Omega Owners Forum
Omega Help Area => Omega General Help => Topic started by: Entwood on 24 January 2014, 22:58:43
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Lots of different threads on these .. I don't have the equipment, or ability ( :) ) to poly certain bits and replace other bits .. so its complete unit changes here :)
Lemforder have lasted 25000 miles / 2 1/2 years each time and are available from AGP at £65.36 each
but they also do Meyle at £84.00 each (I'm not even considering the QH ones after the shenanigans with the front wheel bearings) ...
Question is .. are the Meyle ones any better/worth the extra £15 (which is nowt over 25000 miles) ??
Is there any actual experience of the Meyle wishbones on the forum ??
many thanks :)
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Not that I know of, so far.
The bushes Master pressed in at Newent, the ones iggy 21 sorted on the group buy, where Merle HD iirc.
IMO they didn't last any better.
(Ps, FRONT poly are easy to fit. But that doesn't help I f both bushes are failed...?)
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Lots of different threads on these .. I don't have the equipment, or ability ( :) ) to poly certain bits and replace other bits .. so its complete unit changes here :)............
Sorry I can't help with reviews Nigel and you sound as though your mind is made up on straight replacement, but refurb is not that difficult if you change your mind. I've just replaced my wishbone rear bushes with new GM bushes at a cost of £17 + vat per side from Trade Club. I already had Poly's on the front bush so no cost there. If you want to borrow my Heath Robinson press you are welcome to borrow it. Rear bushes went in piece of cake. Pressed old ones out and then pressed the new ones in. It does add about an hour to fitting time though. Pity you haven't got an old pair, you could have refurbed them ready to go on.
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I know nowt about wishbones, but 25,000 miles seems pretty poor to me? or is that normal? :-\
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It's alot better than some :-X
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How much do genuine cost?
My elite had genuine ones fitted at 60k, currently on 98k and are like new...
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How much do genuine cost?
My elite had genuine ones fitted at 60k, currently on 98k and are like new...
About £270 each :o must have had a hard life to kill them in 60k :-\
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I fitted Lemfordeors around, 2 1/2 years ago and have now covered over 70k and are still perfect.Some of the roads/tracks I go down are not too forgiving so think they have had a proper road test with me ;Dand can give them thumbs up even at £130 the pair. ;) :) :)
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Think Big Blue is in need of some, and I will be going the Meyle route when I get round to it.
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Lots of different threads on these .. I don't have the equipment, or ability ( :) ) to poly certain bits and replace other bits .. so its complete unit changes here :)
Lemforder have lasted 25000 miles / 2 1/2 years each time and are available from AGP at £65.36 each
but they also do Meyle at £84.00 each (I'm not even considering the QH ones after the shenanigans with the front wheel bearings) ...
Question is .. are the Meyle ones any better/worth the extra £15 (which is nowt over 25000 miles) ??
Is there any actual experience of the Meyle wishbones on the forum ??
many thanks :)
Is that just the front bushes that failed after 25K Nige?
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PM sent ;)
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I'll be doing mels in the next couple of weeks and I'm using the original wishbones, poly bush front bushes and genuine rear bushes which are about £15 each
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Thanks for all the comments and offers of help, both in the thread and by PM .. OOF at its best :y :y :y
Problems I have with refurbing the existing 'bones are :
1) I'm not clever enough to know if just the one bush needs replacing with poly and the other bush and the ball joint would then last.
2) Time; the car is used most days, and removing to refurb then hitting a problem would probably cause issues ... :(
3) Equipment; if I find that the rear bushes need replacing I have no kit immediately at hand to do the job, and would be without a car to get to someone who could help ... very much a Catch 22 .. :(
So, my thoughts are, to buy new 'bones .. either Lemforder or Myle, and fit them .. I've done the job before and am confident in doing it again. Then in slow time, and using the offers already given, refurb the present 'bones and keep them until the next replacement, probably in 2 1/2 years 25000 miles again.
I do intend to keep the car that long , hopefully even longer, but I accept that I could lose out if something happens and I cannot keep the car as long as I would wish, but that's a risk I have to take.
Anyone see any holes in that line of thinking ?? It then comes down to the question .. Lemforder or Meyle ???
:-\ :-\
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As said earlier,Lemfordeors have sevred me well now for nearly 2.1/2 years so on my experince they are fine,but think alot of the early failure is down to correct fitting proceedure . :y
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No faults in that thinking at all. Purely from a Diy pov. You have little choice. In fact you have no choice at all.....Provided the rearward bush has failed.
If it hasn't, you/I/another could just fit front polys. £50(?) for parts, and an hour ish to fit. Bit longer first time diy'ing, but it's very doable with ramps, hole cutter, jig saw or similar.
You'd save time and money.... IF the rear bush is still sound. I would always encourage the use of front poly for the better accuracy they give. They don't wear out, can be refitted time and time again, and improve handling for a very slight trade off in harshness.
