My Front Suspension

LSPIII

LSPIII

LSPIII

Associate
Joined
29 Jan 2003
Posts
1,063
Location
Surrey
My Suspension (ARBs and Bushes)

This is not an April Fools before anyone queries....

I'm having the car serviced at the moment and the garage has just phoned me with a bit of disappointing news. Apparently I need new Lower Front Arms (the bushes collapsed and are now sitting on the subframe) and a new anti-roll bar as the bushes are cracked and they don't sell bushes for that particular anti-roll bar any more due to this problem, so it's been replaced with a new design.

I've been quoted £235 for each front arm. This sounds like rather a lot of cash and more than I need to be spending right now. Does this problem a) sound feasible and b) really cost this much to fix?

The ARB I've been quoted at £187 or similar. This minor service is beginning to look expensive :(

I need to know if I should be considering other options, for example if I can buy uprated parts that will not cost a lot more, or whether I'm being fleeced. I just don't know enough about these sorts of things! Any (swift) help is much appreciated.

Cheers!
 
Last edited:
That sounds very expensive. The lower arms on a mondeo can be had aftermarket for £20 each. Then I paid £25 a side for them to be fitted at an independent.

Also, we need to know what car it is as prices vary massively. If you have a doubt about the price, pick a dealer and pick some random independents and phone them for a quote.
 
Car is an Audi S3.

How quickly do I need to think about getting this work done? I assume fairly swiftly! Is the car dangerous to drive as it is?
 
Shouldn't be any hurry with the ARB. Front arms may be more urgent depending on just how knackered the bushes are. They way you've described it makes it sound like they should be done ASAP but it's hard to say for definite without seeing it.
 
If you have both arms sitting on the subframe I would assume you have heard knocking ?

They will be quoting replacing the front arms as its a lot easier than replacing the bushes in your current arms. You could get a set of uprated Polly bushes and fit these, with the anti-roll bar for that price I would be looking at replacing this with a thicker aftermarket one and putting one on the rear aswell.

As said above the ARB isn't a rush but with the arms I would get that done soon. Ask to have a look yourself to confirm its pretty easy to see a knackered bush.
 
ARBs aren't cheap to replace on the 8P so i imagine the 8L is the same - its the perfect excuse to upgrade them though ;)

i'd ring around an audi garage or two and some of the local VAG specialists to see what they come up with - alternativly try Warn's Garage:
The Common
Horsham Rd, Shalford, Guildford, GU4 8DQ
01483 567058

they aren't a specialist, more of an old school local garage but the guys there are very good and haven't done me wrong in the last couple of years :)
 
I assume the S3 has the sided arms like the TT not the standard non-sided pressed arms from the standard A3/Golf/Octavia etc.?

ARB sounds about right.
 
kaiowas said:
Shouldn't be any hurry with the ARB. Front arms may be more urgent depending on just how knackered the bushes are. They way you've described it makes it sound like they should be done ASAP but it's hard to say for definite without seeing it.
Click to expand...

Cheers. The garage are saying that the bushes have completely collapsed and that the arms are now sitting on the sub frame. If that's any help! I'm unlikely to be able to get the work done today (need to move some money around) but I can get it done over the next week or so.

Dangerous Dave said:
If you have both arms sitting on the subframe I would assume you have heard knocking ?

They will be quoting replacing the front arms as its a lot easier than replacing the bushes in your current arms. You could get a set of uprated Polly bushes and fit these, with the anti-roll bar for that price I would be looking at replacing this with a thicker aftermarket one and putting one on the rear aswell.

As said above the ARB isn't a rush but with the arms I would get that done soon. Ask to have a look yourself to confirm its pretty easy to see a knackered bush.
Click to expand...

There has been a slight knocking but only when going over EVIL speed humps. Normal humps are fine and normal day to day driving there's been nothing out of the ordinary in the sound department.

Is it likely that I won't actually need new arms in this case do you think? If I can get away with just replacing the bushes (I checked my local auction site briefly and these appear to be much cheaper than replacing the arm, though not sure how much work is involved) I assume Powerflex are OK? As for the ARBs, I've seen people say not to put uprated ARBs when you have standard suspension. Is this not the case?

