Alfa 156 Suspension Query

Citizenpain

Folks

How much should I be paying for supply and labour -- 1 top and 2 bottom wishbones ? & 2 rear trailing arm bushes? -- rough idea.

Thanks

CP

Matt Simis

Citizenpain wrote: »

Folks

How much should I be paying for supply and labour -- 1 top and 2 bottom wishbones ? & 2 rear trailing arm bushes? -- rough idea.

Thanks

CP

You should get both tops done (ie 1 either side), they are cheap and since the bottoms are coming out which makes it easier, makes sense. If one side of the car needs the work, then the other does too.

It took quite a while for me to do one side as the 156 has massive problems with rust seized parts, making disassembly a time consuming nightmare. I dunno how much labour $$ that would be though

alias no.9

Top wish bones are about €60 - €70 each, not sure about bottom wishbones, probably a little more. Doing the top and bottom shouldn't take any more than an hour a side. Rear trailing arm bushes are €8 each, they're a bitch to do DIY so I wouldn't hazard a guess as to the time in a garage, but probably much quicker than it took me. Then do a 4 wheel allignment and tracking.

Citizenpain

Hmmm, being quoted 100 for the upper & 200 each for the lower wishbones plus 300 labour for all-- a hefty 820 incl VAT with the bushes--

it's a 2003 - with a timing belt change due in 12000 miles -- i think i may be as well off selling -- lovely car though

Nonoperational

Citizen, no need to sell up yet! Look at these prices and get them delivered.

http://www.alfa156.net/fr_index.html?/alternativeautos.html

Your talking about €400-€500 and you have the suspension sorted. Get an independent mechanic to do it it's an easy job. Any competent mechanic that did the work before would do top and bottom on both sides in 2 hours.

As for the cam belt, pay no more than €500 with a variator, €400 if you don't need one. Got one done for €380 in old chapel fiat in bandon a few weeks ago.

Just on the suspension make sure it's the arms not the anti-roll bar bushes that need doing. If it's a 2003 and the arb bushes havn't been done i'd bet they need doing too.
If your on a tight budget I have a guy that can sort these for ya for about €150. He could do the other work too but any indy will do it no prob.

If you play it smart you could still get all the suspension work and the timing belt done for around the €1000 mark.

Matt Simis

Citizenpain wrote: »

Hmmm, being quoted 100 for the upper & 200 each for the lower wishbones plus 300 labour for all-- a hefty 820 incl VAT with the bushes--

it's a 2003 - with a timing belt change due in 12000 miles -- i think i may be as well off selling -- lovely car though

That price is insane. Please name and shame who gave you that quote. Athboy Tyre and Auto Centre (086 817 4838) helped me out when my CV joint poped out of the hub on my 156 (outside their building!). Talking to the guys there they do a lot of Alfa stuff and had 4 Alfas on site! Price for labour was very good, good enough that I might get them to do the other side of my 156 suspension even though I could do it myself.

You can get Top Wishbones for £45 online and lowers for £74 each, the rest is just how long the install takes.

RobertM

That price is just unbelievable. Sounds like you went to one of those "know-it-all" mechanic/garage. I done my top wishbones a couple of months back, and I paid 250€, but that done by my mechanic. It doesn't take more than 45-55 minutes to do them, if you have the proper tools, because as we know with alfa's they don't like to be disassembled . If you're in Dublin, give Gerry in TI Autos a call.

Citizenpain

Cheers for the replies - ironically its my first time not using a main dealer ,,, I won't name, but I'm in the west

cjt156

Ask on the forums on alfaowner.com and alfa156.net. Someone will be able to recommend a decent independent because those prices are crazy. I DIY all my suspension work. Its a bit of a b!tch but there's plenty of guides on the sites above.

king_of_inismac

I did both upper and lower wishbones on my own 156 last year.

Bought the parts here at a fraction of the cost: www.ebspares.co.uk

It's awkward enough to fit the bottom ones, and not something I'd particularly like to face into again.

I'd recommend buying the parts online and then getting a good independent mechanic to fit them.

Citizenpain

Ok King--sounds like a plan

I'm going to price around first & see whats offered

Will let you know how I get on

Anyone replaced the gear knob on a 156 -- I assume it should come off with brute force?

Citizenpain

ok, an update

Best price I got was 1360

included

Front upper & Lower Wishbones--both sides
Rear bushes
Timing belt, tensioners and waterpump
Variator
Sparkplugs

Anyone want to buy an alfa 72K mls -- mint

Matt Simis

Citizenpain wrote: »

ok, an update

Best price I got was 1360

included

Front upper & Lower Wishbones--both sides
Rear bushes
Timing belt, tensioners and waterpump
Variator
Sparkplugs

Anyone want to buy an alfa 72K mls -- mint

Did you ring the guys I mentioned? Also buy the parts yourself from eBay so you arent paying a middleman (to do the same). Separate labour and parts costs.

Nonoperational

Citizenpain wrote: »

ok, an update

Best price I got was 1360

included

Front upper & Lower Wishbones--both sides €300
Rear bushes €50
Timing belt, tensioners and waterpump €300
Variator €100
Sparkplugs €100

Anyone want to buy an alfa 72K mls -- mint

With this work needing doing you'd get feck all for the car. For the prices outlined above (€850) you'd easily sort it. Very rough estimate but not too far off.

-Corkie-

gpf101 wrote: »

With this work needing doing you'd get feck all for the car. For the prices outlined above (€850) you'd easily sort it. Very rough estimate but not too far off.

1350 is lunacy.

