Lower arm replacement
At the annual MOT for this 2012 Fiat 500, we were quite surprised to find that the lower arm needed replacing due to excess wear. Initially, the job looks to be quite a quick and simple task. It’s only when you look closer that you see that the bolt securing the front bush in the lower arm is located behind a box section that needs to be moved out of the way.
The box section is bolted to the front panel and the securing bolts have to be undone from the front because the nuts are captive. This, in turn, requires the front bumper cover to be removed.
The whole set-up is similar to that found on some Renault Meganes and it’s one of those jobs that makes you wonder what the vehicle’s designers were thinking. The section appears to be an afterthought, possibly because the front wasn’t strong enough.
As this little runabout was only a few years old, we didn’t have any problem unbolting everything. As soon as the new arm was in place, the little Fiat was safe for the road again.