ARB and Ball Joint

[max]

Just had my car serviced at Audi Stoke and they listed a lot of things that they say need to be done.

Here is the list with audi prices:

Near Side Front Bottom Ball Joint £112.80
ARB + Bushes £231.24
Front Pads and Disks £351.91
Rear Pads and Disks £284.00
Wheel Alignment £207

If I have to get the front ARB done then is it worth uprating? I would like to do the whole job of bilsteins, springs and tie bars at some point but I can't afford it at the moment. Will i be better off sticking to stock until i decide to do the job properly?

Also is it worth going for some uprated brakes? Does it cost much more? I have the Revo trial and sometimes I had trouble stopping!

 

[rodenal]

You would have to be off your head to pay that for brakes - the discs and pads will only cost about £100 at most each set - do them yourself.

take your car to a specialist who may quote you realistic prices, those arent.

 

[Buster]

Do the brakes yourself, the fronts will cost £100-£120 for the parts and the rears about £70. Get someone else to do the alignment, if it's alignment alone it should only be about £25 but if you need camber aswell it will be £45-£50. Get a local indy to do the ARB, bushes and the ball joint. Might actually be worth getting all the parts yourself from GSF and just paying for labour

 

[simch]

Try a proper VW specialist, they will larf their heads off at those prices!

where are you based! ?

 

[Dave_Bayern]

Wow, thats the most shockingly overpriced quote I have seen to date!!!

Ball joint I'm not sure the price on, labour is 1/2 hour.

ARB is £80 from Audi, and bushes are £2 ish, an hour to 1.5 hrs labour.

Front pads and disks, wow, I'm a bit speechless. The whole front setup from Audi is £35 for pads, £70 for discs, and maybe 20 minutes per side labour.

Rear discs and pads, thats 20 minutes per side again, but prices are £23 pads and £45 discs.

Wheel alignment should be £100 max, my local tyre place does laser 4 wheel alignment for £35!!!

I'd get a quote from an Independant!!!

 

[Dave_Bayern]

Oh, on the brakes side of things, I've just fitted Ferodo DS2500 race pads and Black Diamond Vented discs, and they were £135 and £125 respectively. I'd say its worth it yeah, massive difference in that I now get no brake fade, and I had EBC discs and pads previously, which are meant to be better than stock.

You could reduce the cost even more by using fast road pads like Mintex Extreme which are £35-50 depending on where you get them. For insurance, as you are unlikely to have the same cover I do, thus allowing me to run track pads on the road, the Mintex would be better I'd have thought.

Rears need not be upgraded with only 200Bhp, but if you want the looks, or track the car, then maybe black diamond or Brembo rears at £70 the pair, with standard pads at £30.

If you wanted to fit the brakes yourself, then you'll need an impact screwdriver (£10), copper grease (£2) a piston windback tool (£20) and some basic tools (7mm allen and/or 18mm socket).

There is a good guide on fitting brakes on seatcupra.net so you could print out the guide, and buy the brake parts yourself and fit them, maybe two hours to do the job slowly and properly if its your first time. That'd then cost you £275 instead of £635.91

That'd then leave you £360 to buy an uprated ARB and the £10 lower ball joint (just checked price) and get them fitted by an independant.

Then go to your local proper tyre specialist and expect to pay no more than £50 for 4 wheel alignment.

The price Audi has quoted you is SHOCKING, it really is!!

 

[S3Andy]

Yes those prices are very bad

I just got some Mintex discs 7 pads from E-bay £80 (IIRC rears were £50)

R32 ARB's & bushes £200

Ball joint with nuts £33.59 EACH from VW dealer

 

[joe6886]

Silly thing is some mugs would actually pay those prices. Absolute jokers, go elsewhere. Alot of the jobs there are pretty simple.

 

[Jasdent]

£112.80 for a ball joint ?

That has to be the biggest rip off ever ! !

What are these from Euro - £20 and half an hour to fit !

£207 for wheel allignment

God Dam, I'm reading your price list and thinking some man is stood in front of you wearing a black and white striped t-shirt with a double barrel shotgun !

That is a total rip-off mate ! ! ! ! !

 

[max]

thanks guys

I'm based in Walsall.

Are uprated Arbs ok on standard suspension?

 

[Buster]

Uprated ARB with standard suspension will make a big difference, defo worth doing if they need replaced

 

[S3Andy]

Are uprated Arbs ok on standard suspension?

That's what was fitted to mine and it's much better :icon_thumright: