Do I need new lower control arms - with dealer video?

[HappySam]

My car was in for a minor service today. According the dealer I need two new lower control arms. They've helpfully supplied a video (link to an extract of the relevant bit below). Do I need to get them replaced or is this a bit of scaremongering? If they need replacing can the bushes be done separately.

 

Video: https://1drv.ms/v/s!AkRfMWMlZZpfhZAgGDZFLX4LzIZItA?e=iemy2o

 

Car is a 2019 vRS with approx 45,000 miles which seems quite low to be replacing suspension bushes.

 

Screengrab of the clearest shot of one of the bushes:

[RoddersUK]

Changed mine at 40k, my bushes were only making a noise. 

But one ball joint was knocking.

 

You can change the bushes, but it's probably faster, so cheaper, to change the whole arm. 

You'd have to get quotes if your paying a garage to do it.

[HappySam]

Thanks. Mine don't squeak. They've apparently "separated" and I want to know if it really is an issue or not.

 

If it is the Skoda dealer wants £530 odd to do it but I know a decent mechanic so I'll probably get him to look at it..

 

I can no longer be arsed to do things like that myself.

[Breezy_Pete]

21 minutes ago, HappySam said:

I want to know if it really is an issue or not

When's it due an MOT?

[HappySam]

20 minutes ago, Breezy_Pete said:

When's it due an MOT?

 

Next March. I stuck the car on the ramps and gave them a working with a pry bar and there was no movement so that's what I was thinking 😁

[indars]

Don't think that vulcanized & pressed-in bush can simply "come out". Outer metal casing still sits normally in control arm.
Maybe it's just a strip of rubber (nearest to outer edge) which crawled out? It's not main meat of rubber which holds the load.

But this can indicate beginning of end of bush indeed. Photo below, blue marking.
If there's no extra movement with pry bar then main vulcanized part of rubber should be plusminus ok.
As per noise, those bushes squeaks and (if it bothers driver too much) there's Technical Bulletin about greasing of void places of bush.

150'000 km / 6,5 years on nasty Latvian roads: my bushes still are ok and with no reason I don't even look at them.

And yes, they squeaks when driving on speed bumps.

[Dooge]

If you are deciding to replace, upgrading to fancier Alloy wishbones are of benefit. Saving weight and more corrosion resistant too but it won't be something Skoda dealers will do. Alot of the higher end of the VAG group have them including Audi's. Anything that runs a MQB chassis should fit but worth doing your research. 

[HappySam]

Thought I'd resurrect this as I had the car MOT'd earlier. I did indeed get an advisory for the bushes along with exactly the same advisory for front pads I got last year. Which is odd as they were only 30% worn at the service in September 🤷‍♀️

 

Dealer (Marshall's - wouldn't normally go there for a MOT but its included in the service plan) was quite chill about it, blaming potholes. Didn't try to sell me new wishbones or anything.

 

 

[langers2k]

16 minutes ago, HappySam said:

along with exactly the same advisory for front pads I got last year. Which is odd as they were only 30% worn at the service in September 🤷‍♀️

 

I don't think that's warning you the pads are low.

 

To me, it suggests the wire which connects to the pad wear sensor is very close to the brake disc. This means it may occasionally touch and get damaged, might be worth taking a quick look and seeing if it can be zip-tied away from the brake disc

[HappySam]

2 minutes ago, langers2k said:

 

I don't think that's warning you the pads are low.

 

To me, it suggests the wire which connects to the pad wear sensor is very close to the brake disc. This means it may occasionally touch and get damaged, might be worth taking a quick look and seeing if it can be zip-tied away from the brake disc

 

Oh yeah, that makes more sense 🤣

 

That's the problem with taking it to the dealer who takes it to the MOT garage. I don't get to talk to the tester. Odd they never mentioned it / sorted it at the last service. I guess that's what you get when everything's on a checklist 🙄

 

 

[HappySam]

On 05/03/2024 at 11:38, langers2k said:

 

I don't think that's warning you the pads are low.

 

 

I can't edit the previous post but it turns out that's exactly what it is. Whipped the wheel off earlier. There is nothing where it shouldn't be but the wear sensor on the inner edge on the inner pad is actually almost touching the disk face .You can barely see it, amazed the tester reported it, twice. I guess that's because the pads are almost actually due for replacement. They're down to 3 or 4mm so maybe the dealer meant there was 30% left at the last service 🤣

Edited 6 March by HappySam