NCT fail - anti-roll bar (OS) - Mitsubishi.

Bannasidhe

My Mitsubishi Spacewagon failed the NCT yesterday as I need to replace the offside front Anti-roll bar (my mechanic told me I had to replace both wishbone bushes which took over a week to source from England and cost me 130 quid - according to the NCT guy I just wasted my money!)

Anyhoo my question is this - I have managed to find an anti-roll bar (new) for £15 p&p but it doesn't specify if it is for nearside or offside. Is there a difference or will the same part do for either side?

Advice much appreciated!!

Nonoperational

An anti-roll bar is just one bar going from one side of the car to the other. It's probably the OS bushing that worn. It may or may not be possible to just replace the bush on that side. Depends on the car.

colm_mcm

I reckon it could be anti roll bar links you need, that or bushes. Try and get clarification


Also unless the nct guy saw the wishbones that came out he can't really comment on whether it was a waste of money.

Nonoperational

Ya it's probably the drop link alright. Good thinking.

Bannasidhe

tHANKS GUYS

On the NCT fail report it says:

'Anti-roll bar bushes and links. Worn. OffsideFront.'

When I asked what this meant and that the mechanic said it was the bushes the NCT guy said the bushes were fine but the roll bar needed replacing.

I saw this for sale on ebay : 'Antiroll /Anti Roll bar Link NEW' but have no idea if this is what I need or not.

I am not even slightly mechanically minded and am a complete loss as to what exactly I need to get...Do I need the roll bar or the link or both? Are they the same thing?

Bannasidhe

The report does say link - and the way he was talking it sounded like he meant the part that 'joined them together' but he kept also kept specifying ' anti-roll bar'. I think it is the link but as I have only basic car maintenance skills I want to make sure before I go buying any more parts.

colm_mcm

Bushes


Links



That's what they look like. do both sides altogether.

What year, engine do you have?

Bannasidhe

01 reg. 2351 CC

mickdw

Rather stupid of NCT guy to say you wasted money as the wishbones could have been in bits for all he knew.

In your situation, If the faulty item cannot be immediately found with car on lift, I would fit new bushes as shown in pictures posted above, drive it to check for knocking. If quiet, all is well, if not do the drop links.
One other thing, motorfactor bushes can sometimes be a waste of money. Many car models will have 2 or 3 diameter anti roll bars depending on spec and often the motor factors might only have 1 bush type listed with a result that they may be fractionally too loose. I always try to get the genuine ones (cheap parts anyway). The only problem with this is that sometimes the dealers only offer the bushes with the complete bar at over €100. In those cases, I use bushes from Motor factors but nowhere near as good a fix IMO.

E39MSport

drop link = c. Eur 15 at a motor factors.
edit: might as well do both sides as your gonna have to take the weight off both wheels anyway.

colm_mcm

Yep, found Mitsubishi original droplinks can be tricky to take off on an old car. Had to cut mine off in the end. They're not expensive anyway.
Find it hard to believe a new arb would only be £15 including postage from uk, have you a link?

nogoodnamesleft

If the OP wants to chance it himself I wrote a How to on replacing anti-roll bar links. Should be similar on his own car.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055975698

colm_mcm

Here's my suspension change, not as complex as the vw.

http://www.fto-ireland.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=9819&p=90570&hilit=changing+suspension#p90570

Bannasidhe

colm_mcm wrote: »

Yep, found Mitsubishi original droplinks can be tricky to take off on an old car. Had to cut mine off in the end. They're not expensive anyway.
Find it hard to believe a new arb would only be £15 including postage from uk, have you a link?

Its at
http://cgi.ebay.ie/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=160007360724#ht_500wt_1156

Just selling the links I think.

What I really what to know is is this what I need to get?
Have bushes on route already.

And thanks everyone for the advice - all very appreciated!!