The Bushes again!

zoheb

Guest
Hi,

I have a 130 sport 53 reg.
I've been looking into the bushes issue with the mk4 for some time and have a few specific questions. I am going to get the wishbone bushes replaced with the cupra ones and thought i'd get the others done at the same time.

1. I want to get the ARB bushes sorted as well. I have found out that I have an 18mm ARB but Seat supply 16mm bushes for a tighter fit. So the question is, which of the following 3 do I get:

a) 16mm bushes (powerflex) - ebay item number 110423597000

b) 18mm bushes (powerflex) - can't find any on ebay right now although there were some a few weeks ago.

c) Replace the whole ARB with a VRS one. If so, what size do I get and do I need to know specific sizes for the ARB or bushes? or when I replace this, I can choose any size? (Sorry, don't have much mechanical knowledge)

Also, what are the differences between the powerflex and VRS ones in terms of ride quality?


2. When I come off the kerb, the rear of the car makes a sqweaking sound and I think it may also be the bushes. Do I get these replaced the the standard ones or are there any better ones I should look for?


3. Any other bushes recommended to fix all the noises and the crashy ride?


I appreciate all the help and thank for all the useful posts that have already been posted. It has helped me pinpoint many problems with my car and also given me ideas on how to spend all my money on performace upgrades lol
 

Aimez

Active Member
I did a bit of research into this before changing the bushes on mine. Found of that reaplceing the front ARB really not much point spending all that money after market ones are over £100 and that's before labour and wheel alignment. I got Skoda front ARB links which are better made and cost no where near as much. I slo replace wishbone bushes with powerflex ones and cupra ones. I had coilovers fitted at teh same time then wheel alignment this all cost about £370 in total!!!!
Before I had this done my car made a squeaking noise in the wet/damp was so loud people were staring. Now it is fine and handles so much better (this work along with already fitted 20mm rear spacers and rear ARB)
Dunno if this helps but don't think you need to spend out on a new front ARB not worth the extra money.
 

zoheb

Guest
I did a bit of research into this before changing the bushes on mine. Found of that reaplceing the front ARB really not much point spending all that money after market ones are over £100 and that's before labour and wheel alignment. I got Skoda front ARB links which are better made and cost no where near as much. I slo replace wishbone bushes with powerflex ones and cupra ones. I had coilovers fitted at teh same time then wheel alignment this all cost about £370 in total!!!!
Before I had this done my car made a squeaking noise in the wet/damp was so loud people were staring. Now it is fine and handles so much better (this work along with already fitted 20mm rear spacers and rear ARB)
Dunno if this helps but don't think you need to spend out on a new front ARB not worth the extra money.

thanks for the quick response aimez. Can i just clarify, are you saying that instead of replacing the ARB, just replace the bushes with the skoda ones or do you mean something else by the 'links'?(Sorry, don't have much knowledge on this stuff)
You also say that you replaced the wishbones bushes with cupra & powerflex ones. Am I correct to assume that the cupra ones for the rear and powerflex ones for the front?

Thanks once again
 

Ash_238

Active Member
Aug 25, 2009
236
0
You also say that you replaced the wishbones bushes with cupra & powerflex ones. Am I correct to assume that the cupra ones for the rear and powerflex ones for the front?

The Cupra ones go at the back of the front wishbones & the powerflex ones can go at the front part of the wishbones. The Rear can have powerflex's, not sure if theres any Cupra ones for the rear, I don't believe there is.

The front wishbones have a front & rear bushing.
 

Aimez

Active Member
What he said! The front ones don't wear out like the rear ones do but I heard that it was a good combination. Yes you could do everything in polybushes but apparently it makes the ride too harsh.
I meant droplinks by the way I was told they were broken by one garage then found out they only had play in them but upgraded them anyway made the steering feel much better tightened things up.
 

RUM4MO

Active Member
Jun 4, 2008
7,784
983
South Scotland
The ARB drop links for all these cars (Fabia, Polo 9N Ibiza 6L) should all be the same VAG p/n - these items have been revised I believe - so buying from any VAG dealer should mean that you get the latest version as all the superceded ones should have been sold now or dumped out of stock and be only available as "NOS" from places like Ebay.
 

zoheb

Guest
I've ordered the cupra bushes. Won't be replacing the front wishbone bushes yet.
For the ARB I'll just get the droplinks for now and get them fitted. If I have any more trouble then I'll think about having either the bushes or the ARB replaced. Does that sound about right? or do you think its better to get the ARB bushes done as well.

Anyone know the part number for the droplinks?

Once I know what to do about the ARB, I'll let you know how things go
Thanks for helping.
 

Aimez

Active Member
The ARB drop links for all these cars (Fabia, Polo 9N Ibiza 6L) should all be the same VAG p/n - these items have been revised I believe - so buying from any VAG dealer should mean that you get the latest version as all the superceded ones should have been sold now or dumped out of stock and be only available as "NOS" from places like Ebay.

apart from non cupra bushes:ban::think:

I never thought of that I just asked them to order Fabia droplinks to be 100% they showed me the old vrs new, new much better!
 

