My 100HP has been woolly and twitchy on the steering for a while, but I needed to wait for the insurance claim to clear. The correct track control arms are pretty pricey for the 100HP.

Now, two new track control arms the car has its "on rails' handling back again.

A few tips for fitting them -

Jack the car up high. With a bit of care, you can lift the working side and use axle stands under the sill jacking points. Always chock the wheels and use softwood blocks slotted to clear the sill jacking point flange. I have a couple of 25mm battens screwed to 75x50 framing timber blocks.

If the car has an engine under tray - remove it for better access.

The track control arms have only three bolts each side so how hard can it be? The main bolts at the chassis end are easy to shift. But they are tight so you will need a 600mm breaker bar to get them started. Hence the need for space. They have 18mm AF heads.

The ball joint is held by an M8 pinch bolt (replace if damaged) but the arm will not drop enough to clear the ball joint pin. I put the jack under the steering ball joint and lifted the hub assembly until the front axle stand loosened. There was then enough space to drop the arm off the hub and get the arm away from the car.

Clean all bolts and coat end to end with anti seize paste. You might be doing the job next time. You may need to replace the ball joint pinch bolts. They are M8 high tensile so use lots of paste. The OEM are zinc plated but still better to be well protected.

Refitting the bottom arm is a pain to be honest. The back end doesn't really move backwards far enough to get the front bush into place so needs some careful persuasion.

Refit the big bolts. One or the other will be a right old struggle. Basically, if it's not lining up take the other one out and try again. If one goes in easily the other probably won't. Leave both with threads started but loose.

The ball joint will be miles away from the hub so you'll have to drop the jack. I clamped a long metal bar to the suspension arm with a vice grip (Mole grip) welding clamp. That gave enough leverage to push the arm down and get the ball joint pin into the hub. It's much easier with a helper but not impossible on your own. Fit the M8 pinch bolt to secure it.


The back shocks bottom bolts should only be tightened with the cars's weight on the suspension. This stops them being over twisted. At the front, good practice would put the jack under the hub until the axle stand is loose and only then tightening the front pivot bolt. The rear bolt is fine either way.

Now tighten everything and pack away.

PS - DON'T FORGET TO CHECK THE WHEEL BOLTS

So much easier if you disconnect the drop link. Can be done without but slotting in the ball joint is a pain. There is a danger of damaging the drop link though. Budget and time. If the drop links are at their end of life its a no bainer.

both types of rear Bush were fitted by the factory. Whether the is a swap over date or fiat just fitted what they had I don't know.

the casings are the same just a different rear Bush why not buy a standard arm and knock in a new Bush. There available at around a fiver. If you feel you must.

The 100HP is known to kill the ordinary track control arm bushes - sometimes in under 5000 miles. The aluminium cored bush used on 100HP arms is much more substantial and not available separately.

S4P listings show different part numbers for 100HP arms versus the ordinary arms. They had no pattern 100HP arms and I baulked at the £170 EACH! they want for OEM items.

I paid £140 for TWO Magnetti Marelli items that are probably exactly the same ones that Fiat's badge as OEM items.

There is another point. The 100HP rear bush has quite a small rubber-filled clearance so when it's trashed (like mine) there is not too much side play. The ordinary rear bush has less metal and a lot more rubber. When that goes titsup the wheel alignment will be rattling all over the place.

My drop links were fine so decided to leave them "as is". They will get done when new struts are fitted.


The main blockage to removing (never mind fitting) the track arms is the anti roll bar. Sure enough, mine on both sides has badly peeling paint exactly where mechanics have rammed new arms into place. Jacking the strut out of the way takes the ARB with it.

DaveMcT said:

The 100HP is known to kill the ordinary track control arm bushes - sometimes in under 5000 miles. The aluminium cored bush used on 100HP arms is much more substantial and not available separately.

Click to expand...

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q="...ThUIHXukBtIQ_AUIECgD&biw=1024&bih=527#imgrc=_


can't be bothered searching too hard but seen them for around a £5 used on some of the rest of the fiat lancer range

koalar said:

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=%22507+03+231%22Bush&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiij9jmyK7fAhX0ThUIHXukBtIQ_AUIECgD&biw=1024&bih=527#imgrc=_

can't be bothered searching too hard but seen them for around a £5 used on some of the rest of the fiat lancer range

Click to expand...

I even asked it its possible to buy just the bush and always got offered the more common rubbery version.

So I've been ripped off (as usual). But I did ask a while ago when listing parts numbers.

All I could find were the Magnetti Morelli arms I used or the usual cheap ones at a fraction of the price. *sob*

not ripped off. Just at the start of the development learning curve.

I have definitely seen 100 HP being broken with standard arms and bushes

The online ePER shows the same part number and list all models in the info

yet most on ebay have the alternate Bush but the same casting number

was it a year, country thing guess only Fiat know.

On some of the parts sites they list all the Fiat part numbers this includes the bushes

I can't be bothered to cross refence against the Fiat Idea as I don't have the 100 HP but if they are the same part number that style Bush are quite common

koalar said:

not ripped off. Just at the start of the development learning curve.

I have definitely seen 100 HP being broken with standard arms and bushes

The online ePER shows the same part number and list all models in the info

yet most on ebay have the alternate Bush but the same casting number

was it a year, country thing guess only Fiat know.

