Coffin arms... whilst you are in there

[nikoslee]

Hi folks
the CV boot on my 00 C4 is torn and needs changing... I was thinking of changing the coffin arms, top mounts etc in the car whilst the workshop people are in there...

Question is are the 2 jobs related and will this save some cost or are the 2 underelated?

By the way what i am trying to fix is some creaking noises and I also read that replacing the top mounts may help as well...

Car has 100k kms on the odometer and wears an M030 installed by the previous owner 2 years ago.

 

[Ghianightmare]

My 2 cents worth - others will differ.

Are the jobs related? They can be, but don't have to be.

Rubber has a life of 6 years. If any of your links are more than that, regardless of squeaks and rattles, your suspension will be harsher than intended. At extreme age, it is like wearing clogs versus a pair of Nike Air in my experience having replaced all of my suspension links at the same time.

There are very experienced professional experts that will say that the upper dog bone links on the rear rarely need to be replaced as they don't wear, and when I took mine off, there was negligible play/wear. However, the rubber was like concrete.

However the results of replacing them all was fantastic. I fell in love with the car - I had been missing my Boxster up to that point...

I can't really answer your question without asking you a few questions - what exactly is causing the squeak on your suspension? If you can answer that you will have a new career and make a fortune helping other diagnose!!! What history do you have on your suspension maintenance?How old are the arms that are in there currently? What condition are your dampers and top mounts in? Do you have a couple of thousand £ to "invest" in your car? I use the word invest as I don't think anyone that has spent money on their suspension - even stock set up - has regretted it. Can you do any of the work yourself ?

 

[Robertb]

I had a CV boot done last year on my 4S... as said previously, you don't need to do the other bits if you don't need to, there is certainly no cost advantage, but it sounds like there are issues to rectify on your suspension.

Once you start taking the suspension to bits, it makes sense to do all the worn bits at once, not least as you will need to re-set the geometry each time you do a major job such as coffin arms or top mounts, and usually bolts are seized so one thing leads to another...

But yes, it will make a massive difference to the way the car feels and it will stay feeling good for years.

 

[nikoslee]

some answers

Creaking sound... dont know whats causing it..

Suspension - all new M030 kit from Carnewal 2 years /20k kms ago.
All other components are from factory.

CV boot is torn ... so just thinking about how to maximise the time in the shop. Thinking about keeping the car for a few years as its a nice spec

Forest Green with Savannah , sports seats and sport designs

 

[sim996]

Whilst you're in there, fit GT3 brake ducts.

 

[Alex]

I'd just do the boot as it's not a big job.......Unlike stripping your suspension down.

 

[Justy]

If it was me, I would get the boot done and then take it to Centre Gravity to pinpoint the creaking and replace only what needs to be done. Centre Gravity are the best solution to your situation: do not know what needs to be addressed but have a creaking issue and suspension that may or may not need renewing. My experience: I took it to CoG expecting to be told that my suspension needs a complete renewal and found out that my suspension is fine and only needed new top mounts. Have a look at the MAX REVS YouTube clips for a better idea on what they do.

 

[1marc]

Re: some answers

Forest Green with Savannah , sports seats and sport designs

Sounds lovely, but you can't tease us with the words... we need pictures. :lol:

 

[JV58]

Random question - slightly connected.

My car was in for MOT last week and passed no probs. I need to change coffin arms and have a price from my specialist.

I asked my MOT guy and he has came in half the price for labour, I would buy the parts.

Can a non-porsche specialist change these items?

Or just leave it to the pros!

 

[Alex]

A monkey can change them, same as 99% of the parts on a Porsche.

If they're the rears, the eccentric bolts may need cutting out. Won't know until they do the job.

Ps. Most 'specialists' are specialists in one thing - money extraction.

 

[Griffter]

Like for like, no reason your MOT guy can't do the job. But although it's just nuts and bolts, sometimes it helps to have done the job before and know what you're looking at. Don't forget that 'MOT standard" work is minimum standard.
Seized bolts, pattern parts that don't quite fit, or alter the geometry, the condition of other parts (not always immediately visible) and the aluminium subframe can all benefit from specialist experience that doesn't have to try three different ways to solve an unexpected problem, or inadvertently cause one.
I've got nothing against your MOT guy; he might well be versatile, experienced and well able to do the job; but if not, might he take twice as long?