So following an MOT advisory, I tackled the Top Mounts today. I followed Andy Monty's very useful guide https://www.fiatforum.com/grande-punto-guides/259519-strut-top-bearing-removal-service-replacement-front-spring-replacement.html So a big Thank You to Andy :worship:

Think it's fair to say they were completely knackered!!

I was about to do the same job this summer but hot temperatures prevented me from doing it. They still work but make sounds on colder temperatures. Steering is ok too so i guess it has to wait.

eeeno said:

I was about to do the same job this summer but hot temperatures prevented me from doing it. They still work but make sounds on colder temperatures. Steering is ok too so i guess it has to wait.

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Its a shame you have to commit to so much disassembly to get to them..as they usually just want lubrication..

But you may as well do a £200 rebuilt at that point

Damper.spring.bearing..etc

My 'owned from new' twinair Grumbled last summer ( 8 years with just assembly oil isnt too bad for a damp climate)

richardkhill said:

Think it's fair to say they were completely knackered!!

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Yes and No. Not "completely". You could still clean it, lubricate and re-use it (in emergency situation, serious financial trouble or something like that).
Of course, brand new parts are way better (and if you add more grease, they'll last even longer).

GrandePunto PL said:

Yes and No. Not "completely". You could still clean it, lubricate and re-use it (in emergency situation, serious financial trouble or something like that).
Of course, brand new parts are way better (and if you add more grease, they'll last even longer).

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Andy's 'How To' recommended adding extra grease to the new bearings. I was surprised how sparsely greased my replacements were. Considering how easy it is to crack open the casing, I'd highly recommend it for extra piece of mind

Nothing wrong with the suspension system, all tested equal 50% with compliments from the mot. Original parts are always more robust, so I'd just change them only when absolutely necessary. Non-oem parts are just rubbish.

I did this job on my sisters fiat GP 1.2, they were seized up knackered both sides. I got a pair on eBay for £25, opened them up and smeared some grease inside so they were well lubricated and they were never a problem again.

I’m doing this job again on a different Fiat GP 1.4 tjet I recently bought, same thing just buy new ones, grease them and fit them. I was going to just change both legs but it’s had new springs at some point in the recent past because they look very tidy. Got them on Auto Doc for £13 each Ridex brand German I think,. They make good parts.

Don’t just fit the new ones without greasing them up first and don’t bother trying to refurbish the original ones because they’ll go again and it’s not worth the trouble doing the job twice for the sake of £25/£30 in parts.

keepfixinit said:

Don’t just fit the new ones without greasing them up first and don’t bother trying to refurbish the original ones because they’ll go again and it’s not worth the trouble doing the job twice for the sake of £25/£30 in parts.

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Yeah. Andy's 'how to' also recommended adding extra grease, which I certainly did. Was pleasantly surprised at how much smoother the steering felt!

richardkhill said:

Yeah. Andy's 'how to' also recommended adding extra grease, which I certainly did. Was pleasantly surprised at how much smoother the steering felt!

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Glad to read it!