Print

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

[Jukeboxnut]

My CDX estate has now covered 137,00 trouble free miles miles with only the tyres, brakes, battery, exhaust and lower suspension arms being replaced, apart from the usual servicing items of course.  However I recently discovered a small amount of play on the steering drop link.  I rang my local Main Dealer in Chichester and they eventually found me one old stock item for half price which I thought was helpful.  However when I collected it I found that it has  AutoMega Q18-05 printed on it so it is obviously not an original Vauxhall item.  Will this be any good or should I just get a cheapo from ebay?  I have always tried to use original Vauxhall items because they seem to last well.  I have not posted for a long time because the car has been ultra reliable, perhaps I should not say that out loud.

[Jukeboxnut]

Perhaps I should have said idler instead of drop link.

[biggriffin]

Just fit it, from a dealer in a realbox,  so should be 

[Enceladus]

Hang on to the old arm, especially if it's a GM original. It might be possible to fit a new aftermarket ZF/Lemförder bush into it.

[Migv6 le Frog Fan]

Any idea where one of those bushes can be sourced ? I would like to have Ione in stock for the inevitable MOT failure or vague steering scenario at some point in the future.

[TheBoy]

The original item is no longer available.  The last Lemforder I fitted lasted months, hence I went back to GM.  So it looks like only shite is available now, and will be a replace twice a year job

[Enceladus]

I've never tried it. The problem might be a press to push out the old bush and press in a new.

Somebody before mentioned that there was a person/company in Poland who could fit poly-bushes on an exchange basis. I don't have details. Might be Serek.

That said the ZF catalogue lists the standard bushes as:
BOGE = 87-020-A
LEMFÖRDER = 11602 03

They also list the bush as being Vauxhall /Opel Katalogue Nr. 9-20-361 with no GM part number. 920361 does not seem to be in EPC. That might mean that the Kat number is a, factory use only, number for the bush and since GM never sold it as a spare there is no GM part number assigned. All Vauxhall and Omega B/B2 models are listed in the application list as well as Carltons and Senators.

There are other makes available, eg Monroe L24006. Whether or not these are re-branded ZF parts I don't know.

There are plenty of sources for the Lemförder part if you google it. Including Amazon and ebay. Also I suspect that if you order the BOGE part number you get the LEMFÖRDER. Around £10-£15 depending on postage.

[Enceladus]

The original item is no longer available.  The last Lemforder I fitted lasted months, hence I went back to GM.  So it looks like only shite is available now, and will be a replace twice a year job

The question is about the bush on it's own not the arm. Whether re-bushing is any better an option than the aftermarket alternative arms, none of which seem to be anything like as good as an original. Nobody seems to have tried.

Original genuine GM arms have not been available for some years.

Actually I don't believe any Omega B and prior parts that have not been carried forward onto newer models are available from Vauxhall, Opel, Cadillac or Saab dealers at all. They're all NLS, obsolete and any surplus parts have been unloaded onto to however would buy them.

[biggriffin]

I've never tried it. The problem might be a press to push out the old bush and press in a new.

Somebody before mentioned that there was a person/company in Poland who could fit poly-bushes on an exchange basis. I don't have details. Might be Serek.

That said the ZF catalogue lists the standard bushes as:
BOGE = 87-020-A
LEMFÖRDER = 11602 03

They also list the bush as being Vauxhall /Opel Katalogue Nr. 9-20-361 with no GM part number. 920361 does not seem to be in EPC. That might mean that the Kat number is a, factory use only, number for the bush and since GM never sold it as a spare there is no GM part number assigned. All Vauxhall and Omega B/B2 models are listed in the application list as well as Carltons and Senators.

There are other makes available, eg Monroe L24006. Whether or not these are re-branded ZF parts I don't know.

There are plenty of sources for the Lemförder part if you google it. Including Amazon and ebay. Also I suspect that if you order the BOGE part number you get the LEMFÖRDER. Around £10-£15 depending on postage.

No longer available.

[TheBoy]

The question is about the bush on it's own not the arm. Whether re-bushing is any better an option than the aftermarket alternative arms, none of which seem to be anything like as good as an original. Nobody seems to have tried.

SOrry, I didn't make it clear

The point being is that its fair to say that Lemforder (or any other ZF group brand) arm will use Lemforder/ZF bushes. Which the recent lot are clearly very poor.

Serek has said he is currently unable to get better bushes, hence stuck with nothing but short life items

[Jukeboxnut]

Thanks for all the replies and observations.  Looks like I have an inferior part as it is in a plain plastic bag with no Vauxhall part number on it.  It is a real pity that there are no decent quality items available as I was looking forward to keeping this car for as long as possible because it has virtual no rust and runs a treat.  In contrast I recently bought an old Mercedes estate which is nearly 30 years old and there are still huge stocks of original parts available from the local Mercedes dealer albeit at a relatively high price. 

[Toledodude1973]

Vauxhall are well known for not looking after their heritage

[Nick W]

Vauxhall are well known for not looking after their heritage

Is any other mass-market manufacturer any different for a car(that wasn't their main market either) that's at least fifteen years old, and more likely over twenty?

[biggriffin]

Vauxhall are well known for not looking after their heritage

Is any other mass-market manufacturer any different for a car(that wasn't their main market either) that's at least fifteen years old, and more likely over twenty?

Ford realized about 10 years ago,and remanufactured escort panels,and other bits, Mercedes +porch have a Heraitage Dept.

[Nick W]

Vauxhall are well known for not looking after their heritage

Is any other mass-market manufacturer any different for a car(that wasn't their main market either) that's at least fifteen years old, and more likely over twenty?

Ford realized about 10 years ago,and remanufactured escort panels,and other bits, Mercedes +porch have a Heraitage Dept.

What percentage of those cars are worth less than £1000?


Actually, are ANY of those cars worth that little? Do we get close if we apply a factor of three?