Fisherman Mike Posted November 5, 2011 Report Share Posted November 5, 2011 Anyone know what would be a realistic price to replace the front suspension bushes on a KA. Ive had a quote of £365 incl Vat from a local Ford Dealer, Apparently its easier and quicker to replace the front wishbone arm rather than the bushes. However I thought that is a bit steep as Ford forums seem to think its about an hour a side and the Arms are around £75 a pair. Anyone with an experience of these. Thanks as always Mike.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fruity Posted November 5, 2011 Report Share Posted November 5, 2011 Does sound a bit steep but main dealers usually are , a pattern part (not genuine) is about £25 a side which includes new bottom balljoint pinch bolts 'best changed at the same time ' book times shows 80 mins a side , you would pay less using a good independant Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Jackson Posted November 5, 2011 Report Share Posted November 5, 2011 If you prepared to travel to the midlands my mate who's a mechanic will do it for £200 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M.I.A Posted November 5, 2011 Report Share Posted November 5, 2011 I buy pattern wishbones for around £18, and fitting them is easy, if you get the parts and take them to a local garage you won't pay a lot Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alastair0903 Posted November 5, 2011 Report Share Posted November 5, 2011 If you prepared to travel to the midlands my mate who's a mechanic will do it for £200 i`ll do it for £200 ! sure i could make £150 for 2 hours max work . i don`t know how people afford to pay these stupid prices for simple jobs , am i missing something ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bazzab Posted November 5, 2011 Report Share Posted November 5, 2011 Blooming hec bring it to me mate. ill do it for that. Haha. as MIA said take it to local garage mate main dealers will always be so much more!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HAYBURN Posted November 5, 2011 Report Share Posted November 5, 2011 When i used to do them.We charged 1 hour a side.That was £40 hour.plus two bottom wishbone arms..plus two pinch bolts..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon R Posted November 5, 2011 Report Share Posted November 5, 2011 (edited) It looks at least double what it should be to me. Edited November 5, 2011 by Gordon R Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mossy835 Posted November 6, 2011 Report Share Posted November 6, 2011 i never go to a main dealer,i use the garage up the road and he is very good , never charges a lot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silver pigeon 3 Posted November 6, 2011 Report Share Posted November 6, 2011 Hi Mike, just done a pair on a 02 reg Ka and i did it myself and the lower arms were £15+ Vat per side, if you want the number of a good garage who won't charge you the earth pm me, i reckon they are about 25 mins from Ciren. All the best Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacksdad Posted November 6, 2011 Report Share Posted November 6, 2011 The very first one I found on fleabay: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FORD-KA-FRONT-2-WISHBONE-SUSPENSION-LOWER-ARMS-NEW-/280077201654?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item4135e6f0f6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mfletch Posted November 6, 2011 Report Share Posted November 6, 2011 There not hard do do Take it to another garage I bet you get both sides done for £180 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jackroadkill Posted November 6, 2011 Report Share Posted November 6, 2011 A good independent will beat a main stealer on price, waiting time and quality of work. £365 is just taking the mickey. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
88b Posted November 6, 2011 Report Share Posted November 6, 2011 Usually takes me about an hour to do both sides, be careful of the quality of the pattern ones, DO NOT buy Pear Products arms. Quinton Hazel cost me about £22 an arm.If you think about doing ti yourself be careful with the near side it's possible to pull the inner trilobial joint apart. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacksdad Posted November 6, 2011 Report Share Posted November 6, 2011 and you don't want to be pulling your trilobials apart, sounds painful! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Geordie Posted November 6, 2011 Report Share Posted November 6, 2011 Q&H or FAI parts are good quality! Sometimes CHEAP aint good. 80 mins a side is a 6 month old using a rattle to do the job. Both sides can be done in under an hour no problem at all. If you were closer I would have done them for you free of charge if you supplied the parts. I took a set of Wheel bearings to National Tyres and they only charged £40 to fit them for me as I dont have a press and the bearings can't be knocked in due to the ABS ring is a magnet on the bearing so any jarring cracks it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ratman2 Posted November 6, 2011 Report Share Posted November 6, 2011 and you don't want to be pulling your trilobials apart, sounds painful! Nearly as painful as getting your penistrilobials stuck in yer zip. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craftycarper Posted November 8, 2011 Report Share Posted November 8, 2011 it is the arm and not the doughnuts on the struts? doughnuts are 15 a go, arms around 20 ish here. Saying that with the doughnuts they have to be replaced yearly if you get cheapies Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
