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Harsh weather and road conditions have long been the enemy of UK vehicles. Gritting and continual exposure to moisture accelerate the corrosion of structural components, affecting every vehicle on the road. Five years ago, repairing a rusty subframe was likely to exceed the value of the vehicle - an unwelcome proposition for unsuspecting drivers booked in for a routine MOT. Fortunately, the market for entire subframes, cross members and axles has grown tremendously with many garages seeing the advantages of simple installation, reduced labour time and cost.
Reasons for the failure of subframes, cross members and axles are numerous, with corrosion the leading cause. A vehicle may present with bush corrosion, general corrosion resulting in holes and structural instability, corrosion causing alignment issues, torsion bar cracking or unnoticed corrosion behind the under trays. While welding may be the first solution that comes to mind, it is seldom recommended.
Stressed suspension components such as fixed beam axles and subframes cannot usually be repaired by welding. The repair requires an identical material and must retain the original strength. This is often impossible unless the component was originally made using welded sections. With a growing market for complete ‘bolt-on’ assemblies, many workshops are deciding to replace the entire unit instead.
“This drastically reduces labour time, cost and removes the need for special tooling,” explains Helen Robinson, Corporate Communications Director at Euro Car Parts. “It provides the technician and driver with peace of mind while extending the life of the vehicle. This is a significant development for older cars that would have otherwise been written-off.
“We provide a growing number of high-quality options from Starline. With an initial range covering vehicles with the highest rate of failure including but not limited to Vauxhall Corsa D, Ford Focus MK1 and VW Golf MK4, workshops no longer need to worry about lack of availability from main dealers. Our axle, trailing arm and subframe kits are 50-90% cheaper than dealer parts and can be delivered within 1-2 working days. They also come with all the required bushes and bearings ‘ready to fit’ – making the replacement far easier, quicker and cheaper than a repair.”
For more information on Euro Car Parts’ axle, trailing arm and subframe kits, speak to your local Euro Car Parts branch today.
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