VW Polo suspension bushes design flaw (old thread)

godtabh

I put a car through the NCT on Saturday after getting it serviced during the week (engine light was on so needed it before the nct).

Mechanic gave it the NCT once over and other than low (but not fail low) front tyre thread depth everything should be fine.

It was failed on the front passenger wishbone bushes been worn. The mechanic was surprised by this. I'd have more faith in my mechanic than I would have in the NCT espically with all thats been in the press lately (was tested in Fonthill).

Are the NCT been over strict on car these days?

Is there any come back if when my mechanic views the car tomorrow that his opinion is that there is no fail and the NCT was wrong?

godtabh

godtabh wrote: »

.........
Is there any come back if when my mechanic views the car tomorrow that his opinion is that there is no fail and the NCT was wrong?

You can appeal it, if they are anyway worn though the appeal is pointless.

In fairness the NCT looked at your front wishbone bushings, your mechanic may not have and may well just be saving face as he claimed to pre NCT check the car. Worn bushing is a worn bushing.

DublinDilbert

godtabh wrote: »

I put a car through the NCT on Saturday after getting it serviced during the week (engine light was on so needed it before the nct).

Mechanic gave it the NCT once over and other than low (but not fail low) front tyre thread depth everything should be fine.

It was failed on the front passenger wishbone bushes been worn. The mechanic was surprised by this. I'd have more faith in my mechanic than I would have in the NCT espically with all thats been in the press lately (was tested in Fonthill).

Are the NCT been over strict on car these days?

Is there any come back if when my mechanic views the car tomorrow that his opinion is that there is no fail and the NCT was wrong?

If there's any wear on the bushing, your best of getting it replaced, if this is all your car failed on then happy days. Depending on the car you may just have to replace the bushing and not the wishbone.

godtabh

from what i can tell its just the bushes that need replacing. i'm meeting the mechanic tomorrow.

I'm not pissed off with the car failing. **** happens. But as it has failed i'd be inclined to trust my man as been going to him for a good while and has always been up front with me

As you've said its not to bad of a job

Cosmo K

What type of car is is it?

DublinDilbert

godtabh wrote: »

from what i can tell its just the bushes that need replacing. i'm meeting the mechanic tomorrow.

I'm not pissed off with the car failing. **** happens. But as it has failed i'd be inclined to trust my man as been going to him for a good while and has always been up front with me

As you've said its not to bad of a job

Your mechanic may well be right, but probably less time / hassle in the long run to change the bushing and re-test the car.

E39MSport

To be fair to the NCT testers too, those ramps fairly throw the car about which would better facilitate inspection.

godtabh

05 VW Polo

slinky2000

I failed my NCT last year on worn wishbone bushings in Limerick and they where brand new! I tried to argue but they where having none of it so I booked it into Ennis and it passed straight away.

godtabh

slinky2000 wrote: »

I failed my NCT last year on worn wishbone bushings in Limerick and they where brand new! I tried to argue but they where having none of it so I booked it into Ennis and it passed straight away.

The rebook else where has been suggested

greglo23

The wishbone bushes on the Polo / Fabia / Seat are a constant problem as they are not up to the Irish roads. They usually break away from the top section of the wishbone so cleanly that they still look perfect but you can feel a thump when you press the brake. It's something your mechanic would find very difficult to see without the ramp shaker plates the NCT use. You will notice the difference straight away when they are replaced. Try and get upgraded bushes if possible as they are available. Make sure to get the tracking checked before you retest it.

slinky2000

godtabh wrote: »

The rebook else where has been suggested

It has? :rolleyes:

Arthur Daley

greglo23 wrote: »

The wishbone bushes on the Polo / Fabia / Seat are a constant problem as they are not up to the Irish roads.

Or maybe Irish roads are not up to standard. I have heard this line about suspension parts not being up to Irish roads. Really in this day and age, and given how much tax, vrt and nct fees we are paying, should we have a definitive list of cars with suspensions 'not up to Irish roads'??

Nissan doctor

godtabh wrote: »

05 VW Polo

The only Polo of that model that DOESN'T have worn wishbone bushes is one that has just had them replaced.

If your mechanic is as decent as you recon, he'd be well aware of how problematic they are.

