Alfa Romeo 147/156/GT Front Suspension Restoration 

I have done such job quite a few times and i would say no less than 3 hours per side if everything goes smoothly (usually this is not the case). It is the tools that help you very much. Since there are many nuts and bolts involved, hand tools like spanners or sockets are tiring and really take up time. A few weeks ago I had to replace the control arms (again) and this time I used a MILWAUKEE electric ratchet which helps you very much. I was able to refresh the suspension in less than 2 hours per side. Without the electric ratchet, you need to almost lay down, crawl under the suspension, do/undo the control arm bolts, control arm nuts, caliper bolts, upper control arm nut, track rod end nut etc. The fasteners are many and working with them really sums up in time consumed in doing/undoing nuts and bolts. An important fact is also experience working with the Alfa 147 and the suspension in specific. If you haven't ever done such kind of work, be prepared to spend a few hours per side. My advise is to have plenty of time ahead (do not plan to use the car the same day) and with patience it is doable. Also note that when you start feeling tired, you better stop - being exhausted and rushing to finish will not give you good results. Just for the record, the Alfa 147 is a 2001 model and on average, the front suspension requires new control arms every 3-4 years. I think I have gained quite an experience in order to reduce the work time needed. Hope this helps 🙂

@@ThanassisGritsopoulos Thank you for the detailed response. I've done some suspension work on other cars and definitely agree with you on the use of electric tools saving a lot of time. I recently did a Ford Ka (new shape same as Fiat 500) lower control arm and rear shocks after having bought my first Milwaukee impact and it made it so much easier and quicker. I only have the compact version which is powerful enough to undo tight bolts but small enough to squeeze behind brakes for example, but I would still struggle to use it around tight spaces so might need to look into getting an electric ratchet before starting. I didn't know they go through control arms that quickly. Is it the bushes that give up? I'm wondering if polybushes like Powerflex would be worth the investment. This particular 147 has been off the road for 10 years and it has quite comprehensive service history from before that, but no mention of any suspension work, so I reckon it is far past its best being on (potentially) original arms and bushes at 23 years of age. It's also in need of inner and outer tie rods and a wheel bearing so I would be lucky to get it all done in a day I think. Your video and comments will definitely be a massive help in guiding me so thank you again!

@@birgitfischer8031 The control arms fail on the ball joints. The bushes can go bad but this will happen after the ball joints have failed twice or triple times! Just to note that a few weeks ago I had the lower control arm replaced having only 9 months of life on the Alfa 147. This control arm was an Original Alfa and it failed on the ball joint (severe creaking noise which means severe internal wear). You may also replace the sway bar bushes which are not easy to do with the crossmember on. You can drop the crossmember but things get more complicated as the steering rack is mounted there. What has worked for me is to have the control arms out of the way and using a drill, you can break lose the sway bar bracket nutsert. It is a job requiring precision but again it is doable. Just for the record, i have used numerous brands for sway bar bushes which all rattle despite using rubber lubricant. The bushes now used which do not rattle (lubricant is used to be safe) are by the brand MetalCaucho (MC). Since the Alfa 147 in question needs suspension, steering elements and wheel bearing works then you should count 2-3 days of work taking into account the available tools, the unforeseen implications and fatigue you will surely encounter! Hope this helps.

​@@ThanassisGritsopoulos Thank you once again. The sway bar bushes are probably due as well but I don't know if I want to tackle those, especially considering they might creak after all the work. Currently the whole front is quite loose and knocky so it's hard to tell where noises are coming from but I don't think they are creaking. Hopefully it stays that way.

You are correct in principle BUT in the case of Alfa 147/156/GT the bushes have a metal insert which slide on the bush. This metal bush is detachable and can also be lubricated to extend the bush life.

You are correct about the removal of the lower/upper control arm. Thank you for you kind words; stay tuned on the channel as more videos are in the process of editing and/or video shooting!

For the English speaking audience: No, the driveshaft is not required to be removed; it was removed to be reconditioned which is covered on a separate video. Control arms replacement doesn't require driveshaft removal.

Thank you for your kind words. I have omitted some parts of the assembly as I focused on the main components assembly. The next videos to come will be more explanatory.

The control arms used are made by Lemforder which are high quality aftermarket parts. I have never had problems with funny sounds coming from the suspension even on low temperatures during the winter.

@@ThanassisGritsopoulos Lemforder and TRW (OEM) are reported to be good quality from what I know.

@@ThanassisGritsopoulos This video you may like: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-B9k3VWq02HA.html

@@dasdasdsdasdasdasd363 You are correct. Original Alfa, Lemforder and TRW are the top quality brands - Magneti Marelli, MOOG and VEMA are still good but placed below the top quality brands mentioned before. It all has to do with the budget you have !

@@ThanassisGritsopoulos TRW, VEMA are oem, so you can't go wrong. I purchased the cheap ebay items and now I'm paying for that mistake. You can get good deals off ebay but you have to be careful. A lot of that shit is factory rejects. If it's made in China, don't buy it.