[GaryM]

My car is still making a grinding noise when slowly driving up my steepish drive and into the garage, so on Tabs advice I took the front drivers side wheel off to take a look at the driveshaft for evidence of it coming into contact with the ARB.

Tabs said that I should have a slightly larger hooped ARB with it being a 2003 model, is this identifiable by the yellow blob of paint?

Does the H&R ARB have larger hoops than the one in the photo's as I really wouldn't like to spend the best part of £300 having one fitted only for it to still happen.

Is the H&R ARB the one to get or are there others I should be aware of?

Thanks for any help at all.

 

[JP]

I had this problem too. Not very bad issue though, so I just took out the power drill and "lightened" the ARB a few millimeters of the correct place where it took contact. That gave enough clearance for my car. The contact place was where the ARB attaches to the "link".

 

[Tabs]

Thats really coming into contact isnt it.... H&R does have larger loops, so you should be ok with it.

Shame you didn't know earlier as I could have had mine removed and sold it on to you!

 

[GaryM]

Damn!!

Anyway am I right in thinking they run to around £190 - £200 and then around 2.5 - 3 hours labour @ £30ph (Awesome)?

 

[R1GTI]

Nahhhh you can get arbs for less than that can't you????????

surely. I'm blimmin sure you can get one for £100 or so. I need one as i have the same problem, well i lifted my suspension so i dont, but i will if i drop it a bit and also want a stiffer arb too.

I thought you could use a 4motion one... there are two types and one of them fits I'm sure. either way I'll be having a look tomorrow to find one less than that.

R

 

[EddyH]

Quote: posted by R1GTI on 08/01/2004 19:03:08

Nahhhh you can get arbs for less than that can't you????????

surely. I'm blimmin sure you can get one for £100 or so. I need one as i have the same problem, well i lifted my suspension so i dont, but i will if i drop it a bit and also want a stiffer arb too.

I thought you could use a 4motion one... there are two types and one of them fits I'm sure. either way I'll be having a look tomorrow to find one less than that.

R

I think that is only on certain coilovers, think it might be KW but not sure. Think it's the R32 bar it uses.

 

[GaryM]

Yes, I read that somewhere today also Eddy, it is the KW with the R32 ARB.

 

[GaryM]

"If you buy the KW coilovers get an R32 front ARB, 23mm thick so chunkier than the KW one they'll supply. Cost me about 100 quid for all the bits to fit it.

This only works with KW coilovers though as they have the 4wd mounting on the front struts."

The above was posted by Caged and is from topic http://www.uk-mkivs.net/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=21195

 

[Tabs]

Quote: posted by GaryM on 08/01/2004 19:00:55

Damn!!

Anyway am I right in thinking they run to around £190 - £200 and then around 2.5 - 3 hours labour @ £30ph (Awesome)?

I think I paid about £300 all in for mine from Awesome. That was about 9 months ago.

 

[David]

Quote: posted by GaryM on 08/01/2004 19:32:24

"If you buy the KW coilovers get an R32 front ARB, 23mm thick so chunkier than the KW one they'll supply. Cost me about 100 quid for all the bits to fit it.

This only works with KW coilovers though as they have the 4wd mounting on the front struts."

The above was posted by Caged and is from topic http://www.uk-mkivs.net/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=21195

Yeah it's KW only, been meaning to do this for ages!

 

[Caged]

You can get a pair of Eibachs can't you for just over 200 quid?

Scott

 

[The Walrus]

Also it takes and hour to do well thats how long it took me on a ramp if soembody tells you otherwise than they are not a great mechanic, and if they have done it befoe then they should be able to do it quicker all you need to do is .

Remove the bolts attaching the engine subframe to the bulkhead and the dog bone support you can drop the ARB out put in new one reverse procedure I can not recollect to much as i did this over 3 months ago but it did not take long and you do not need to support the engine etc.

This is not a how to just how simple it was to do.

 

[GaryM]

Awesome have quoted me 2 hours labour @ £30ph and the H&R ARB @ £195.

So total would be £255+VAT = £299.63.

So is this not a good deal then?

 

[Caged]

I took me about 2 1/2 hours and you need to release all the stearing rack bolts to drop the subframe far enough to wiggle the Bar out. Then you need the alignment doing. 2 hours seems fair to me if they do the alignment too.

Scott

 

[GaryM]

Thanks Scott, I'll ask with regard to the allignment check though if it does need doing then I would assume Awesome would include it in the labour costs and time allowed.

 

[MikeP]

Gary, did it make any sort of noise whilst this was happening? I have a metallic clunking noise every time I hit bumps at slow speed (well, that's when I can hear it) just wondering if you had the same?

 

[GaryM]

Yes it made what I can only describe as a very low pitched grinding noise which vibrated through the car.

You may also need the H&R ARB - more expense!!

 

[MikeP]

ah, I'm not getting a grinding noise, just the occasional clunk... I can cross that off my list then []

ta mate

 

[Foxy]

The clunk could be door hinges - get the oil can and lube the upper and lower front hinges.

It could also be a spring seat settling into place.

Again, a little wd40 in the spring seat may help avoid the sudden release.

Other than that it could be a duff rose joint or track rod end (unlikely)

 

[MikeP]

Quote: posted by foxy on 12/01/2004 21:06:13

The clunk could be door hinges - get the oil can and lube the upper and lower front hinges.

It could also be a spring seat settling into place.

Again, a little wd40 in the spring seat may help avoid the sudden release.

Other than that it could be a duff rose joint or track rod end (unlikely)

Thought of the door hinges, but it's definately coming from the engine bay/wheel area, and the hinges are well greased.

When it went in for a service a while back, they checked the bushes and they were fine.. they also couldn't replicate the noise (surprise surprise!) until I took them out for a drive.

Going to take it to my local independant VW specialist sometime soon, seeing as my suspension is now not covered by the warranty (lowered with eibachs -30mm) and see what he says...

Cheers for the reply, sorry to hijack your thread Gary!