Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[terry paget]

i don't remember it before though, maybe it is my new tyres.

Are they shit tyres?

Yes, Budget tyres, Viking Windforce 205/65R15s on steel rims, about 5mm tread depth left. All my cars are on cheap tyres and always have been.

[terry paget]

Possibly failed diffmounts or the poly donuts need refitting... both easy enough to check, weather permitting 

Reading through this thread again it is clear that Doctor Gollum and others have long known the problems of Omega rea r suspension, while I, Magwheels and others did not. I understand from earlier posts and Mandula's and Nick W's endeavours that 'diff' mounts are no longer available from Vauxhall. Luckily mine are OK.

I presume 'poly donuts' means rear sub frame front mounts. Are these prone to failure and worthy of replacement?

[Nick W]

Possibly failed diffmounts or the poly donuts need refitting... both easy enough to check, weather permitting 

Reading through this thread again it is clear that Doctor Gollum and others have long known the problems of Omega rea r suspension, while I, Magwheels and others did not. I understand from earlier posts and Mandula's and Nick W's endeavours that 'diff' mounts are no longer available from Vauxhall. Luckily mine are OK.

I presume 'poly donuts' means rear sub frame front mounts. Are these prone to failure and worthy of replacement?

I replaced a pair at the weekend, which were well on the way to becoming two-piece parts. Standard ones are readily available for sensible money and will outlive the car, so no ingenuity is required.

[terry paget]

Possibly failed diffmounts or the poly donuts need refitting... both easy enough to check, weather permitting 

Reading through this thread again it is clear that Doctor Gollum and others have long known the problems of Omega rea r suspension, while I, Magwheels and others did not. I understand from earlier posts and Mandula's and Nick W's endeavours that 'diff' mounts are no longer available from Vauxhall. Luckily mine are OK.

I presume 'poly donuts' means rear sub frame front mounts. Are these prone to failure and worthy of replacement?

I replaced a pair at the weekend, which were well on the way to becoming two-piece parts. Standard ones are readily available for sensible money and will outlive the car, so no ingenuity is required.

Thanks. I must check mine. I presume visual inspection and levering things about will tell me if they are shot.
I'm glad you did a couple at the weekend. Hayes gives the job just 2 spanners, trivial. Feeutso, in the Forum guide, made rather heavier weather of it. Haynes, of course, did it on a brand new car, whereas Feeutso did it on an old one, without the special Vauxhall tool.

[Nick W]

I replaced a pair at the weekend, which were well on the way to becoming two-piece parts. Standard ones are readily available for sensible money and will outlive the car, so no ingenuity is required.

Thanks. I must check mine. I presume visual inspection and levering things about will tell me if they are shot.
I'm glad you did a couple at the weekend. Hayes gives the job just 2 spanners, trivial. Feeutso, in the Forum guide, made rather heavier weather of it. Haynes, of course, did it on a brand new car, whereas Feeutso did it on an old one, without the special Vauxhall tool.

It all revolves around prying the old ones out; the rubber coating the outside of the metal sleeve makes getting them started slow work. The four I've done all pried out using a large cold chisel, then small pry-bars on opposite sides at the same time(the real key to it), and finally a large claw hammer to remove them. With the car on a ramp, or over your pit, you'll be able to apply a lot leverage than with it on axle stands in the street


Fit the new ones by pressing them back in with the jack. A generous squirt of silicone lubricant makes this much easier.

[TheBoy]

i don't remember it before though, maybe it is my new tyres.

Are they shit tyres?

http://www.mytyres.co.uk/rshop/Tyres/tristar/Ecopower-4S/235-45-R17-97W-XL/R-279995 c rated in the wet

Ah, well, yes. Properly shit tyres

Did you honestly expect then to be good - it even says on the labels they will be lethal in the wet.


The properly translated tyre labelling:
A - Covers a huge range of somewhere between adequate for miss daisy to a good tyre.
B - Pretty shit, and unsuitable for a medium powered car. Wear 2 pairs of pants when driving.
C - Really shit. Unbelievably shit.  Keep the life insurance policies up to date.


If you want an adequate tyre, A is your only choice.

[terry paget]

Thanks for the advice Nick. I  got my car over the pit this afternoon, jacked up both sides near the rear, and levered the rear sub frame mounts about. They really did not move much, not at all sideways, not much up and down. I have seen them move further in MOT tests, but not on this car.

Haynes jacks up and supports the entire rear of the car, removes wheels and front mount support plates, then lowers the sub frame a bit, pops the bolt in the top of the mount, and pulls it down with the puller. You and Feeutso do them one at a time, prying the mounting out from below. I cannot see how I could use my pit with the Haynes method, but I could with yours. From the way you describe it, it can be done. But you're the man who can change rear wheel bearings, which also sounds daunting!

[Nick W]

Thanks for the advice Nick. I  got my car over the pit this afternoon, jacked up both sides near the rear, and levered the rear sub frame mounts about. They really did not move much, not at all sideways, not much up and down. I have seen them move further in MOT tests, but not on this car.

Haynes jacks up and supports the entire rear of the car, removes wheels and front mount support plates, then lowers the sub frame a bit, pops the bolt in the top of the mount, and pulls it down with the puller. You and Feeutso do them one at a time, prying the mounting out from below. I cannot see how I could use my pit with the Haynes method, but I could with yours. From the way you describe it, it can be done. But you're the man who can change rear wheel bearings, which also sounds daunting!

