Whilst getting my exhaust welded and the car was on the lift I had a good look under there and found the driver side rear suspension arm that bolts to the body has a perished bush and the arm has been touching up against the body. Is this and expensive job to get replaced and can it be just the bush or a whole new arm?

Someone will confirm or correct but I think you can just buy the bushing but then you need special compression tools to get it in the arm. I also think you can get the arm and bushing as a unit.

8 hours ago, Phil21185 said:

Someone will confirm or correct but I think you can just buy the bushing but then you need special compression tools to get it in the arm. I also think you can get the arm and bushing as a unit.

That's also my understanding (mine were an advisory on the last MOT so will need to get mine done in the next 6 months, the arms will be pretty well rusted so I'm planning on replacing the arm and bush as 1 unit).

Thanks like like a pig of a job with all the parts to be removed to get them off lol

On 15/09/2017 at 9:03 AM, 1979Damian said:

That's also my understanding (mine were an advisory on the last MOT so will need to get mine done in the next 6 months, the arms will be pretty well rusted so I'm planning on replacing the arm and bush as 1 unit).

Well I WAS planning on replacing the arms as a whole unit.....UNTIL I SAW FOrd want £150+ PER ARM! 

Replacing just those bushes isn't really a home DIY job from what I've seen.  You might be able to remove the arm and get a local garage to swap the bush to keep costs down.  Remember you'll also need rear toe set afterwards as well.  Oh, and the rusty bolts are prone to seizing lol.  

It's a job I'm really hoping I never have to do on mine lol!

 

1 minute ago, TomsFocus said:

Replacing just those bushes isn't really a home DIY job from what I've seen.  You might be able to remove the arm and get a local garage to swap the bush to keep costs down.  Remember you'll also need rear toe set afterwards as well.  Oh, and the rusty bolts are prone to seizing lol.  

It's a job I'm really hoping I never have to do on mine lol!

 

Replacing a broken rear coil spring (previously) also ended up with a new lower arm being fitted does to the crappy captive bushes that had seized!

MOT is due in January, car still drives without any obvious knocking so I think I'll leave it and see if it passes.  If parts of the rear subframe are seized the bill could easily push past £500 for both sides doing, on a car worth just £700 it would be difficult to justify it. 

It's daft that something so small can effectively write off a car.   If it drives ok and there's no excess tyre wear you'll probably get away without changing them for now but obviously that's just delaying the inevitable.