Lower wishbone from polo/fabia/cordobra can I fit it?!

T

thestig84

Member
Hi there

I have just picked up a cheap A2 TDI. I gave it a check over to see whats what and spotted it will need both lower ball joints. Unfortunatly it has the arms without a replacable balljoint.

I found a few on ebay for 40pounds each. Thing is I have found the one linked below quite a bit cheaper
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/371457481435?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT
It doesnt list A2 but it lists all the exact same models as the arms for A2s list and looks identical. Worth a shot you reckon?!

Thanks
Adam
 
Strong recommendation: do not replace the solid arms with the ones made from pressed steel. They will not last as well.

Also, now I've been looking: there is an explicit recommendation to avoid Meyle parts in this case and use TRW ones.

- Bret
 
I'd go for a yes;

Quality isn't going to be spectacular, it's less than £20! But, if you look at the drawings below, it looks like the earlier models had a wishbone with lower ball joint incorporated (8Z0407151J) where as the later had one seperate (8Z0407153L)...

248407100.png
248407110.png

It looks like it should fit, but I think it's still a bit risky! (My concern would be whether or not the bush's are the same diameter)

Nick
 
pre 2003 have solid wishbones, post 2003 have pressed steel with the replaceable ball joint.

The work to replace this is several hours and you'll need to re-align the axle. Why skimp on the parts?

- Bret
 
bretti_kivi said:
Strong recommendation: do not replace the solid arms with the ones made from pressed steel. They will not last as well.

Also, now I've been looking: there is an explicit recommendation to avoid Meyle parts in this case and use TRW ones.

- Bret
Click to expand...

The solid arms are considerably more expensive and later models were fitted with pressed steel from the factory - The pressed arms suffer badly from corrosion but personally, I wouldn't pay out the extra & rather have the option to change the lower ball joint on its own.
 
With three minutes of google and Ebay, I can find TRWs for €111 each and no-names in solid for €60. Whether they'll fit or not and are accurate enough to keep the geometry is another question.

Assume it's four hours to replace both sides: that's a €200 bill. Plus €80 for alignment.
280 + 80 = 360. 280 + 220 = 500. It's 30% more. With the risk of it not aligning properly and therefore another fit, I would not risk it.

I would also question if it really is the ball joints or if it's the rubber bushings in the console - I would certainly consider replacing those at the same time.

- Bret
 
Wow thanks for all the responses! I will be doing the work myself so discount labour bills. The car has cost me 480 pounds so Im skimping on parts to get it through an MOT and run it for a while. Cant bring myself to spend 50% of the whole car price on 2 parts!!

It is the rubbers split on the ball joints so they need doing. Im not too fussed on the bushes. Judging by a lot thinking it will fit I think I might give it a whirl and update you!
 
Have you used a pry bar and checked for play in the joints. Catch them early enough, before road spray and grime has done it's worst then just replace the rubber boots. Certainly worth a try if you are not paying for labour.
Thanks to one of our members spotting there are loads on ebay, take your pick - http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_f...ball+joint.TRS0&_nkw=ball+joint+boot&_sacat=0

Last time I checked the parts lists it appeared the later pressed steel wishbones had not superseded the forged ones, so wonder if they are not actually interchangeable

Cheers Spike
 
I have checked with a pry bar and the joints look ok as far as I can see. The replacement boots are a interesting idea I hadnt thought of.

Infact when I looked a bit more closely the boots aren't split all the way through. Might be worth a shot at an MOT first, could get an advisory to see me through until I have used and got to know the car abit.

Thanks
Adam
 
spike said:
Last time I checked the parts lists it appeared the later pressed steel wishbones had not superseded the forged ones, so wonder if they are not actually interchangeable

Cheers Spike
Click to expand...
A2-D2 and the German Forum's comments on that are definitive that they *are* interchangeable, and the consensus is that the solid ones are more desirable. 1.2s are of course taken out of that as they have a very specific setup.

- Bret
 
bretti_kivi said:
Strong recommendation: do not replace the solid arms with the ones made from pressed steel. They will not last as well.

Also, now I've been looking: there is an explicit recommendation to avoid Meyle parts in this case and use TRW ones.

- Bret
Click to expand...

Explicit recommendation from who exactly? Meyle items come with standard 2 year warranty equivalent to OE timeframe, or HD option on some parts with 4 year warranty are fantastic quality. Frankly it's all I'd fit, or OE Lemforder.

Back to original post. Avoid pressed steel, here's a link to lower balljoint wishbone with dangerous corrosion. Also avoid EBay, unless you know manufacturer. Replacing wishbones is time intensive job. Why fit inferior cheap Chinese pattern parts?

http://www.a2oc.net/forum/showthread.php?31963-Check-your-front-suspension-arms-people
 
I for one am pleased that Bret provides feedback from the vast knowledge base of the German A2 Forum.
He has been a great advocate (and possibly pioneer) of the Meyle HD droplinks and definitely not 'Anti' Meyle, so I'm not sure why you reacted so strongly to his recommendation. Like any advice, it's just there for consideration

Cheers Spike
 
The recommendation came in this case from A2-D2 on the German forum. He bought and compared several different sets and only the TRW were close to the original size and spec, Meyle were way out, to do with welding (see the final thread listed).

I report back here, I don't assume, I don't guess. If it's an opinion, it's stated as such. If it's unclear, the same. I do not care for spoonfeeding, I have opinions on the safety of cars on the road and I try to do my part to avoid helping others part people from their money without just cause while informing and allowing them - if they care to read an opinion which may be different from theirs and is probably written in relatively clear langauge - to thus make an informed decision. I care for my online reputation, thanks, and don't go off badmouthing manufacturers because I feel like it. There's also no guarantee that what happened there was representative of what would happen now - so YMMV.
The German club is also about 1200 active members strong - around five times the size of this site - and we've seen lots. The legal requirements are very different and the desire "just to keep it on the road for another MoT" a lot lower, but there is a wealth of information there and I try to make sure that you've seen the most useful parts of that, rather than assuming that x or y is fine when it may already have been seen to be favourable or otherwise.

Anyway, the opinions I post are mine and mine alone. You'll normally also see a reference to a thread if you want to go and read the original. This is the thread with the comments about all being the same, after my comment that they weren't interchangeable: https://a2-freun.de/forum/forums/topic/25538-querlenker-gußblech-austauschbar/ and this is the thread with the pics and the reference to the issue where the ordered Meyle ones had a non-square weld: https://a2-freun.de/forum/forums/topic/29115-frage-zu-blech-querlenkern/ . You will probably need to be logged in to see the pictures. There is also a recommendation for the tool to press the rubber bushes into place, which is something I will be replacing on my car in the very near future.

- Bret
 
Thanks Bret. I just wanted to know where the original TRW claim came from. You've obviously done your homework regards feedback from other A2 owners. I've been happy with Meyle quality and again that's just my opinion.
 
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