On some of the parts sites they list all the Fiat part numbers this includes the bushes

I can't be bothered to cross refence against the Fiat Idea as I don't have the 100 HP but if they are the same part number that style Bush are quite common

Click to expand...

****ing annoying though as I tried but failed to find the replacement bushes.

I will have a look because £70 per side is silly money and I'm sure these wont be the first time. The ARB paint was too badly chewed for that (it gets bashed removing the arm).

I had intended to fit ordinary bottom arms but forum threads showed the 100HP can wear them out in 5000 miles and replies said to use the correct arms.

Shop4Parts lists the following Fiat part numbers
Ordinary arms (e.g. 1.2 model) # = 50703129 / KC50
100HP arm # = 51857135

ePER lists 50703128 and 50703129 for all models so no surprises they get fitted to 100HPs. TBH, I struggle to find any 100HP specific data on ePER.


S4P now have the Magneti Marelli items in stock at £64 plus VAT - each. OEM are £142 plus VAT.

Confusingly, they list replacement bushes for all models as part number 50702953 but that's the light weight version. Not the same as 100HP type and not listed on ePER. S4P don't list a replacement bush only for the Fiat Idea.

Rumour is the 100hp arms are also different due to wider front track. Not measured one though, personally.

last time I am looking at this as I don't have the 100 HP

https://www.onlinecarparts.co.uk/sidem-2050534.html


same as the Ideal, later pandas, musa and ypsilon.

just a generic part by a different manufacture.

HP said:

Rumour is the 100hp arms are also different due to wider front track. Not measured one though, personally.

Click to expand...

There are numerous rumours but there is no evidence the 100HP suspension parts are is significantly different from the other 169 Pandas.. Apart from that rear bush. And the spring lengths.

That looks like the the one and would have saved me a wedge.

Ordinary arms are £30. 100HP arms are £70. These are £10 plus a bush/bearing fitting tool that will be useful may times over.

I've got a new pair of Magneti Marelli 100hp lower arms in the garage, can measure them if anyone has a non-100hp to compare against.

DaveMcT said:

That looks like the the one and would have saved me a wedge.

Ordinary arms are £30. 100HP arms are £70. These are £10 plus a bush/bearing fitting tool that will be useful may times over.

Click to expand...

I've replaced bushes in track control arms in the past (though not on a Fiat).

I'd agree it's a much cheaper way of proceeding, but from my own experience, the job really does need a proper hydraulic press. I've fabricated mandrels and improvised with a heavy duty vice, but this has generally been hugely frustrating and involved much swearing and broken skin.

Something like this is probably the cheapest tool I'd try to use for this job now; the cost would be hard to justify for a one-off replacement (though it'd be a nice thing to have in the home workshop).

I was looking at changing the arms after the winter. Alot cheaper to buy cheap arms and replace the bushes. I have access to a hydraulic press at work, so going to give it a go.

HP said:

I've got a new pair of Magneti Marelli 100hp lower arms in the garage, can measure them if anyone has a non-100hp to compare against.

Click to expand...

Would be interested in the results.
I swapped a set of "standard" arms to 100HP ones on the son's 100hp and they improved things a lot, but (as I said at the time) no idea if it was the bushes or some subtle difference in the arms. I did a quick visual check and they looked similar, although the ball-joints looked a bit beefier too (although that could just be brand differences though)

I'm thinking of trying a couple of those bushes in the wife's Multijet. It chews standard ones up in about a year, mainly coz of the impressive condition of Norfolk roads.

irc said:

I'm thinking of trying a couple of those bushes in the wife's Multijet. It chews standard ones up in about a year, mainly coz of the impressive condition of Norfolk roads.

Click to expand...

It's a trade off between suspension range of motion and rigidity.

The 100HP had beefier bushes to stiffen the suspension and cope with the higher cornering forces and loads imposed by the more powerful engine. But its got a relatively low range of motion between full droop and full bump. Other models have more compliance at the expense of chassis stiffness. All you can do is try them and see ho it goes.

You will need a hydraulic press and suitable steel tube sleeves to press the bushes in/out. The screw type bearing/bush extractors will not work - the centre bolt hole is just not big enough.

I think there’s quite a bit of assumption going on in this thread.

Picture of a Magneti Marelli front arm for a 100hp. Pin on the balljoint is set vertical for measurement.

If changing the bushes, make sure the balljoint is good - most aren’t.

Ok. Having checked with several people who have spare lower arms at hand, they are definitely not all the same. If you are changing for a different part number it’s essential you check both parts side by side for length between bush and balljoint and also confirm the balljoint pin is the same size.

HP said:

Ok. Having checked with several people who have spare lower arms at hand, they are definitely not all the same. If you are changing for a different part number it’s essential you check both parts side by side for length between bush and balljoint and also confirm the balljoint pin is the same size.

Click to expand...

Interesting!!!!!
How much difference are we talking? What are the part numbers of the magneti marelli 100hp arms to confirm these are definitely correct?

I have priced up getting cheap lower arms and the correct rear bush separately and it is less than half the price of the magneti marelli arms, so a good saving.
My girlfriend's car currently has cheapo arms on and has done a good 40k miles and they are now starting to get worn out.