Nonoperational

It's probably a reasonable main dealer price but lunacy on a car of that age. I'd be buying the parts myself and getting someone to fit them.

Citizenpain

Matt Simis wrote: »

Did you ring the guys I mentioned? Also buy the parts yourself from eBay so you arent paying a middleman (to do the same). Separate labour and parts costs.

Inc VAT
2 Fr Upper 100
2Fr Lower 150
2Rear Bushes 27
Timing Belt 117
Water Pump 44
Spark Plugs 172
Variator 224
Break Hoses 36
other bits 48

Lab - Front 150
Labour Rear 80
Lab other 200

the labour they are quoting seems punishing

mickdw

Can spark plugs and a variator really cost €400 without fitting?

Edit: From Ebay, it seems £160 sterling would buy all eight plugs and a variator.

mondeo

mickdw wrote: »

Can spark plugs and a variator really cost €400 without fitting

NO, my friend got a variator online for 92 sterling and got the plugs for 60 sterling. 6 quid for shipping or somthing like that.....

Buy the parts yourself! You dont want to be robbed especially coming up to xmas..

alias no.9

My €0.02

Citizenpain wrote: »

Inc VAT
2 Fr Upper 100
2Fr Lower 150

If the prices you quote for the wishbones is for the pair in both cases, then that's good value, if it's €100 and €150 each, then it's outrageous.

Citizenpain wrote: »

2Rear Bushes 27

The rear hub bushes cost €8 each from a main dealer nearly 5 years ago, I can't possibly see how they could be €27 a pair now. The cost is too low for them to be any of the transverse arms.

Citizenpain wrote: »

Timing Belt 117

You don't say what engine so I'm not sure about the timing belt, does it incluse the tensioner / auxillary belt & tensioner / balance belt (2.0 only)?

Citizenpain wrote: »

Water Pump 44

Water pump seems on the ball

Citizenpain wrote: »

Spark Plugs 172

Should be able to get the OEM plugs for half that

Citizenpain wrote: »

Variator 224

Should be able to get OEM variator for half that

Citizenpain wrote: »

Break Hoses 36

Seems reasonable for 4 but pricey for 2

Citizenpain wrote: »

other bits 48

Lab - Front 150
Labour Rear 80
Lab other 200

the labour they are quoting seems punishing

A-Trak

I had all wishbones and bushes (Plus a few other bits,) replaced on my 156 in Ti Autos last year.
Felt like a different car when done.

I'll dig out the invoice when I get home for costs.

Citizenpain

alias no.9 wrote: »

My €0.02



If the prices you quote for the wishbones is for the pair in both cases, then that's good value, if it's €100 and €150 each, then it's outrageous.

THANKS- IT'S FOR THE PAIR


The rear hub bushes cost €8 each from a main dealer nearly 5 years ago, I can't possibly see how they could be €27 a pair now. The cost is too low for them to be any of the transverse arms.

27 for 2

You don't say what engine so I'm not sure about the timing belt, does it incluse the tensioner / auxillary belt & tensioner / balance belt (2.0 only)?

1.6 - includes all the above

Water pump seems on the ball



Should be able to get the OEM plugs for half that

See that now-- the price they quoted me was 1/2 what a main dealer quoted me so i just assumed i was getting good value - should have looked further!



Should be able to get OEM variator for half that

see that now



Seems reasonable for 4 but pricey for 2

For 2

Sorry---not sure how to multi quote!!

alias no.9

Citizenpain wrote: »

Sorry---not sure how to multi quote!!

Some of the prices seem very good value, some a little out of whack. I've used Alternative Autos in the past and would recommend them, somebody mentioned them on the previous page. You could get anything that seems over priced from them.

A-Trak

Ok, dug out the invoice from the Indy garage I got my suspension done in last year.

2 x front top wishbones @ €75 each
1 x front bottom wishbone €170.31
1 set of front roll bush bars @ €40 (arm bushes were also replaced.)
All ex VAT.

Can't tell you the labour for these as I had the clutch fully replaced as well.

Citizenpain

A-Trak wrote: »

Ok, dug out the invoice from the Indy garage I got my suspension done in last year.

2 x front top wishbones @ €75 each
1 x front bottom wishbone €170.31
1 set of front roll bush bars @ €40 (arm bushes were also replaced.)
All ex VAT.

Can't tell you the labour for these as I had the clutch fully replaced as well.

Thanks , appreciate you digging that up

I'll look for a cheaper Variator and Spark plugs---that'll knock 200 off it

Slimity

Sorry to hijack your thread, Citizenpain.

I got front upper wishbones and rears replaced during the summer for 480 euro, and there's still a creaking/squeaking sound over bumps/rough road. There's also a deeper thudding sound on the right over bumps/rough surfaces. Any ideas anyone?

Also going to need the Timing belt and possibly variator replaced soon aswell.

Any good indys southside/wicklow area?

02 Alfa 156 2.0 Ts by the way.

Thanks.

Nonoperational

The 1.6 doesn't have a balancer belt. But anyway you can buy the parts online no problem and you'll get out of this for less than a grand. Not much more to say on it really!

Citizenpain

Sparkplugs and Variator ordered --- thanks to all for your help

Nonoperational

Good man. There are a bucket load of alfa parts online these days.

irisheddie85

Hi I have a 156 in galway city and it needs a service and i think a timing belt.

Does anyone have any experience of a garage in galway city or county that are good with alfas

Hotwheels

Try Alfa Owner.com lots of info here as well...and local Mechanics info, if ya search the forum....