Replacing Anti roll bar

**Huxly** · 17-05-2008,11:59 PM

Hi guys,

I had my 2000 Mk4 Golf 1.6se serviced a couple of weeks ago and VW advised I should replace the anti-roll bar & bushes. (£220 for sat club members). My local non-VW garage says they can replace just the bushes for £60.

Is it normal to replace both bar & bushes? Would I be wasting money replacing just the bushes?

I'd normally just pay the VW price but since I've only had the car 6 weeks and already paid £750 for a service / cambelt / waterpump / window regulator & coolant sensor bottle I'm getting a bit fed up paying for repairs.

thanks in advance
Andy

**Col** · 18-05-2008,09:34 AM

Hold on !

There are two sets of thingies on the anti roll bar.

Inner bushes (£25'ish for a set to buy)

and

Outer droplinks. (£30'ish for a set to buy)

The inner ones are a little bit tricky to do as yours is an older MK4 you will need the modded locating brackets as well as the bushes.

The droplinks are a doddle to change.

Any garage worth their salt should easily be able able to do the whole lot in an hour ! I know I can rolling around on my cold garage floor without the aid of post ramps and the like garages have. I would expect to pay £60'ish for the parts plus ONE hours labour. Top, top whack with VAT £150-160

**gabba** · 18-05-2008,09:45 PM

You should replace bushes yes, because when else will they be replaced? It's a pain replacing the inner bushes so get them replaced because they are likely to be originals.

**Crasher** · 18-05-2008,10:49 PM

The bar will have broken up under the bushes; just replacing the inner bushes is about as much use as rubbing them over with a bar of melted chocolate. People who recommend that are those who have no idea about what they are doing or who are too scared to drop the subframe and do the job properly.

**Col** · 18-05-2008,11:12 PM

Originally Posted by Crasher

The bar will have broken up under the bushes; just replacing the inner bushes is about as much use as rubbing them over with a bar of melted chocolate. People who recommend that are those how have no idea about what they are doing or who are too scared to drop the subframe and do the job properly.

That be ******* speak and really does not become you as you are not.

I had a MK4 and quite sucessfully changed JUST the bushes and solved the problem.

I would rather be able to afford some chocolate to eat than spending money on an anti roll bar that I don't need.

**Crasher** · 19-05-2008,01:23 PM

If the bar is chewed up or corroded, the new bushes won’t last long.

**mluton** · 19-05-2008,02:13 PM

I had terrible knocking on my car down to the ARB. It was the coating that had come of the bar that was causing the problem. New bar and ARB Bushes fitted at Skoda £140. All sorted.

New bushes may not cure the problem as the coating is pretty thick on the bar.

**Huxly** · 19-05-2008,07:12 PM

Thanks for all your replies guys...I think I know what I'm doing now...

I'll just check the condition of the bar when I change the bushes, seems like it should be quite apparent if the bar is corroded. If it is I'll change the bar too.

thanks again for the advice..

cheers
Andy