General mot fail trailing arm bushes

[colin burns]

My 2000 2.0 petrol ulysse has just failed mot on the rear trailing arm rubber bushes. I have priced the parts at 20.00 (from Citroen Dealer) but my local garage want £150 to fit them!! Is it realy that difficult to fit them?

 

[Pat H]

Not sure what's involved in those but it likely requires complete removal. Hamming out the old ones and then pressing in the new bushes.
A good few hours work I imagine.

 

[colin burns]

thanks fior reply. We have stripped it down this morning and that was easy. However, getting hold of the parts is proving more difficult!!

 

[Pat H]

Are they press fitted?
In the old days we used to burn off the old ones with a torch and then chisel out the metal remain. then heat up the arm and use a press to squeeze the new one back in.
They either went well or were a bi*ch.

 

[colin burns]

We were quite lucky really. undid the shocker bolt and trailing arm bolt so the whole thing dropped, the bushes were so badly worn that the rubber just fell out! Hacksawed the outer metal then a couple of mins with the hammer and chisel and it was out! Luckily I have a very resouceful mate who made a sort of pressing tool, greased up the new bushes and in they went. One hour each side start to finnish! So I am now MOT'd!

Don't know how though a s one of the front suspension bushes has just literally fallen out!!!! So now trying to find out if these can be replaced or if I have to replace the front wishbones? Oh Joy!!

 

[colin burns]

As feared had to replace the whole front thing (£200 each side!!). I am using my local Citroen dealer as they can get the parts by 0900 next day and have been about 10% cheaper. My local Fiat dealer said the part "didn't exist"!!!

Once agian my mate was able to do work for a fraction of the cost of garage. (£150 per side at Garage, 4 cans of Carling for both sides to mate!!!!!)

So all left to do now is find out what is causing the battery drain, why it cuts out even though the idle valve is new, why it runs so rough and why the main fuse box is full of water!!!!

Once they are sorted I will have a pretty good, practical vehicle!! I'm off to the auto electrician on Friday - bring on the bill!!!