Rear upper suspension arm replacement

johnnyb44 · 22nd April 2024, 17:24

Hi again.
My car is getting on a bit now and after 24 years of service I think it's time to get the rear upper suspension arms replaced.At the local garage I asked if we could get the car up on the ramps so that we could have a real look at them.On the face of it they didn't look to bad but on closer inspection they were showing signs of distress especially on the top were the spring goes into them.Also we spotted a hole on the top of the arm.There definitely in need of replacement.
I've already got the arms thanks to Dmgrs ,so it's a case of getting them into the car.
Now my mechanicing skills are not the greatest in the world so I will be entrusting the local garage to do the job.There obviously skilled and have all the right tools to do it.
So I was just wondering what sort of cost should I be expecting.They charge around £60 an hour but I can thankfully deduct to parts off the bill because I already have them.
Any thoughts on this because I don't even know how big a job it is.
Many thanks and all the very best.

macafee2 · 22nd April 2024, 17:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by johnnyb44

Hi again.
My car is getting on a bit now and after 24 years of service I think it's time to get the rear upper suspension arms replaced.At the local garage I asked if we could get the car up on the ramps so that we could have a real look at them.On the face of it they didn't look to bad but on closer inspection they were showing signs of distress especially on the top were the spring goes into them.Also we spotted a hole on the top of the arm.There definitely in need of replacement.
I've already got the arms thanks to Dmgrs ,so it's a case of getting them into the car.
Now my mechanicing skills are not the greatest in the world so I will be entrusting the local garage to do the job.There obviously skilled and have all the right tools to do it.
So I was just wondering what sort of cost should I be expecting.They charge around £60 an hour but I can thankfully deduct to parts off the bill because I already have them.
Any thoughts on this because I don't even know how big a job it is.
Many thanks and all the very best.

Alas water is your enemy. I have known the bolt from the upper arm to trailing arm seize solid. No amount of hammering would move the bolt. This involved cutting both ends of the bolt off and replacing the bush in the trailing arm as well as the bolt.
The captive nut holding the bolt for the upper arm to the middle of the sub frame can come free meaning the whole sub frame has to come off.

If you are lucky as I have been in the past, there will be no issues and all nuts and bolts will come undone and pull out without issue.

Perhaps at £60 an hour, not more then £240 labour if all goes well.

macafee2

chicochapman · 22nd April 2024, 17:52

I had this job done (both upper and lower) both sides last year by my local garage and they booked 8 hours. They said it was "challenging" job and not to darken their doors again!

I think they had to drop the entire rear suspension to remove the old arms but hopefully the arms will be good for another 20 years or so if the rest of the car lasts that long!

Malc

Nantwich 75 · 22nd April 2024, 18:29

Contact Jules in Colwyn Bay.

johnnyb44 · 22nd April 2024, 18:55

Thanks for all the replies.
My uneducated guess was around the £300 to £400 mark.The boss of the garage will be back in work tomorrow so I will have a more in-depth chat with him about it all.
I can imagine these can be the final death nail for these cars nowadays.
I do also rely on my trusty Rover for everyday commutes to work but I have got a week off in a couple of weeks.Hopefully I will be able to get the job done then when I don't need the car

KWIL · 22nd April 2024, 19:00

Why should this be considered as the death nell for our cars, for what it costs to replace the rear suspension, you would not get any other car.

SD1too · 23rd April 2024, 05:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by KWIL

Why should this be considered as the death nell for our cars, for what it costs to replace the rear suspension, you would not get any other car.

Another consideration is that road tax and insurance are comparable expenses with the figure quoted above.

Simon

trikey · 25th April 2024, 08:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by johnnyb44

What's the course of action if the captive nut lets go.
Does a new one need to be welded in.
Many Thanks,
John.

You can either weld a standard nut in place (if you do this, clean the threads up with a tap before fitting the subframe) Or just fit the arms using a washer and nylon nut, the only issue with this is that the subframe would have to come off when the arms need replacing again.

Sent from my SM-G780G using Tapatalk

sln8458 · 25th April 2024, 10:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by trikey

You can either weld a standard nut in place (if you do this, clean the threads up with a tap before fitting the subframe) Or just fit the arms using a washer and nylon nut, the only issue with this is that the subframe would have to come off when the arms need replacing again.