Front subframe bushes are a simple brute force job. Having some extra room to apply it would make the job much easier!


Considering how long the bolt is, you'd have to almost remove the subframe to 'pop it in the top of the mount'


Doing one side at a time means that there's no need to jiggle the subframe around to refit the bolt, as it just goes straight back in.

[terry paget]

i don't remember it before though, maybe it is my new tyres.

Are they shit tyres?

http://www.mytyres.co.uk/rshop/Tyres/tristar/Ecopower-4S/235-45-R17-97W-XL/R-279995 c rated in the wet

Ah, well, yes. Properly shit tyres

Did you honestly expect then to be good - it even says on the labels they will be lethal in the wet.


The properly translated tyre labelling:
A - Covers a huge range of somewhere between adequate for miss daisy to a good tyre.
B - Pretty shit, and unsuitable for a medium powered car. Wear 2 pairs of pants when driving.
C - Really shit. Unbelievably shit.  Keep the life insurance policies up to date.


If you want an adequate tyre, A is your only choice.

Accepted. However, all my cars are on shite tyres, and X168 is my only twitcher. I suppose I could switch tyres between X168 and V828, my other 2.5 manual petrol estate, currently shod, like X168, with 4 steel  wheels, and on shite tyres, but not twitching.

[mandula]

Thanks for the advice Nick. I  got my car over the pit this afternoon, jacked up both sides near the rear, and levered the rear sub frame mounts about. They really did not move much, not at all sideways, not much up and down. I have seen them move further in MOT tests, but not on this car.

Haynes jacks up and supports the entire rear of the car, removes wheels and front mount support plates, then lowers the sub frame a bit, pops the bolt in the top of the mount, and pulls it down with the puller. You and Feeutso do them one at a time, prying the mounting out from below. I cannot see how I could use my pit with the Haynes method, but I could with yours. From the way you describe it, it can be done. But you're the man who can change rear wheel bearings, which also sounds daunting!

Front subframe bushes are a simple brute force job. Having some extra room to apply it would make the job much easier!


Considering how long the bolt is, you'd have to almost remove the subframe to 'pop it in the top of the mount'


Doing one side at a time means that there's no need to jiggle the subframe around to refit the bolt, as it just goes straight back in.

Did it first time outside, 0.5 meters of snow and -20 C degrees around me. One side at a time using only car jack, crow bar and wrenches. Took like three hours

Second time was about 1,5 years later (summer time), because donuts were already defected. Changed them to polys, took only one hour with same method

[Andy H]

There has been a lot of discussion on OOF about front wishbone bushes, steering idlers, rear doughnut bushes and diff mounts. I have also seen discussions about freeing up the adjusters in the rear track rods.

I don't recall anyone reporting wear or failure of the semi-trailing arm bushes or the rear track rod bushes. Logically we should be seeing failures as they are just as old as all the other bushes.

Knackered semi trailing arm bushes could give the symptoms as described. Thoughts anyone?

[Nick W]

There has been a lot of discussion on OOF about front wishbone bushes, steering idlers, rear doughnut bushes and diff mounts. I have also seen discussions about freeing up the adjusters in the rear track rods.

I don't recall anyone reporting wear or failure of the semi-trailing arm bushes or the rear track rod bushes. Logically we should be seeing failures as they are just as old as all the other bushes.

Knackered semi trailing arm bushes could give the symptoms as described. Thoughts anyone?

I think that it's a design/installation problem: somebody forgot GM policy, and designed them with the correct geometry! Semi-trailing arm bushes aren't a problem on Ford's IRS either.

[terry paget]

There has been a lot of discussion on OOF about front wishbone bushes, steering idlers, rear doughnut bushes and diff mounts. I have also seen discussions about freeing up the adjusters in the rear track rods.

I don't recall anyone reporting wear or failure of the semi-trailing arm bushes or the rear track rod bushes. Logically we should be seeing failures as they are just as old as all the other bushes.

Knackered semi trailing arm bushes could give the symptoms as described. Thoughts anyone?

I watch all my car MOT examinations, 6 Omegas a year. I have not seen the MOT testers handbook, but they always check - insert crowbar and attempt to move - the semi trailing arm bushes and the rear track rod bushes, as well as the rear sub frame bushes. Very occasionally I get an advisory note concerning play in the rear track rod bushes, never an MOT failure. My impression is that the rear suspension doesn't move much, doesn't steer, and gives little trouble. However, I have one twitcher, and don't know why.

[Kevin Wood]

I had a front wishbone rear bush fail once, and it felt for all the world like the back end was stepping out whenever I reversed a turn at "spirited" pace.

[omega2018]

Ah, well, yes. Properly shit tyres

Did you honestly expect then to be good - it even says on the labels they will be lethal in the wet.


The properly translated tyre labelling:
A - Covers a huge range of somewhere between adequate for miss daisy to a good tyre.
B - Pretty shit, and unsuitable for a medium powered car. Wear 2 pairs of pants when driving.
C - Really shit. Unbelievably shit.  Keep the life insurance policies up to date.


If you want an adequate tyre, A is your only choice.

wow G must be terrifying then. and D, E and F.