So, I'd suggest jack the car, take a close up pic of the rearward bushes and post them up. Go from there...? :)
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If you need a hand Nige i have done 3 sets this year with another to do in a few weeks/March. i have a set of Vauxhall ones in my garage i have just taken off my DTI which i can referb for you and stick polys on the front. I have a press that will do 6-10-20 tonn so can put the new back bushes in aswell, could also do a trade as i would like the use of your locking kit in March if poss :y i can call you this week if your free.
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If you need a hand Nige i have done 3 sets this year with another to do in a few weeks/March. i have a set of Vauxhall ones in my garage i have just taken off my DTI which i can referb for you and stick polys on the front. I have a press that will do 6-10-20 tonn so can put the new back bushes in aswell, could also do a trade as i would like the use of your locking kit in March if poss :y i can call you this week if your free.
I was just about to volunteer you and your brilliant press Joff. ::) ::) ::)
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Considering that changing rear bushes is a common requirement, and how little force it took to do mine in the press, perhaps it would be worth making some simple tooling to do the job with a bolt through the middle? I'd be happy to make such a thing, it would be a nice job for my new lathe when it arrives.
I'm thinking of two shaped discs, one smaller and the other larger than the bush to support it and the metal of the wishbone. This effectively what I knocked up to use in the press, but have sine reused them for other jobs. A bolt through the middle and a bit of work with a ratchet should see the bush removed/replaced with very little effort. This would be small and light enough that posting it to anyone who needed it wouldn't be a problem. I don't have a wishbone spare though, so would need to borrow one to construct and prove the tool.
Any takers?
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Lemforder here on both my 3.2 and 2.2, with 3.2 fitted by Gixer and TB. Only covered around 7k on them, but if course like new at such low miles.
Likewise I lack the skill to fit wishbones.... well at least in the winter I do, if I had lots of time and a nice warm driveway I would have a go, especially on the 2.2 as there is far more room from above.
But I bought Lemforder and had WIM fit them on the 2.2, followed by a geo session on the 2.2. Not sure how many miles covered, but a fair bit, as I use the 2.2 far more due to 50+ MPG effectiveness.
As usual transformed the car, was a considerable expense on a 165k car. But worth it :)
I've been impressed with Meyle droplinks, which are also on both 2.2/3.2. Felt very solid compared to what they replaced, the thickness of the metal, everything.
Be good to see how you get on if you do take them, likewise I was tempted, but opted for known good ones.
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Wishbones should be treated as a service item :y Especially as price is no guarantee of longevity :-\
Seem to have reached an acceptable poly rear arrangement, but slightly harsher ride may be too high a price for maintenance free wishbones for some :-\ depends entirely how you drive and use your car tbh...
Personally, I would buy cheap and refurbish your existing ones ready for replacement in a years time. This does assume that your current wishbones are suitably manufactured, as some of the welds on some arms are nowhere near enough to support a stiffer bush. You're looking for 60% of the circumference of the rear bush, rather than the 35-45% of some :y
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Also the Meyle droplinks had a 4 year warranty? Do they apply the same to Wishbones?
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If you need a hand Nige i have done 3 sets this year with another to do in a few weeks/March. i have a set of Vauxhall ones in my garage i have just taken off my DTI which i can referb for you and stick polys on the front. I have a press that will do 6-10-20 tonn so can put the new back bushes in aswell, could also do a trade as i would like the use of your locking kit in March if poss :y i can call you this week if your free.
Now THAT sounds like a plan and a half... :)
I'm around all week (decorating .. :( ) if you want to call - only time I'm out is walking "His Lordship". I'm sure we can come to a suitable arrangement where I provide beer tokens and use of locking kit ! ;D ;D ;D
Many thanks to everyone else as well :y :y
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This plan develops nicely ... :) many thanks to Joff for his offer, going ahead with that .. so
Polybushes purchased from http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vauxhall-Omega-B-94-03-Powerflex-Front-Wishbone-Front-Bushes-PFF80-902-/370765214130?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item56535431b2
Ball joints purchased from Venom http://www.omegaowners.com/forum/index.php?topic=121024.30
Just need the rear bushes from Vx now ... can anyone confirm the part number >> MY (old) EPC shows
-BUSH, DAMPER, REAR X1072224- 9156605
If that's correct I'll get them tomorrow from Skurrays .. :)
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My receipt, from about five weeks ago, for wishbone rear bushes from Skurrays shows:
Damper Bushings V0009156605 as you said. :y
They have gone up a few quid since I last bought them on TC, £17.95 + vat each.
HTH
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My receipt, from about five weeks ago, for wishbone rear bushes from Skurrays shows:
Damper Bushings V0009156605 as you said. :y
They have gone up a few quid since I last bought them on TC, £17.95 + vat each.
HTH
Brilliant .. many thanks .. :)
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Quick but very heartfelt thanks to Joff who has delivered to me a fully refurbished pair of original GM 'bones, with new GM ball joints, GM rear bushes and poly front bushes, and they've been cleaned up and painted as well.
All in all an excellent job for "not-a-lot" of beer chits....
Just need a day of dry weather to change the things now ....
So, many thanks to Joff ... an "OOFer" of the best kind :y :y :y
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Kind words Nige, anything to help :y