Take a 11 year old VW golf with 92K miles and you have either a broken spring or a broken top mount bearing......

Before you make a decision, check that a local garage with a good reputation will be prepared to do the work. Many won't consider fitting user-supplied parts.

If something goes wrong, there will always be disagreement as to whether the problem is a faulty part, or incorrect fitment. They may not want to tie up workshop space if a supplied part proves to be incorrect. Garages also make a bit of their profit from selling the parts, so would need to recoup that by increasing the charge for labour.

I would try to find a local independent VW specialist, and ask their advice on replacing everything compared to just fixing whatever has failed. They will be in the best position to tell you the likelihood of future failure.

Chris

Yes, with the caveat that a lot of pattern parts are s**te quality, so stuff that's currently perfectly good with life left in it _might_ be getting replaced with stuff with a year's life expectancy.

It boggles my mind just how bad they are. Fitted a friend's 5 series with a couple of ebay special drop links about three months ago and, when footling underneath last week, noticed that the rubber boots at both ends had ripped totally in half. Normally these thing just develop a bit of a tear in the rubber that lets the water in but these were completely gone. Not bad for a car that's probably only done a 1000 miles since they were fitted.

Similarly ebay purchased thermostat is already getting a bit weak according to the engine temp diagnostics, tho that's been in there a year. That's a bit more understandable as my OEM ones got similarly weak after checking them 2 years after fitting.

Was the weight on the wheels when they were torqued up? Forgetting that is a great way of shortening the life expectancy...

No, would have been jacked up but level. I've not had that problem doing my 3-er and the design's the same. Off the top of my head I don't think the rubber's captive so free to sort itself out. Would make sense though.