88b Posted November 8, 2011 Report Share Posted November 8, 2011 it is the arm and not the doughnuts on the struts? doughnuts are 15 a go, arms around 20 ish here. Saying that with the doughnuts they have to be replaced yearly if you get cheapies if by doughnuts you mean the rubber mounts between the top of the strut and body, last year the minestry sent a directive to all testing stations saying play was acceptable with the wheels hanging. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canis Posted November 9, 2011 Report Share Posted November 9, 2011 Threads like this ammuse me remember 60 of the 36o odd the op was quoted was vat. £150 for 2 o/e wishbones and an hour a side at £80 per hour =£310 doesn't sdeem unreasonable to me. yes we all know a mate that will do any job on the car working out of the back of his mums garage at home, using pattern parts, who will do the job for half a bottle of Tesco value vodka and a blowie from your sister . A franchised dealer has to use oe parts, supply courtesy cars, and fund service managers before even looking at the overall costs of running the garage, corporation tax and busness rates as well as show the owner a profit. In essence you will undoubtedly find that main dealers will charge a lot more for a similar job but they have overheads involved with doing business "properly" ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fisherman Mike Posted November 9, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 9, 2011 (edited) Thanks for all the replies guys.. Following a reccommendation from Silver Pigeon I have spoken to a local Garage who is going to fit new wishbones at a very reasonable price. Canis.. I appreciate what you say about overheads etc...but £ 80 an hour is in my experience usually 15 minutes on my car 15 minutes on someone elses and so on.... At least it sounds as though these guys will be working hard for My hard earned cash. Plus they havent added 300 % to the parts cost Edited November 9, 2011 by Fisherman Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Geordie Posted November 9, 2011 Report Share Posted November 9, 2011 (edited) Threads like this ammuse me remember 60 of the 36o odd the op was quoted was vat. £150 for 2 o/e wishbones and an hour a side at £80 per hour =£310 doesn't sdeem unreasonable to me. yes we all know a mate that will do any job on the car working out of the back of his mums garage at home, using pattern parts, who will do the job for half a bottle of Tesco value vodka and a blowie from your sister . A franchised dealer has to use oe parts, supply courtesy cars, and fund service managers before even looking at the overall costs of running the garage, corporation tax and busness rates as well as show the owner a profit. In essence you will undoubtedly find that main dealers will charge a lot more for a similar job but they have overheads involved with doing business "properly" ! What a load of cobblers. Having just had my car in for repairs at a dealership the origional problem still remains. I have to take it back for remedial work. Also I had the car taken to the stealers oh sorry I mean dealers with an engine rattle that to me sounded like a faulty hydraulic follower. Dealers said NO it will be your timing chain and alighted me of £345. After this was carried out the car was still rattling away. I made them aware of my distain for their expertese and took the car elsewhere and YUP they diagnosed the same fault as I had and after new followers and lifters the car is sweet. Dont ever think just because its a dealer they are better than a back street garage. I also had an older car in to a big main chain garage for new struts, springs, shocks and when I turned up at the garage the lad was fitting the hub nut with a standard ratchet. I asked why he wasn't using a Torque wrench to which he replied their is no need. I went off telling him there IS a need and he was an imbicile. When I got in the car to drive home it was banging while cornering so I got underneath to look and found the springs weren't seated properly and on closer inspection found they had butchered the wishbones "Which were fitted three days previous" and the track rod ends. I contacted their head office and went ballistic and had the car sent away to another garage for repairs at their expence the full front end was replaced. I do a lot of work on my own vehicles and locally I help the elderly who need bits and do this free. I have worked as a mechanic in the past in various capacities. The only reason I couldn't do the suspension myself was lack of good quality spring compressors. Like I have said! Yes some cheap parts dont last but Q&H or FAI etc are as good as the OE parts and a fraction of the price. Dealerships are a license to print money and personally I think £80 for an hour of a Mechanics time is obscene. Edited November 9, 2011 by Lord Geordie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
88b Posted November 10, 2011 Report Share Posted November 10, 2011 People seem to think main dealers must be honest knowledgable and do things properly, some are and do but a lot don't. I've had to go to Ford dealers several times when the customer has got to the point of court or in Fords eyes worse, BBC watchdog. Every time but once the dealership had lied misdiagnosed screwed up and lied again to try and cover their tracks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacksdad Posted November 10, 2011 Report Share Posted November 10, 2011 I won't use a dealership as they rely on the name and nice shiny building to bring in work. A small, long established independant or what may be called 'back street garage' relies on happy customers and word of mouth to bring in work. Some people actually feel like they have received better service because it cost more! I've worked in the motor trade for over 30 years, part time, full time, in main dealers and my own place: dealers are a RIP OFF ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Claygone Posted November 10, 2011 Report Share Posted November 10, 2011 I won't use a dealership as they rely on the name and nice shiny building to bring in work. A small, long established independant or what may be called 'back street garage' relies on happy customers and word of mouth to bring in work. Some people actually feel like they have received better service because it cost more! I've worked in the motor trade for over 30 years, part time, full time, in main dealers and my own place: dealers are a RIP OFF ! +1 couldn't agree more Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.