Hi guys
Just an update on how things went with the replacement. I'm happy to say that the replacement was a success!! It did take a while to get here as it came from amazon US. If you have prime you don't have to pay for postage! I also had to get a new small ball jointed drop link off of ebay for 14 pounds as my other one had snapped, along with some new nuts washers and self tappers which came to around a fiver.
Really pleased with how it went. So don't fear if yours is knackered too it can easily be fixed.
I hope this helps some folks out!
Regards