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[Lizzie Zoom]

Thanks for all the advice!

I will be re-considering using the dealership if I really can save the money

[cam.in.head]

dealers are not interested in repairing cars let alone older ones so if you dont want to do it yourself there should be a local garage that would ( if you have one you trust !  not one that wants to change more bits because they think its " better long term "or seized ! )
to be sure you could always just buy a complete track rod assembly ,lube up the sleeve for futureproofing and have them fit that .
i wouldnt let them buy the part as they might put a markup on the price of it !

[Lizzie Zoom]

dealers are not interested in repairing cars let alone older ones so if you dont want to do it yourself there should be a local garage that would ( if you have one you trust !  not one that wants to change more bits because they think its " better long term "or seized ! )
to be sure you could always just buy a complete track rod assembly ,lube up the sleeve for futureproofing and have them fit that .
i wouldnt let them buy the part as they might put a markup on the price of it !

Thanks for the advice

Can anyone give me a ball park estimate of what it should cost to do the job, by a garage, with parts, tracking, labour and VAT all included please?

I obviously have a decision to make

[YZ250]

As for the cost I can’t really help, but I can give you an idea of time….not including alignment though. When I changed one on my lads truck he was keen to get back to the garage for the retest on the same day so time was of the essence. Jacked up the truck and removed the wheel, and then started the clock.    Put the grips on the bar and take note of the angle of the grips, loosen track rod lock nut half a turn. Undo track rod nut but leave the nut on, smack the track rod to separate and remove nut and lower track rod. Assuming an identical replacement part, count how many turns to remove it from the rod, maintaining the grips angle roughly, put new one on and count the turns. With the threaded part upwards and the grips in the right place you should be able to do the lock nut back up half a turn. Fit the track rod back in and tighten. The alignment may not be spot on but it’s good enough temporarily. We were putting the wheel back on the truck just seven minutes later, and I’m not a mechanic, so imagine what a doodle it would be for them. 
I appreciate that you aren’t in a position to do it so I’m certainly not criticising your choice there, I just wanted to put some perspective on it. 

[Lizzie Zoom]

As for the cost I can’t really help, but I can give you an idea of time….not including alignment though. When I changed one on my lads truck he was keen to get back to the garage for the retest on the same day so time was of the essence. Jacked up the truck and removed the wheel, and then started the clock.    Put the grips on the bar and take note of the angle of the grips, loosen track rod lock nut half a turn. Undo track rod nut but leave the nut on, smack the track rod to separate and remove nut and lower track rod. Assuming an identical replacement part, count how many turns to remove it from the rod, maintaining the grips angle roughly, put new one on and count the turns. With the threaded part upwards and the grips in the right place you should be able to do the lock nut back up half a turn. Fit the track rod back in and tighten. The alignment may not be spot on but it’s good enough temporarily. We were putting the wheel back on the truck just seven minutes later, and I’m not a mechanic, so imagine what a doodle it would be for them. 
I appreciate that you aren’t in a position to do it so I’m certainly not criticising your choice there, I just wanted to put some perspective on it. 

Many thanks for all that detail

I certainly couldn't do it myself, but it is a great explanation of what is involved.  That gives me a very good idea of what to expect a professional mechanic will do, and the time they will take / charge for.

[Doctor Gollum]

Firstly a caveat, not all garages are prepared to fit customer supplied parts. Given the quality of shit available on Amazon you can't blame them. Mercedes will tolerate parts obtained from another dealer with receipt, my local Merc specialist will fit anything I provide but obviously only warranty the labour on used parts. The local garage my neighbour uses used to allow customer parts but now won't.

Complete track rods are £30. From a known UK source.

There was a genuine inner and outer on eBay for a total of £31 but as the outers are sided that's a dice roll.

An hour's labour plus the part should be £125-150 all in.

To align the Omega properly the rear end requires setting as well. Unless you're doing decent miles, have replaced alot of components including the rear track rods, then a full alignment (whilst advisable) might be ill advised.

I can see you taking the car in and afterwards being hit with another £2-300 because of time spent trying to free up the rear track rods and or replacing them... Best case they will say, well we tried but couldn't adjust it and recommend replacing xyz at £abc.

If you were realistically going to get the use out of the components there might be mileage, pun intended, getting the everything done and having it set up properly.

