mk4 golf wishbone bushes front and rear

The whole lower arm isn't expensive, and IIRC you need a special tool to fit the bushes to the arm, not just a press.

I wonder if it would work out easier and cheaper to buy the wishbone with bushes and balljoint and just swap them over...ebay here i come.

I think its only a few bolts to get it off.

As your well versed with vw stuff Chris do you know if its possible to do one side at a time or does the whole front end need jacking up ? (only ask as my neighbour a mk4 golf nut reckons it does, I can't see why)

also while your about if it turns out the antiroll bar bushes are worn is that a simple job ? (curious to know whats involved and if it can be done one side at a time as I know there are two bushes on the ARB but there are in the middle of the ARB I think ?)

It's easier to reconnect the Anti roll bar if you jack up both sides at = =

the same time.

Damn I only have one jack and well a scisscor jack which I only would use for a flat tyre. I wonder if theres a solid spot somewhere in the middle to jack up on, been a while since I looked hopefully there is. If not is it possible to do one side of the ARB bush at a time.

Also I found a cracking guide ww.cliff1978.toucansurf.com/car/wishbone.doc

Very helpful.

Although I'll have to buy a torque wrench as I don't have one anymore, as some scum bag nicked mine. I bought a halfords one, very nice and a nice tool, put it down, popped back indoors to grab a bottle of water came out someone had nicked it, £50 worth aswell! gutted.

I'll pop down to halfords and get a new one I think.

On the wish bone front, its about £25 a pop for a pattern part on ebay, seller has top notch feedbacks on this item from mk4 golf owners, I read a post from a guy who bought one over a year ago and its still fine so thats good enough for me. Although I will check how much they are at vw but I suspect you won't get the bushes or balljoint lol.

Saying that the bushes total is £14 odd quid but for the sake of £11 and the arse ache of changing the bush and no doubt a shagged out wishbone could well worth be the ticket I reckon.

YOu'll need a pair of axlestands to get change them anyway & that solves the problem & stops you getting squashed by a tonne of German engineering for a tenner.

I had a go at these on my 406. Removing and refitting the arms isn't too hard. The difficult bit is getting the ball joint back into the arm once it's all together. I suspect a set of spring compressors would be useful.

I managed to do it one side at a time on an A3 (so smae thing). I think I got it on a stand and used the jack to position the arm to recconnect the anti-roll bar.

Ahh good stuff and very helpful. I posted an update in another post just posted.

I had a good look and check of the bushes and ARB bushes all pretty worn.

I wobbled the wheel of the suspected side passenger side left and right and there was a quite a bit of play and knock. Also noticed on the inside of the ARB bush about 3mm gap so movement was rife on that I guess.

The other side although not as bad, not very far behind so I guess both sides would need doing.

I'm sourcing the parts now, but sadly the dealer nor gsf know what size the ARB is as there is a bush for 21mm 22mm and a 23mm no one seems to know what size so I have to remove the wheel and try and measure the diameter myself.

ECP claim there is only one size generic ARB which is 22mm.

Best thing is to measure it before I order as it will be a real PITA if I buy the wrong size. At a guestimate looks small at 21mm pure guessing.

I'd guess that too. 22 and 23 mm will be for sporty derivatives, or the diesel (extra weight).