Suspension bushes - that big a job?
Discussion
Just got the car back from the MoT with an "amber" for the front suspension bushes (car is an '09 3 MPS). The quote is in the region of £800... Now, to my (albeit novice) clanky skills/understanding, this seems an awful lot for something where the parts will come in at less than £50 (quick Google came up with Powerflex Black series poly bushes, specific to the car) - or am I totally underestimating the complexity of the job (and franchised dealer labour)?
Thinking, source the parts and indy?
Thinking, source the parts and indy?
Hi,
I've just rebuilt the front suspension on my classic, it had to be done in situe and the bloke came round to do it, which involved all Anti Roll Bar bushes, tie bars & drop links. The Polybushes cost me £160 all in, the labour to fit was 3.5 hours at £25 ph. Effectively an hour to remove, then the bushes needed to be pressed out and pressed back in plus refit.
Once the car is on the road I'll have to get it tracked etc, but hopefully that might give you an idea. Then again, the car is an old 80's Lancer and RWD with easy access to everything.
I've just rebuilt the front suspension on my classic, it had to be done in situe and the bloke came round to do it, which involved all Anti Roll Bar bushes, tie bars & drop links. The Polybushes cost me £160 all in, the labour to fit was 3.5 hours at £25 ph. Effectively an hour to remove, then the bushes needed to be pressed out and pressed back in plus refit.
Once the car is on the road I'll have to get it tracked etc, but hopefully that might give you an idea. Then again, the car is an old 80's Lancer and RWD with easy access to everything.
mr2aw11 said:
Just got the car back from the MoT with an "amber" for the front suspension bushes (car is an '09 3 MPS). The quote is in the region of £800... Now, to my (albeit novice) clanky skills/understanding, this seems an awful lot for something where the parts will come in at less than £50 (quick Google came up with Powerflex Black series poly bushes, specific to the car) - or am I totally underestimating the complexity of the job (and franchised dealer labour)?
Thinking, source the parts and indy?
String...how long ? etc etcThinking, source the parts and indy?
OEM dealer prices will always be high, especially with labour.
Some bushes can be easy to remove, some can be a total nightmare. But for sure, the aftermarket poly bushes will almost always be easier to refit than OEM bushes which can often need pressed in.
So without knowing specifics, just impossible to say how easy or hard it might be
Depends on the car, chances are they want to replace the bottom arms as it's a bolt on job and the manufacturer may well not supply bushes on their own.
£800 does sound like a lot though, I would have thought £3-400 max for parts and a couple of hours labour absolute maximum for a typical McPherson strut.
Having said that, there are occasions where it can turn into a ball-ache, like on some Peugeots where the cornering bush bolt is about 4 inches long as it runs all the way through the subframe and is directly in line with the driveshaft, so the driveshaft has to be removed to get the bolt out! Still not that bad, only adds on 15 minutes each side to remove and replace the hub nuts with an air gun.
If the bushes are available (personally I'd stick with OEM) then find a garage who are happy pressing the old bushes out and it might save you a couple of hundred quid.
£800 does sound like a lot though, I would have thought £3-400 max for parts and a couple of hours labour absolute maximum for a typical McPherson strut.
Having said that, there are occasions where it can turn into a ball-ache, like on some Peugeots where the cornering bush bolt is about 4 inches long as it runs all the way through the subframe and is directly in line with the driveshaft, so the driveshaft has to be removed to get the bolt out! Still not that bad, only adds on 15 minutes each side to remove and replace the hub nuts with an air gun.
If the bushes are available (personally I'd stick with OEM) then find a garage who are happy pressing the old bushes out and it might save you a couple of hundred quid.
Edited by The Wookie on Monday 19th May 13:25
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