go through for another year.  I didn't drive much in this lockdown year and they were advisory at the last MOT.   

But it looks most likely if the MOT complains, that it will only be the rear ones which might need to be done and if so, I will follow your advice on just replacing the bushes.  

The front ones seem to be very solid and no play.  

 

Thanks again

Robert

 

PS:

I checked if the bolts are moving, including the 3 nuts on the ball joint,  and they all do, so no worries about needing an impact gun, just a long lever.  :-)

Ball joint feels OK, so I will just remove the bottom 3 nuts and leave the ball joint in place for another day under the car in years to come

My old ones looked like this and I passed our NCT in November with no advisories. I can feel a big difference after swapping in the new urethane ones so they definately were on their way out. I only noticed how bad they were when I did track rod ends a few weeks before.

[rrjmaier]

My horizontal bushes "look" and "feel" OK as they are installed but might look different when you have them in front of you dismantled as you show.

I will probably go for the whole wishbone part, saving me the hassle of pressing out and in. 

Thanks again.

Robert

 

[pebo48]

Im thinking of doing this to my mk2 fabia the bushings are an advisory after an mot. Can i reuse the control arm mounting bolts or are they one use only, finding conflicting info on the tinternet.

[rum4mo]

I have downloaded a copy of the official VW workshop manual for my wife’s 2015 VW Polo 1.2TSI, these bolts are the same part number as for your Fabia, and the recommendation is “replace” these bolts and nut, so I’ve gone with that.

[rrjmaier]

Hello Rum4ro

 

Could you please include the download link to the workshop manual? Thanks

 

[DieselMonte]

8 hours ago, pebo48 said:

Im thinking of doing this to my mk2 fabia the bushings are an advisory after an mot. Can i reuse the control arm mounting bolts or are they one use only, finding conflicting info on the tinternet.

I've Reused mine.

Fyi the genuine bushes are only 20 odd plus vat.

1J0 407 181.

 

[rum4mo]

5 hours ago, rrjmaier said:

Hello Rum4ro

 

Could you please include the download link to the workshop manual? Thanks

 

I bought my download from easymanuals.co.uk, so you’d be better to buy a download for your car as there would be more relevant info in it.

[rum4mo]

1 hour ago, DieselMonte said:

I've Reused mine.

Fyi the genuine bushes are only 20 odd plus vat.

1J0 407 181.

 

I bought mine from ECP, branded as Lemforder and with that VW Group part number moulded into the rubber, £13.50 each a couple of weeks or so ago.

 

Edit:- for some reason I bought VW Group drop links, and doing that hurt my wallet a bit!

Edited 15 September, 2023 by rum4mo

[DieselMonte]

The genuine droplinks are a farce

70 odd plus vat each and doesn't include nuts.

Put meyle in mine last time.

For 18 each all in.

Should say the 1j0 bushes that price is in euro not £.

Worth pricing stuff genuine for the most part but some stuff is silly money for no real reason.

[rum4mo]

I agree but as that age of car, Polo was fitted with droplinks that might have U profile plastic “rods” I wanted to replace with that or whatever was the latest offering - the note in the parts listing made it clear that both sides must be replaced when one side is being replaced, so I interpreted that to mean that this item had been revised. Anyway latest version seems to have quite a large(er) pair of ball joints and maybe tubular rods.