NCT fail

BlakeS94

2010 Mondeo failed NCT on drivers side rear trailing arm bush, and also headlamp alignment, I knew about the headlamps because I had to get a 2nd hand passenger side one a while back and the pattern off that side is way off.

The trailing arm bush I didn't expect. Got genuine parts from Ford, €80 for passenger and drivers side as I'm a firm believer in symmetry when replacing one side of suspension that the other side be changed too. €100 labour so €180 all in for the main issue that it failed on isn't bad, id have a crack at it myself buy the tool for them costs a good bit more than what I've quoted above, where's the logic in that?

€180 seems like a fair price, align headlamps, do 4 wheel alignment after the new bushes go in, and the NCT retest will probably be around €250, not a bad price I don't think?

The car tested quite well in all other areas so was quite happy with that.

BlakeS94

I stuck the phone underneath the car and took a photo of the failed bushings, its much less the same on the other side, they're quite bad, missing a lot of the bushing material.

mk7r

Common problem. They are easy to do on a lift with the tool. On the ground even with the tool they are a nightmare....and without the tool forget it

BlakeS94

Yeah and I'm a lie in my back kind of DIYer, I'll be forking out for the garage to do them I don't want to trouble, I don't mind really as they're quite an important component, can't wait to feel how the car handles because I thought it was pretty good anyway and they've been gone a long time by the looks of it

mk7r

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118572121#Comment_118572121

The big problem is you need to get the arm down a long way, you would struggle to get the car high enough without a lift to use the tool. So you end up having to take off the entire suspension assembly to do it off the car.

BlakeS94

I won't even attempt it, pay a garage the €180 for both sides which I think is quite reasonable

Cass

Done these on a Fiesta and as above they were an abolsute pig. I didn't have the tool, but made one myself. Even with it they were a pig. The homemade tool worked fairly well in that it pulled the bush in, but it was the alignment that caused the problems. The proper tool does this, but my DIY effort didn't so every time I got the new bush started it would immediately pull one side more than the other. Had to stop and start again and again.

Getting them out was fairly easy. Drilled a few large holes into the rubber, knocked out the centre, then cut the outer casing and out they came.

Unless you have more than one Ford or intend to do it for aliving the tool is quite expensive and could cost you as much as the cost of the garage with the hassle of having to do it yourself.

mk7r

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118572559#Comment_118572559

The mondeo tool is a totally different beast, same with the focus tool so its not one tool for all anyway

Cass

Even more happy I didn't buy one so. 😁

I see prices for it going from €170 to €240. And you say there is a difference between makes of the same brand. Adds up. Be as cheap to buy a hydraulic bench press and remove the control arm (or whatever the bush is in).

Gant21

No shortage of tools here

BlakeS94

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118573523#Comment_118573523

Good one haha, any other helpful insights?

BlakeS94

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118573285#Comment_118573285

I think the Mondeo bush tool for the trailing arm has a cutout that fits into where the handbrake cable clips into the trailing arm right beside the bushing, and that is used to make aligning the bush easy enough. That's what Mr.Alan Howatt on YouTube says anyway

BlakeS94

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118573505#Comment_118573505

There isn't much more involved in removing the arm out of the car from where you need to get it to change it while it's still on the car. If I wasn't such a scaredy-pants I'd remove the two trailing arms, brake disc attached and all, and bring them to a garage to press in the new bushes, I reckon I could probably smash them out easily enough because they're so knackered I'd presume the rubber is weak.

Cass

From memory, and again only on the Fiesta, the rubber drilled easily but was tough as old boot leather. Some elasticity in it. When I took the drill bit out the hole it made simply closed up. Took a half a dozen drilling attempts until I could get the recipricating saw in and cut it enough to "release" the centre. Once that was out it was easy enough to nick the outer casing edge and using a flat, heavy driver or lean chisel, tap out the outer casing.

The first bush took me about 35 minutes to clear out, but the second about 8 to 10 minutes once I knew how far I could go. Same when installing the new ones. The first took about 2.5 hours due to the piss poor quality of the make shift puller I made up. The seoncd was done in about 35 minutes, but not because of skill, it was sheer dumb luck that it lined up easier than the first.

There really is no beating having the right tools and its why I went for a hydraulic press recently. I now remove the parts from the car and the press acts as a one size fits all bush/bearing puller and fitter.

mk7r

This is one where there really is no substitute for the tool, the bushes don't press in square by design, and the depth is critical. The tool makes it so you can do both bushes without even removing the wheels in about 30 mins.