If you have the most recent alignment figures then the alignment can be ballparked on the drive by someone who knows what they're doing.

[Lizzie Zoom]

Firstly a caveat, not all garages are prepared to fit customer supplied parts. Given the quality of shit available on Amazon you can't blame them. Mercedes will tolerate parts obtained from another dealer with receipt, my local Merc specialist will fit anything I provide but obviously only warranty the labour on used parts. The local garage my neighbour uses used to allow customer parts but now won't.

Complete track rods are £30. From a known UK source.

There was a genuine inner and outer on eBay for a total of £31 but as the outers are sided that's a dice roll.

An hour's labour plus the part should be £125-150 all in.

To align the Omega properly the rear end requires setting as well. Unless you're doing decent miles, have replaced alot of components including the rear track rods, then a full alignment (whilst advisable) might be ill advised.

I can see you taking the car in and afterwards being hit with another £2-300 because of time spent trying to free up the rear track rods and or replacing them... Best case they will say, well we tried but couldn't adjust it and recommend replacing xyz at £abc.

If you were realistically going to get the use out of the components there might be mileage, pun intended, getting the everything done and having it set up properly.

If you have the most recent alignment figures then the alignment can be ballparked on the drive by someone who knows what they're doing.

Many thanks DG

I have decisions to make

[Doctor Gollum]

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/305411335709

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/296245516643

From a one of about 5 suppliers I use on eBay.

[TheBoy]

Use a small garage. Part is about £15, I'd be gobsmacked if anyone charged more than £20-30 to fit.  If you know the geometry is good to start with (particularly no shoulder wear on fronts), you'll probably get away with £25 alignment, if the garage doesn't do that anyway.

That said, *ALL* Omegas benefit from a proper geometry check, set to WIM/OOF specs.  Expect to pay £50-£100 for that, depending what needs changing, and note dealers do not have the capability to do that, no matter what BS they spin you.

[Lizzie Zoom]

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/305411335709

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/296245516643

From a one of about 5 suppliers I use on eBay.

That's great DG, thanks

I note the examples are for estates.  Does that matter, or are they the same for saloons?

[Lizzie Zoom]

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/305411335709

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/296245516643

From a one of about 5 suppliers I use on eBay.

That's great DG, thanks

I note the examples are for estates.  Does that matter, or are they the same for saloons?

Prompted by your post, I have looked at my now favourite parts supplier for Omega parts, AUTODOC.  They have a number of these parts from various manufacturers for all under £10!!  

So as I said, I have a few decisions to make, including who is prepared to fit the parts I buy.  Funnily enough, my Vx dealer has done so before,, but then there is the labour charges!!

[Raeturbo]

I like autodoc too and have found Ridex parts to be excellent.

[Lizzie Zoom]

I like autodoc too and have found Ridex parts to be excellent.

Yes, indeed. I have found the same

[Lizzie Zoom]

And they won't touch the alignment either. So budget another £80 or so.

But that quote is either chancing it or they don't want the work. Either way, I wouldn't be letting them any where near the car.

If they're taking the piss with the price, then they don't value your custom, and if they don't want the work then imagine the contempt for you and the car if you go ahead with it.

And bear in mind, for the mileage you do, you can buy both wishbones, track rods and drop links for less than £100.

No, they are doing the tracking within that price, and I will be supplying the alignment figures that you useful placed on record on the OOF some good time ago, to them

As for the overall price, it is worth to me as who else  is going to do it in a lovely, warm, fully equipped dealership?

I am sure given the age of my Omega, and the well stuck on nature of anything underneath the car, the labour price I pay is ok compared to struggling, in the cold, to unjam the part by a professional, whilst I enjoy endless coffees!

…………and, don’t forget, I am a 71 year old women with a heart condition, so a long way past being 17 when I believed I could do anything!  

How much would Serek charge to do it?

Yes.  I have sent an email to Serek to find out, with perhaps the aim of having both left, as well as right, track rod ends done for the right price

[Doctor Gollum]

For the extra couple of quid, complete track rod assemblies.

The labour time for replacing the whole thing with new will be about the same as messing around swapping individual bits.

And by the same logic applied to bulbs, if one needs doing, then you can pretty much guarantee that the rest won't be far behind.