Gradually been sorting through the "niggles" on my recently purchased Sprint. Next on the list was to check the front suspension and wheel bearings - noticed a slight drone/rumble from the front near side and the odd "clonk". So jacked it up and looked underneath. Didn't look too bad but the off side drag strut (is that the correct term?) bushes where it joins the sub frame were well worn and the arm was literally rattling about. OK I thought replace the bushes, I'll do both sides at the same time. Got the pry bar out and there is a bit too much play for comfort in the top wishbone bushes so OK replace those. Then a quick spin of the wheels revealed a rough near side bearing, OK add that to the list! So started to take bits apart, removed the front wheels and immediately noticed the disc pad retaining pins half out, on not even in the inner pad, who ever replaced them hadn't fitted the little R clips to the pins. The roll bar end bushes were also shot. So stripped off the roll bar, hubs and drag struts. Was pondering cleaning and painting them, then thought what about the rest. The subframe was covered in oil where the oil pump PRV o ring had been leaking. So decided to drop the sub frame, strip and rebuild the lot.
Just finished stripping it all down and need to add subframe mounting bushes to the list as well as both lower ball joints - both are loose and floppy, seemed OK on the car! The near side wheel bearing had been grossly over tightened and they had reused the split pin which had already broken. The stub axle was well worn on the inner end, the off side was not much better, so 2 new stub axles required as well. As the previous owner had poly bushed the rear end (which I will be checking thoroughly) I have decided to replace - most - of the front end bushes with poly - modern repro rubber does not last!. The only ray of sunshine was the lower arm bushes - they were like new behind the shield washers.
So a quick check of drag strut and anti roll bar bushes and a wheel bearing has turned into quite an expensive shopping list:
Set of poly bushes inc sub frame.
2 x stub axles
2 x wheel bearings
2 x roll bar links
2 x lower ball joints
2 x brake pipes (short copper ones - the ones on the car have been badly made and have kinks instead of smooth bends)
Tin of chassis black paint!
Now have a couple of days cleaning and painting before I put it all back together
Funny how these little jobs grow on old cars - had to explain to my other half that the "quick look" had turned into a minor project! Still at least the underside is surprisingly good, only found one rust hole in the corner where the bulkhead joins the wheel arch under the servo. Also love how easy it is to drop the whole subframe - takes me nearly as long to remove the undertray on my daily driver Passat to change the oil!
Roger
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The culprit was a bush that had disintergrated on the rear tie bars. Rimmers accepted that they had supplied some poor bushes and immediately replaced them with Polybushings FOC.
). Also has green stuff pads - well I assume they are as they are green 
). Hopefully tomorrow finish painting, fit the poly bushes and new wheel bearings. I want/need to replate some of the big washers and plates and the subframe mounting bits. I got a zinc plating kit a while back and haven't used it yet. Just waiting for delivery of a drum of distilled water to make the plating solution. Once that's done I can put it all back together.
