Wishbones

[stuart.m 0]

Bit of a story this one.

 

When i bought the car the guy i bought it from told me it needed new bottom arms and ball joints. It had brand new arms on it, and the ball joints were still unopened in the boot, but he said hed fitted the wrong arms and couldnt take them back because they had already been fitted. Anyway, the ball joint on the drivers side was in dire need of attention and took it all apart yesterday and true to what he said the ball joints and arms aren't right together. The tapered hole in the arm for the ball joint is the wrong size, and the ball joint just pulls right through. I checked a couple parts catalogues and found some for sale on ebay, and everything said the ball joints are right for the car, and the top thread on them is perfect.

 

So... off to euro car parts today I go. I didnt think there would be any issues as they just take the reg number, so didnt bother taking the old parts with me, and just coughed up for two new wishbones (£135 ) then i got home and realised they are the same as the ones on the car. I.e. wrong. So I went back in and took the new arms back, and one of my ball joints, and the guy on the desk was good and brought up one of the ball joints they have listed for the car and it was identical to the ones ive already got. It seems the wishbones changed sometime in 93, and the car is an L reg, but manufactured in 92, so he refunded the arms and got some of the older style ones on order. Going back in at 9am today(saturday) and hopefully this is it now, need it sorted for monday to get to work, so fingers crossed at least they were helpful!

 

On a funnier point, I asked about prices for new fog lamps, he said about £30-£40 a side but they only have one single lamp in stock in the country, in manchester, so thats being put on hold till i can find some cheaper (i.e. ebay)

Also, all going to plan I'll have a set of wishbones to get rid of, these newer (>93) ones, that have only been on the car a month maybe, still look brand new. If anybody is after some give me a shout as tbh the price of them brand new almost made me cry.

 

Ok essay over,

Cheers

Stuart

[welshpug 1,666]

yeah, tis a bugger when people dont check the car itself to see whats fitted, my 94 registered Mi16 has the older solid hub carrier and associated parts.

 

and to think a full set of bushes from GSF is only £21.80!

[stuart.m 0]

well, went back into euro car parts at the weekend and the other ones they had ordered were wrong as well. Needed the car going again ASAP so went to the scrappies, managed to get a pair that looked pretty good, bushes all looked ok, they had obviously been replaced some time before the car was scrapped. There was only about 6 405s, about half of them with the same arms as I was after and half with different hubs/ball joints, so it obviously isnt uncommon dont know why i found it hard to get new ones. but anyway, its all back together, no more noises and it feels good. will get a new set of bushes sometime i think but its alright for now.

 

Still, if anyones after a set send me a PM or something because the ones I took off the car are less than a month old, still look brand new, and theyll be cheap