Esel

greglo23 wrote: »

Try and get upgraded bushes if possible as they are available. Make sure to get the tracking checked before you retest it.

The bold bit especially.

booly100

Its gas- headed to me good friend and mechanic with the wifes 07 Polo today... their was a squeeking, especially in the rain. The noise was very severe, at times like metal to metal.
He had an '04 Polo on the ramp at the time and was doin the bushes on it- long storey short- threw mine on the ramp, same problem!
The new bushes are an X design, where the old ones are an I - why the hell didn't VW put the X's in, in the first place?! Very bad form on VW Group's side(VW Seat Skoda)!!!

Toyotafanboi

booly100 wrote: »

Its gas- headed to me good friend and mechanic with the wifes 07 Polo today... their was a squeeking, especially in the rain. The noise was very severe, at times like metal to metal.
He had an '04 Polo on the ramp at the time and was doin the bushes on it- long storey short- threw mine on the ramp, same problem!
The new bushes are an X design, where the old ones are an I - why the hell didn't VW put the X's in, in the first place?! Very bad form on VW Group's side(VW Seat Skoda)!!!

thread from the dead.

for what its worth we have two 9n polos in the family (unfortunately), a 07 and a 09 and the front wishbone bushings have failed on them both, on the 09 at just 60k km's. rather expensive to replace, near €200 iirc.

another reason to hate the 9n polo :P

Esel

Toyotafanboi wrote: »

thread from the dead.

Yeah, saw that but didn't report it as I am hoping that someone will elaborate on the X and I bushes. I'm not interested enough to google it though.

Toyotafanboi

the ones that came out of our 07 were I type as he kept them to show us. no idea what type they were replaced with except that they were OE VW parts or so we were told. all i know is we replaced them last october because they were causing the front tyres to wear on the inside. it was €360 for the two bushings replaced and two new bridgestones fitted up font.

its now this october and the two new bridgestones are perfect on the outer 50% and nearly bald on the inner 50% and the bushings are gone again.

don't get all this paddy hype that VW's are great cars.

Esel

Jebus, that must be some design flaw! Would aftermarket poly-whatever bushes make any difference I wonder?

Toyotafanboi

perhaps. from a semi educated opinion the bushings are so large and the "I" piece of rubber so (relatively) tall it would leave you wonder just how long it could stay supportive in reality.

as you say a ridiculous design flaw.

Esel

^ Those pics are shocking, to say the least.

Toyotafanboi

those pictures are stolen from google, not my own. they just demonstrate the ****ness of them quite well.

Esel

OK, I googled and this seems to be relevant? Some good info there! My google link is a bit refined as initial searches gave a sh!tload of eBay links. Had to -jaguar as I went from "x bushes" to "x-type bushes"

The X and I terms seem to refer to the voids within the bush, although the bushes in the link above are solid polyurethane (PU) and have no voids. PU is a great material for bushes in general.

Re rubber (not PU) bushes - there seems to be an issue with in-car noise even with new bushes (of either X or I type).

If I had this issue, I would definitely go with PU bushes.

booly100

I would have thought their had to be voids of some sort- otherwise the metal thats being supported would snap?
Im goin with the X's anyway- the fact their re'engineered after market would indicate someone has sorted the problem.
Considering this is the only thing thats gone wrong with the little polo since new- im happy enough...

Wicklowandy

Every VAG car I have ran since 1998 has needed AR bushes annually and wishbones every couple of years. Don't think this is just 9n polos.

To be honest, I just started buying cheap spurious complete wishbones and know that they'll only last a yr (40k miles ish)

Have used the PU AR bushes and found them hard wearIng.

My own belief is that bushings make easy work and money for a dealers workshop. So there isn't much incentive for VAG to improve the design.

Nothing more sickening to pay a heavy labour bill to fit €10 worth of bushings:)

mickdw

I'm quite surprised by my audi. 80k miles and now over 5 years old and driven fast on mayo roads and it has not needed any bushes at all. Not a hint of a rattle or anything.

gctest50

Wicklowandy wrote: »

Nothing more sickening to pay a heavy labour bill to fit €10 worth of bushings:)

specially when magic tools exist to make it easy

Esel

Have to say I didn't know the bush was that large!

gctest50

German sur