MOT: ARB shows excessive play

[leef44]

Hello All
I'm hoping some of the more technically apt on this forum maybe able to help me here.
I'm looking to buy a Subaru Legacy from 2004-2006. The two I'm looking at shows on the MOT: anti roll bar linkage has excessive play and advisory with other ARB linkage has slight play.
With these items, is it a matter of tightening up the linkage or does that mean the linkage has to be replaced.
This seems to be a common occurrence on these cars and I'm trying to assess the running costs.
I could ask the Subaru forum but it doesn't seem fair when one of the cars for sale is from a forum member.

 

[PobodY]

I'd suggest it needs new droplinks on it; you're probably looking at ~£10 per link, so £40 in parts. - Unless the corrosion has the welded solid, it should take ~30 minutes to change each one.

My Nissan goes through them fairly regularly.

 

[leef44]

I'd suggest it needs new droplinks on it; you're probably looking at ~£10 per link, so £40 in parts. - Unless the corrosion has the welded solid, it should take ~30 minutes to change each one.

My Nissan goes through them fairly regularly.

Thanks, that's useful to know. So basically nothing I should get too hung up about. This is to replace my daily runabout Suzuki Ignis Sport (man maths pushed to the boundary!). £300 more road tax (if 2006 model), £600 more fuel, then there is servicing and insurance.

 

[Flyinspanner]

Hi
My last car was a Subaru Legacy GTB, the droplinks to the ARB are very easy to change (DIY) as are the ARB bushes too.
If you are going to change the bushes, upgrading to poly bushes makes sense. (Powerflex/Superflex etc).

Join the Uklegacy.com forum, very friendly and knowledgeable bunch. (Especially 'Hallie' - knows them inside out )

Over 6 years as a daily driver, it got serviced, a new battery, and never let me down.
I had a spare set of alloys (£120) to which I fitted winter tyres, it was so surefooted in the snow, very reassuring and capable 4wd.
Great load space with the rears folded flat.
Spares are easy to get, good guys on the forum often cannibalise and offer spares quite cheaply.
ICP (import car parts) are a great source too, I got a new rad for £97 delivered, when I noticed mine was weeping.

.... I was actually missing it today looking out at the snow

 

[Joderest]

we had a subaru lagacy estate, silver, it was the most reliable car we ever had, i cannot tell you what to look for as it never had a problem, serviced it once a year, plugs were a pain to get out and back in.
It towed two small ponies with ease, great in the snow. Now wife has two large horses, so needed something that towed them (was a Discovery TD5 now ML270)
I wish it had been capable of the increased towing weight, we would have kept it.