Advice on replacing both rear toe spindle links on Disco 4

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mantrid

Active Member
Posts
69
Hi guys,

Well I took my car in for an MOT, the guys there failed it on what they wrote was rear track control arms, they told me it would be about £150 per arm and they charged £90 labour per hour, then quoted me circa £800 for the repair. I then said I couldn't afford that and would have to cancel the work and do the work myself or look elsewhere and the guy then told me all the car needed was a pair of rear toe link spindle rods which can be had for £50 for the pair on john craddock!

I didn't give him any grief, I was just happy it wasn't going to be the upper/lower suspension arms which they first implied it was!

So my question is, could I do it myself and if so which tools would help, I got trolley jacks, a dewalt DCF9000 impact wrench, usual tools, or if it's an absolute bitch, how hard is the work for a mechanic to do, how many hours labour would you guys say it would be?

Just trying to figure out the best path here, thanks in advance heroes, and all the best, Mantrid 👍
 
Last edited:
Hi guys,

Well I took my car in for an MOT, the guys there failed it on what they wrote was rear track control arms, they told me it would be about £150 per arm and they charged £90 labour per hour, then quoted me circa £800 for the repair. I then said I couldn't afford that and would have to cancel the work and do the work myself or look elsewhere and the guy then told me all the car needed was a pair of rear toe link spindle rods which can be had for £50 for the pair on john craddock!

I didn't give him any grief, I was just happy it wasn't going to be the upper/lower suspension arms which they first implied it was!

So my question is, could I do it myself and if so which tools would help, I got trolley jacks, a dewalt DCF9000 impact wrench, usual tools, or if it's an absolute bitch, how hard is the work for a mechanic to do, how many hours labour would you guys say it would be?

Just trying to figure out the best path here, thanks in advance heroes, and all the best, Mantrid 👍
@gstuart is your man here, now he should come on as soon as he sees he's been "pinged".
Wonder what the garage would charge just to do the toe link spindle rods? !;);)🤣
 
Hi guys,

Well I took my car in for an MOT, the guys there failed it on what they wrote was rear track control arms, they told me it would be about £150 per arm and they charged £90 labour per hour, then quoted me circa £800 for the repair. I then said I couldn't afford that and would have to cancel the work and do the work myself or look elsewhere and the guy then told me all the car needed was a pair of rear toe link spindle rods which can be had for £50 for the pair on john craddock!

I didn't give him any grief, I was just happy it wasn't going to be the upper/lower suspension arms which they first implied it was!

So my question is, could I do it myself and if so which tools would help, I got trolley jacks, a dewalt DCF9000 impact wrench, usual tools, or if it's an absolute bitch, how hard is the work for a mechanic to do, how many hours labour would you guys say it would be?

Just trying to figure out the best path here, thanks in advance heroes, and all the best, Mantrid 👍

Hi

Funny enough I’ve got to do my tie link / also known as panhard rods and rear lower wishbones ,


Would Think around 2 x hours each , u may have to cut the nuts off as they can rust solid , so best to order new nuts and bolts , once there off measure them in comparison to the old ones to get them fairly near and get 4 x wheel alignment done after

There’s a certain measurement that they have to be set, will find it for u

Wow, £800 , saying that I was quoted £1600 to replace my panhard rods and rear lower wishbones , that wasn’t even dealer prices

Please also check ur drop links as there not very expensive

Hope that helps and will find some more info for u
 
The inner rear is slotted. It has to be 10mm between the lower part of the inner boot and the metal of the chassis directly below it.

Hope this helps

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@gstuart is your man here, now he should come on as soon as he sees he's been "pinged".
Wonder what the garage would charge just to do the toe link spindle rods? !;);)🤣

Bless u as that’s very kind of u to say 👍

As a side note to replace both my panhard rods and rear lower wishbones been quoted around £1600 , the parts are around £500 and some garages really know how to charge

Alas think many simply don’t want to work on older land rovers , my D3 will be 20 x years old next year

Of course will be finding alternatives as refuse to pay that kind of cost

Thks again mate
 
Hi

Funny enough I’ve got to do my tie link / also known as panhard rods and rear lower wishbones ,


Would Think around 2 x hours each , u may have to cut the nuts off as they can rust solid , so best to order new nuts and bolts , once there off measure them in comparison to the old ones to get them fairly near and get 4 x wheel alignment done after

There’s a certain measurement that they have to be set, will find it for u

Wow, £800 , saying that I was quoted £1600 to replace my panhard rods and rear lower wishbones , that wasn’t even dealer prices

Please also check ur drop links as there not very expensive

Hope that helps and will find some more info for u

Thanks for this @gstuart, really helpful, a bit out of my league but I found a relatively near garage in evesham that charges a reasonable £50 per hour labour rate and I've booked the car in to do the work, as for the parts could you kindly check the link below for me and tell me this is the right bit of kit I need and also if I should go for the aftermarket or OEM parts option?

I am assuming you said to do the drop links because while doing the other work its a simple/quick fix that might as well be done also which is why I thought this kit in the link was the way to go?

