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Prevost richer I’m poorer
You would think they could press in new bushings and not throw away a lot of metal
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8 Replies
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As Harry says, “It’s only Money”
2000 Featherlite H3-45
2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee
Leesburg, FL -
Wish I knew what you all are talking about!
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Prevost does not fix , they replace . When I was there 3 weeks ago I saw them replace A arms upper and lower . In hind sight i wish i would have asked for the old ones .
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We could try dumpster diving.
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Anyone know if there is a repair for these
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Yes you can replace the bushings, the ball joint, the boot, or any combination of these. The reason Prevost does not do it in their shops is the labor to replace these sub components plus the price of the parts exceeds the cost of the A arm assembly and labor.
If you do it yourself, you can save some $$. Having replaced the upper bushings myself on a 2000 XLII chassis, I would say I would do it again, but if the ball joint was bad too, the arm assembly starts looking pretty good. With most things in the vehicle industry, buying something in pieces usually approaches or costs more than buying the assembly.
If you do decide to work on these bushings by all means invest in GOOD set of snap ring pliers. Use them once and you will wonder why you ever struggled with cheap or “universal” snap ring pliers for all those years:
Knipex 4811J3 Internal Straight Precision Retaining Ring Pliers 9-Inch or any of the Knipex pliers. (AMAZON) They are expensive and you need several sizes for internal and external rings, but money well spent.
I haven’t priced out the lower arm /bushings and big rubber joint outboard but, I suspect the same situation. Replacing the big outer bushing joint or even just the boot only requires a pretty stout press. From what I see in postings the lower arm bushings/joint do not seem to go “bad” as often as the upper. I replaced my right lower boot, and when I saw what was in there, I did not bother to replace the left boot.
If you do decide to replace the lower boots, you will need a huge metric fine thread bolt to drive the tapered stud out of the big outer bushing.
Do not try to beat it out with punch, brass or otherwise, it will not come out and you will bugger up the threads on the retaining bolt hole in the stud. Don’t ask how I know this. The bolt – M24-1.5 x 50mm Hex Head Cap Screw – you need is like hens teeth. If found a box of 10 on Amazon for $42, they are now about $60. Good luck trying to find one somewhere else. If you need one, send me a USPS small flat rate box mailing label and I’ll send it to you. Donate $5 to you local animal shelter. They are also handy for making a Frankenstein monster costume at Halloween, but you will need 2. Those with Cub Cadet experience will recall the “Frankenstein Bolt” that attached some of the rear accessories on those vintage tractors. These are even bigger.
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This is just a general observation based on various posts by owners over the years.
The worst possible thing we as owners can do is turn our coach over to someone and expect a repair to be done to our satisfaction and at a price we believe is fair. It is the equivalent of turning your credit card or check book over to someone with no understanding of what will happen next.
To use the “A” arms as an example the first question is why were they replaced? Historically early “A” arms had a high replacement rate, but before having them replaced the first question is if they do need replacement. Ask that question of almost anything on the coach. Has it been determined the part has failed, is failing, or is about to fail?
Specifically, “A” arms are serviceable as long as the bushing remains bonded to the sleeve. They look horrible but are still doing what they are supposed to do so in this case was it shown the center bushing was loose?
Once a part is considered for replacement and the need has been shown, the next question is if the is part repairable, should it be replaced, and who should do it? There is no doubt Prevost does excellent work and they stand behind the work. But before giving Prevost your checkbook look at options.
Air bags are a good example of how a little research will prove the air bag prices from Prevost are about as good as you can get, but there are other options for doing the replacements, with some being very inexpensve.
“A” arms as David points out can be repaired. The question is how much, who can do it, and is there a significant savings or benefit?
The bottom line is before having work done, know what has to be done and why. Research options ranging from doing nothing, to doing everything, or doing only a partial repair of only what is necessary. Do not ever turn a coach over for repairs without knowing the cost, options, and an understanding of why the repairs are required.
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The a s had metal to metal contact on them and price options were discussed
The bus is now ready to serve out my life
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