sounds about right,
need to disconnect the steering rack, maybe swap the calipers, arms, hubs over etc so its a good days work.

whats wrong with the subframe?

 

Cheers :broon:

I think it's twisted slightly as one wheel sits out of the wheel arch further than the other side and it pulls badly.

The subframe swap is just one of a few options weighing up at the mo.

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This is a job I've been considering.
I found that my hydragas had to be pumped up more on the offside than on the nearside to make the car level.

On close inspection, I noticed some damage to the front subframe (arb mount buckled and towing eye squashed).
This suggested that the car was driven up on to something which could have twisted the subframe slightly.

Unfortunately, I can only judge by eye. Does anyone know a good way of measuring your front subframe in-situ?

Sorry for hijacking your thread but I would also like to know how much work and money is required. Also, answers to my question above may prove useful to you.

Cheers

 

as a rule most subframes should have the same measurements when measured diag. across from points of referance. please correct me someone if im wrong

 

It all depends on how much your changing. the minimum ( this assumes you have the subframe say from a breakers with everything bolted to it .like i did). Coolant change so rad pipes disconnected. link to stearing disconected. abs sensors unpluged. cable to starter disconnected. brakes unbolted and supported out the way. Release hydrogass fluid and either remove units or disconnect pipes .unbolt subframe and reverse with one from breakers. about one long days work. however if they are suplying just a subframe theres a lot more bits to swap over inc some bits that may need replaceing due to damage incured in removal. so for an all in price that seem fine as it will take prob 3 days and parts. (mine cost 60 pounds but i did it myself).

 

Jan E mail me...

 

No need to apologise for the thread hijack Scott, I'm sure any of the info is useful to both of us :broon:

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I'm doing mine week after next if you want to have a test run.

 

Sounds like a 'how to' with pics opportunity!

 

What sort of items can get damaged on removal please. I'm interested as I'm currently looking to replace my TF front subframe. Also am I right in thinking that TF suspension is slightly easier to remove than the F's hydro gas system? I understand also that subframes tend to have problems with shearing bolts on removal. Would love to see photos or get any advise going. . . . . .

 

Any point you have to undo or detatch has potential to get dammaged. ball joints, bolts disks, cables, fixings ect.

sorry cant believe i did not take photo of under car when changing subframe, must have been too busy.

 

Are you going to fit a VVC to that wheelbarrow too?

 

Lol. cant you see it! The person who sold it to me said its lack of go was due to being tired after a large roar.

 

Just to add that I'd also be very keen to see a subframe swap how-to. I have a subframe waiting to be blasted and painted having found somewhere that will do that at a very reasonable cost. I'm not sure I'm ready to tackle as big a job as this but it would be good to see what's involved.

The existing subframe has been dropped recently to fit new lower wishbones so I'm not expecting problems with the bolts. The local garage has suggested they would do the swap within a day so that would be around £450 I would expect.

 

As the front subframe needs dropping to do the wishbones Id take the oppertunity to replace the wishbones whilst the frame is out.. if they look bad

Another worth while job is drill the 3 large rivets out of each lower ball joint and replace with bolts.. easy with the subframe out

For any running uprated spring or shocks Id weld the towers too..

 

Jan-TBH I think that's probably a little steep if it's an independent garage-I would estimate you're looking at around 3-4 hours labour (have they included alignment in that price?) to do the job on a F/TF. The biggest obstacle will be snapped bolts, but they should be reasonably easy to deal with on a workshop lift.

To give you an idea-we charge 3.1 hours labour to change a Citroen Dispatch anti roll bar, which is ball joints disconnected, steering rack disconnected etc, subframe dropped and ARB swapped, plus alignment afterwards. The amount of stuff to take off is quite similar to an F/TF.

I would expect an independent garage to be charging around £50 per hour in Wales (I.e. not somewhere "big city" and built up).

 

The quote of £3-400 wasn't including alignment, that would be an extra £35 for front only or £60 for front & rear alignment. He reckoned it would take at least a day. His labour rates are pretty reasonable at somewhere around £30 per hour, although he tends to charge me a job price rather than hourly rate.

I had another chat with him today when I went to collect from MOTing and he's going to have it back in again next week and see if he can figure out what's going on with it. He's planning on taking it back to where ever it was he got the tracking done after replacing the TRE a couple of weeks ago and seeing if they can spot anything obvious.

I've got a couple of other things to try before going all out and replacing the subframe so it's not something I'm planning on doing in the next couple of weeks, I'm still just info gathering at the mo

 

we have just bought a tf to break and may look into swapping the subframes from it to our mgf to get rid of the hydragas suspension