 
Ur so welcome , would go for oem parts

Plse don’t forget the nuts and bolts plus 4 x wheel alignment

As it doesn’t mention a name would be tempted to get them from advanced using delphi links and meyle drop links , good company to deal with

Unless of course the garage will get the bits , best to get decent parts or u could be back again after a year

Hope that helps and all goes well
 
Lemforder parts are good, Meyle parts are good.
Delphi parts are average.
This is a generalisation and only my opinion.
If you intend on keeping it for a fair amount of years I would be fitting Lemforder.
 
Ur so welcome , would go for oem parts

Plse don’t forget the nuts and bolts plus 4 x wheel alignment

As it doesn’t mention a name would be tempted to get them from advanced using delphi links and meyle drop links , good company to deal with

Unless of course the garage will get the bits , best to get decent parts or u could be back again after a year

Hope that helps and all goes well

Okay, thanks hero, is this the place you mean and is this the complete part list all I need?

There are some red bushes there too, so I chose the more expensive ones, I assumed both are the same thing?


1724170731069.png
 
Seems some folks think that Delphi are pretty good bro, am I missing something?

I have used Lemforder parts for things I don't want to have to change again. Delphi, I use for parts I don't mind changing again myself.
Meyle drop links are twice the unit of Delphi.
If its not a long term keeper then Delphi shouldn't be a problem. Labour costs of fitting again needs to be considered when paying to fit parts.
 
Okay, thanks hero, is this the place you mean and is this the complete part list all I need?

There are some red bushes there too, so I chose the more expensive ones, I assumed both are the same thing?


View attachment 324226

No probs, yes that’s all the parts ur need , looks like u have the anti roll bar bushes added , didnt know if the garage is also going to do them at the same time

Ref parts , Lemforder are better than Delphi but personally not had issues with Delphi myself, think BWI purchased Delphi

Meyle drop links , have them on each corner on my d3 , no probs with them after 4 x years

Hope that helps
 
I have used Lemforder parts for things I don't want to have to change again. Delphi, I use for parts I don't mind changing again myself.
Meyle drop links are twice the unit of Delphi.
If its not a long term keeper then Delphi shouldn't be a problem. Labour costs of fitting again needs to be considered when paying to fit parts.
Thanks for you input buddy, when you say unit, you mean weight right?

And do you know how often these things needs to be changed, if I go for the Lemforder's vs the Delphi's what are your thoughts on the lifespan difference between the two? (that's probably a really hard question to answer, so sorry in advance if it is and/or it's a stupid question) 👍

Cheers.
 
No probs, yes that’s all the parts ur need , looks like u have the anti roll bar bushes added , didnt know if the garage is also going to do them at the same time

Ref parts , Lemforder are better than Delphi but personally not had issues with Delphi myself, think BWI purchased Delphi

Meyle drop links , have them on each corner on my d3 , no probs with them after 4 x years

Hope that helps

I would have thought it wouldn't add much to the labour cost so might as well do it?

Are these both the same thing?

1724174644382.png
 
Thanks for you input buddy, when you say unit, you mean weight right?

And do you know how often these things needs to be changed, if I go for the Lemforder's vs the Delphi's what are your thoughts on the lifespan difference between the two? (that's probably a really hard question to answer, so sorry in advance if it is and/or it's a stupid question) 👍

Cheers.
We fitted Meyle and Delphi drop links on the D2. The Meyle ones are a thicker rod and slightly bigger ball on the joint and just give the impression of better quality.
Had Lemforder upper and lower ball joints fitted to the D2. Lemforder A-frame ball joint on the Defender all very good quality, both things I don't want doing again.
Delphi ball joints on the Defender which of course fit and to be fair a couple thousand miles later still work.
Delphi drop link on the Focus failed after two days.
I class Delphi as a better cheap brand but Lemforder as a good substitute for genuine Land Rover.
It's what your budget and future use of the vehicle dictates. If you intend selling in a couple of years then Delphi should be fine. I imagine more often than not that part gets changed because it rusts solid on the adjustable part, plenty of grease on the threads will help this issue in the future.
 
Well god damn boys, so I took the car into Halfords this morning to put 4 duratec's on it and I asked the guy who fitted the tyres was there any play in the rear wheels and he said there was none at all (I know it's Halfords but they did a good discount on the duractecs), so now I am thinking the guy at the first place I took it into was taking the **** even more so.

So I am going to put a trolley jack under the rear and then push the wheels side to side, top to bottom while looking for play, then do the same with the front?

Is this the best way to check for these kinds of issues?

I booked in another MOT and wheel tracking next week with a different garage also!

Thanks guys for the advice so far!
 
Well god damn boys, so I took the car into Halfords this morning to put 4 duratec's on it and I asked the guy who fitted the tyres was there any play in the rear wheels and he said there was none at all (I know it's Halfords but they did a good discount on the duractecs), so now I am thinking the guy at the first place I took it into was taking the **** even more so.

So I am going to put a trolley jack under the rear and then push the wheels side to side, top to bottom while looking for play, then do the same with the front?

Is this the best way to check for these kinds of issues?

I booked in another MOT and wheel tracking next week with a different garage also!

Thanks guys for the advice so far!
MOT first obviously, if it fails on the same thing it's pointless doing the wheel alignment
 
MOT first obviously, if it fails on the same thing it's pointless doing the wheel alignment

Yep, thank you mate, will update once I've given them all a good shake with the wheels raised as well.

Appreciate all the help guys, you all rock! 😎
 
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