Alfa 147 wishbones
Discussion
Needing a second car I bought a clean Alfa 147 1.6 TS Lusso 2003 vintage for the grand total of £250. It had 8 months MOT and needed a wheel bearing. An afternoon fixed that and I Have to say the wee car is a joy to drive with a responsive engine and sharp handling. Over the last few months I have noticed an increasing rattle coming from the front driver's side particularly on bad roads. Ah ah the dreaded wishbone problem methinks so off to the land of the bay to check out kits. The car will need MOT in June so my intention is to treat in to new upper and lower wishbones but why oh why do the kits vary so much in price? It's a cheap car and buying a cheap kit seems appropriate but am I missing something?
Ive heard plenty of story's of cheap Ebay wishbones not lasting more than a few months so avoid them personally.
Id rather spend a little bit more and know they will last a couple of years.
I used to use EB Spares when i had my GTA - http://www.ebspares.co.uk/alfa147/suspension.cfm
Just for reference my knocking noise was the ARB bushes.
Id rather spend a little bit more and know they will last a couple of years.
I used to use EB Spares when i had my GTA - http://www.ebspares.co.uk/alfa147/suspension.cfm
Just for reference my knocking noise was the ARB bushes.
Try mister-autos .. TRW arms are best as these are the company that supply Alfa.
You'll probably also need new a/r droplinks.
getting the lower arms on and off is a PITA .. be prepared to dismantle most of the suspension! I tend to do it now by removing the whole hub and upright assembly after disconnecting the driveshaft at the gearbox/diff. Then you have a clear space to get the mounting back in and flat against the chassis rail. The threads in the mounts are soft and easy to cross-thread and strip ... been there, done that, got the t-shirt .. "I f***ed up a £70 suspension arm" or words to that effect!
Forget fleabay, etc .. the rubber used is poor quality and the balljoint covers split in weeks (sometimes days!!)
You'll probably also need new a/r droplinks.
getting the lower arms on and off is a PITA .. be prepared to dismantle most of the suspension! I tend to do it now by removing the whole hub and upright assembly after disconnecting the driveshaft at the gearbox/diff. Then you have a clear space to get the mounting back in and flat against the chassis rail. The threads in the mounts are soft and easy to cross-thread and strip ... been there, done that, got the t-shirt .. "I f***ed up a £70 suspension arm" or words to that effect!
Forget fleabay, etc .. the rubber used is poor quality and the balljoint covers split in weeks (sometimes days!!)
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