Sent from my SM-G780G using Tapatalk

johnnyb44 · 25th April 2024, 12:46

And in all honesty if they were to be replaced a second time I would imagine the subframe would probably need coming out due its age and corrosion issues by then anyway

22nd April 2024, 17:24	#1
johnnyb44 I really should get out more....... Rover 75 Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: north wales Posts: 2,716 Thanks: 1,774 Thanked 902 Times in 507 Posts	Rear upper suspension arm replacement Hi again. My car is getting on a bit now and after 24 years of service I think it's time to get the rear upper suspension arms replaced.At the local garage I asked if we could get the car up on the ramps so that we could have a real look at them.On the face of it they didn't look to bad but on closer inspection they were showing signs of distress especially on the top were the spring goes into them.Also we spotted a hole on the top of the arm.There definitely in need of replacement. I've already got the arms thanks to Dmgrs ,so it's a case of getting them into the car. Now my mechanicing skills are not the greatest in the world so I will be entrusting the local garage to do the job.There obviously skilled and have all the right tools to do it. So I was just wondering what sort of cost should I be expecting.They charge around £60 an hour but I can thankfully deduct to parts off the bill because I already have them. Any thoughts on this because I don't even know how big a job it is. Many thanks and all the very best. __________________ Replaced pcv filter, springs, plenum spy hole mod,Bonnet cable divider mod. Wax oiled.Air con recharged. Auto box oil changed , Jules plenum guard fitted .Smoked wind deflectors fitted.S/S Compensator.Club Grill Badge kindly donated by Andyg2011..

22nd April 2024, 18:55	#5
johnnyb44 I really should get out more....... Rover 75 Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: north wales Posts: 2,716 Thanks: 1,774 Thanked 902 Times in 507 Posts	Thanks for all the replies. My uneducated guess was around the £300 to £400 mark.The boss of the garage will be back in work tomorrow so I will have a more in-depth chat with him about it all. I can imagine these can be the final death nail for these cars nowadays. I do also rely on my trusty Rover for everyday commutes to work but I have got a week off in a couple of weeks.Hopefully I will be able to get the job done then when I don't need the car __________________ Replaced pcv filter, springs, plenum spy hole mod,Bonnet cable divider mod. Wax oiled.Air con recharged. Auto box oil changed , Jules plenum guard fitted .Smoked wind deflectors fitted.S/S Compensator.Club Grill Badge kindly donated by Andyg2011..

25th April 2024, 12:46	#10
johnnyb44 I really should get out more....... Rover 75 Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: north wales Posts: 2,716 Thanks: 1,774 Thanked 902 Times in 507 Posts	And in all honesty if they were to be replaced a second time I would imagine the subframe would probably need coming out due its age and corrosion issues by then anyway __________________ Replaced pcv filter, springs, plenum spy hole mod,Bonnet cable divider mod. Wax oiled.Air con recharged. Auto box oil changed , Jules plenum guard fitted .Smoked wind deflectors fitted.S/S Compensator.Club Grill Badge kindly donated by Andyg2011..

22nd April 2024, 17:52	#3
chicochapman Avid contributor MG ZT-T Join Date: Feb 2019 Location: Stockport Posts: 137 Thanks: 56 Thanked 22 Times in 20 Posts	I had this job done (both upper and lower) both sides last year by my local garage and they booked 8 hours. They said it was "challenging" job and not to darken their doors again! I think they had to drop the entire rear suspension to remove the old arms but hopefully the arms will be good for another 20 years or so if the rest of the car lasts that long! Malc

22nd April 2024, 18:29	#4
Nantwich 75 Loves to post Rover 75 Tourer Join Date: Mar 2016 Location: Nantwich Posts: 272 Thanks: 102 Thanked 31 Times in 23 Posts	Contact Jules in Colwyn Bay.

22nd April 2024, 19:00	#6
KWIL Precise Rover 75 Tourer 2.5KV6 Connoisseur SE Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: Fleet Posts: 2,957 Thanks: 630 Thanked 617 Times in 480 Posts	Why should this be considered as the death nell for our cars, for what it costs to replace the rear suspension, you would not get any other car.