Chino_UK

Team Creatine
Jul 19, 2009
1,587
5
Cheadle, Cheshire
I've got a mix of Cupra and poly bushes up front, just standard on front ARB, feels nice and stiff. The car is going in to have Powerflex put into the rear beam tomorrow, me and my mates attempted to do this last weekend and failed..basically you need a press to get the rear beam ones out and put the new ones in or you just mash them up.
 

RUM4MO

Active Member
Jun 4, 2008
7,784
983
South Scotland
I've ordered the cupra bushes. Won't be replacing the front wishbone bushes yet.
For the ARB I'll just get the droplinks for now and get them fitted. If I have any more trouble then I'll think about having either the bushes or the ARB replaced. Does that sound about right? or do you think its better to get the ARB bushes done as well.

Anyone know the part number for the droplinks?

Once I know what to do about the ARB, I'll let you know how things go
Thanks for helping.

The ARB should be "okay" or not "okay", normally itsd the older ARBs with the plastic end stops that give trouble. If I were you I'd stick to fitting the correct size of ARB bushes as fitting smaller ones will be troublesome and restrict the movement of the ARB - think of the ARB as a bit of metal shaped as a U, how they work is by limiting or loading up when one side is trying to twist - ie if RHS of suspension is trying to compress, then the ARB will try to resist this as it is trying to transfer this compression across to the other side - but it will probably be getting decompressed at that time so the ARB is really just a torsion device - just like the "twistable" rear beam which works like a couple of trailing arms with an ARB built in. Remember, if you remove the ARB drop links on both sides, you should be able to rotate the ARB - if you use undersized bushes they will initially add stiction into the system which will quickly turn into wear and you will be back to where you came from.
 

zoheb

Guest
The ARB should be "okay" or not "okay", normally itsd the older ARBs with the plastic end stops that give trouble. If I were you I'd stick to fitting the correct size of ARB bushes as fitting smaller ones will be troublesome and restrict the movement of the ARB - think of the ARB as a bit of metal shaped as a U, how they work is by limiting or loading up when one side is trying to twist - ie if RHS of suspension is trying to compress, then the ARB will try to resist this as it is trying to transfer this compression across to the other side - but it will probably be getting decompressed at that time so the ARB is really just a torsion device - just like the "twistable" rear beam which works like a couple of trailing arms with an ARB built in. Remember, if you remove the ARB drop links on both sides, you should be able to rotate the ARB - if you use undersized bushes they will initially add stiction into the system which will quickly turn into wear and you will be back to where you came from.

If I get the ARB 18mm bushes, which ones should I get? poly ones or is there anything else?
 

RUM4MO

Active Member
Jun 4, 2008
7,784
983
South Scotland
If you have an 18mm roll bar, it's 16mm bushes u need


One thing, you really really need to know if your car still has the old style ARB as the ARB bush sizes do depend on that - the older ARBs had a plastic shroud covering the area that the bushes are fitted to - so the older 18mm ARBs needed something like 20mm bushes - that is hwere the idea of fitting smaller bushes comes from as typically a new 18mm ARB now uses, even at factory something like what used to be fitted to the 16mm ARBs (if any market ever fitted ARBs of that diameter to this platform). It can all be a bit confusing unless you actually changed the ARB and bushes from "original" to "new style" - and your car might just have been made in this "period of uncertainty" - I'd use a small magnet to prove which type is fitted to the car - old style plastic will not stick to magnet - new style metal will stick to magnet. I am refering to the actual ARB end stops.
 

zoheb

Guest
One thing, you really really need to know if your car still has the old style ARB as the ARB bush sizes do depend on that - the older ARBs had a plastic shroud covering the area that the bushes are fitted to - so the older 18mm ARBs needed something like 20mm bushes - that is hwere the idea of fitting smaller bushes comes from as typically a new 18mm ARB now uses, even at factory something like what used to be fitted to the 16mm ARBs (if any market ever fitted ARBs of that diameter to this platform). It can all be a bit confusing unless you actually changed the ARB and bushes from "original" to "new style" - and your car might just have been made in this "period of uncertainty" - I'd use a small magnet to prove which type is fitted to the car - old style plastic will not stick to magnet - new style metal will stick to magnet. I am refering to the actual ARB end stops.

I think it would be the new one as David from Sere Motors checked my ARB size using my VIN and said that I have 18mm ARB and need 16mm bushes
 

RUM4MO

Active Member
Jun 4, 2008
7,784
983
South Scotland
Now I'm quite willing to be proved wrong here, but I'd reckon that VAG would not have a clue which cars left the factory with the updated ARBs especially cars built close to the change point, I do realise that there is meant to be a formal POE of any changes and the parts listings usually do list "for chassis up to" and "for chassis from", but in this case I do not think that it was ever that clear. One thing is true though, if any VAG dealer checked your VIN then they would find out which PR-codes were included in the build of that car, and that would include the ARB diameter - but that size is generic for a range of engines and does not answer the question "has it got the old or new type ARB fitted" - and that is correct information that you will need to let you buy in the right ARB bushes.
 

zoheb

Guest
is there anyway I can reach the ARB to do the magnet test? where would I check?
 
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