[TW]Fox;13797357 said:
The genuine arms for the BMW's are similar money, what exactly do you expect its an Audi S3 not a Fiesta Popular Plus :p
Click to expand...

Now now Foxy. It's more the fact that I just don't know whether the prices are reflective or whether I'm genuinely being screwed. I've never needed to do any suspension work on any car before so I genuinely have no idea on the costs involved. I know it's not a Mitsubishi Colt though (my courtesy car btw :rolleyes:)!
 
Buying poly bushes for the front arms will be cheaper in terms of parts but unless you are doing it yourself may work out more expensive when labour is taken into account as getting the old ones out will be more work than just swapping the arms. Get a few quotes for installing the poly bushes and see.

If your going down the poly bush route you should be able to get some poly bushes for the ARB too which should work out cheaper than replacing the whole ARB.
 
OK, so it looks like replacing the ARB is going to be fairly necessary, so I've been looking at the H&R kit which is circa £360 for front and back (parts only). How much labour am I looking at for replacing the ARBs?

Also, does anyone know roughly how long the labour would be to replace the following:

Front Wishbone Front Bush
Front Wishbone Rear Bush
Rear Wishbone Front Mounting Bush
Rear Wishbone Inner Bush
Steering Rack Mount Bush
Front Engine Mount Dog Bone

I figure at hours, but can anyone give any indication of how many hours I should be considering for this work?

Cheers

Edit: Apparently replacing the front and rear ARBs is 2 hours total. I phoned the garage. Apparently the arms are OK so I could just replace the bushes, but they said that they've broken them in the past trying to take them off hence why they now quote for the full arm. I would have thought if they break it while removing it then it's not really my problem is it? They're getting back to me on the rates for the other mounts.
 
Last edited:
Engine dog bone mount is easy to do 15 minutes if the car is on a ramp. The ARBs you mention are excellent these should be an easy fit an hour each tops as they are just bolt off/bolt on.

To do the bushes on the arms assuming they have a good press must be a couple of hours each side. So I would assume a full days labour for the work as a ball park figure.
 
Dangerous Dave said:
Engine dog bone mount is easy to do 15 minutes if the car is on a ramp. The ARBs you mention are excellent these should be an easy fit an hour each tops as they are just bolt off/bolt on.

To do the bushes on the arms assuming they have a good press must be a couple of hours each side. So I would assume a full days labour for the work as a ball park figure.
Click to expand...

The garage figured at 1 hour to replace the arm, a smidge more to replace just the bush as they have to be careful with the arm and remove the existing bush. That was for one side at the front. When you say 2 hours each side, do you mean for front and rear or am I looking at 2 hours per corner! At that rate I might do well to find a friend of a friend with a ramp and see if I can't have a go myself. A day's labour is a lot of money. I think I need to put off my brake upgrade :(
 
I have to replace my rear ARB soon on my 53 plate R32 as the bushes are showing early signs of cracking/wearing and have been quoted £220 including fitting [OEM parts] from a VAG Independant. I'm not sure if that helps you at all but makes your quote sound pretty ok to me.
 
LSPIII said:
The garage figured at 1 hour to replace the arm, a smidge more to replace just the bush as they have to be careful with the arm and remove the existing bush. That was for one side at the front. When you say 2 hours each side, do you mean for front and rear or am I looking at 2 hours per corner! At that rate I might do well to find a friend of a friend with a ramp and see if I can't have a go myself. A day's labour is a lot of money. I think I need to put off my brake upgrade :(
Click to expand...

I was estimating 2 hours an arm as it took me and a friend 3 hours to do one in my garage without a proper press. Getting the old bush out is easy its getting the new ones in that are a pain.

The times they are quoting don't seem over the top also remember that you should get a full wheel alignment down once all the work is done.
 
Right. So I've had another call from the garage. If I get the parts to them (ARB and Bushes) they'll fit the lot for 6 hours total labour. Not a bad result by the looks of things. So it looks like new ARBs, a collection of new suspension bushes and 6 hours of labour are my next purchases. Over £1k of work :( But it should make the handling better so not all is lost.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom