Yeah of course arc.
The first thing I did was to get the car on axle stands, ensure that no part of the suspension is close to the stands for easy of working, (and so you don't hit your head, ouch that hurt!)
Before removing anything from the car I went round all the bolts I was going to remove and sprayed them with WD40 as I don't think they had been removed in 55K miles and they were covered in a bit of rust as well. Also when I was undoing the nuts and bolts I was working them back and forth to help remove the rust and clean the threads to prevent snapping a bolt. I also used a wire brush as well to help clean off as much crap as possible.
Then I removed the nuts from the lower Ball Joints on each wishbone, found just below where the driveshaft attachs to the wheel hub. You might find it easier to turn the steering for this, make sure you put the steering lock back on though as undoing the nut is impossible without it on. Next is to split the ball joint with a splitter, for these joints you are going to need a small Ball Joint splitter as there is not much room between the top of the threaded bar on the end of the ball joint and the stub axle/hub.
Since I had the ball joint splitter at hand I decided to remove the nut on the ball joint on each track rod end, then I split the joint just as before.
Next I unbolted the the Anti Roll Bar from each wishbone, see first picture in post (broken bolt pic). Brian showed me a little tip with this, jack up the wishbone under the ball joint and it removes some of the pressure on the bolts holding the Anti Roll Bar in place.
Next I decided that with the wishbone still in place with still 3 large bolts to loosen of the nut and bolt that goes through the front bushes on both wishbones. I removed the nut from the end of the bolt, but I left the bolt in the middle of the bushes to hold the arm in place.
There are two 13mm nuts and two 19mm bolts holding the Anti Roll Bar to the car (one 13mm and one 19mm on each side, close to the rear bush) Both these needed to be removed. I removed both 13mm bolts first as it makes it easier for working. Now the only thing left holding the Anti Roll Bar to the car was two 19mm bolts (again, one each side of the car). These 19mm bolts go through the Anti Roll Bar bracket and then through the bracket that wraps around the rear bush and holds it up against the car. Once both I removed these 19mm bolts the Ant Roll Bar could be removed.
Now there will be one 19mm bolt through the bracket that wraps round the rar bush and holds it to the car, once removed I was able to pull out the bolt through the front bush (the one I left in) and the arm come away from the car with a little bit of force.
Once I had both wishbones away from the car I thought how could I remove the old bushes from the arms, could cut them out (very time consuming), so I decided to burn the old bushes using a blow touch (whcih was great fun). Note once you start with this there is no going back with the old bushes. I kept the heat on until the bush looked like it would give way and then pushed it off with a long screw driver, I took my time with this as I did not want to hurt myself.
Note, the rear bush on each wishbone places over the end of the wishbone. The front bush slides inside the arm itself.
Once the I had removed the old bushes it was time to fit the new ones, I used powerflex bushes
. The powerflex bushes are supplied with copper grease in packets, I used this all over each bush to help it with fitting and also to stop the bush seizing on.
The rear bushes went on easy enough, just push them on, as confirmed by other who people who have fitted them (brian and tosh, cheers) there is a gap between the rear bush and the shoulder of the wishbone.
To fit the front bushes I found that a bit of pressure was required on the bush and metal insert; I found it easier to remove the metal insert from the centre of the bush then half start the bush into the arm and then push the metal insert as far as possible into the bush. When I could not push the bush in any further I got a clamp and tightened it up in the bush/metal insert until I happy with were the bush/metal insert were sitting.
Once I was happy with the bushes in both wishbones, it was time to refit everything to the car. Basically it's the reverse of removing everything. I found it easier to place both wishbones into position and start the bolts just enough to hold it in place before going round tightening everything up. When I was fitting the wishones back to the car I found that both front bushes did not want to go into the gap easily by hand, so I got the jack out and applied a little bit of pressure to the wishbone directly under the front bush, they went up no problems. I was carful to watch the axle stands as well so that I did not lift the car off them and end up with it on the floor.
Next I fitted the Anti Roll Bar back onto the car, I needed to remove a 19mm bolt, the one that goes through the Anti Roll Bar bracket and the bracket holding the rear bush in place.
Next was the two 13mm nuts that hold the rear of the Anti Roll Bar to the bracket that wraps round the rear bush. Then I bolted down the Anti Roll Bar down onto each wishbone, it was easier to place the jack under the bottom ball joint and help raise the wishbone a bit, to help remove some pressure on the bolts/nuts.
The last thing I had left to do was the ball joints that connects the track rod ends to the stub axle. Refit the wheels and you are sorted. Take it easy with the car for a bit, as you have just took half the suspension apart. Check your nuts and bolts after a few days of driving to ensure nothing had came lose with vibrations, if so sort it.
This is what I did over the course of a few days, took my time over it as well. I would suggest that this job might be easier and quicker with a spare pair hands. When refitting any nut or bolt I was forever using copper grease as well.
HTH, any bits I have missed please feel free to point out. The Haynes covers how to remove the wishbone (lower arm) but not refitting bushes or removing the old ones.
David
The first thing I did was to get the car on axle stands, ensure that no part of the suspension is close to the stands for easy of working, (and so you don't hit your head, ouch that hurt!)
Before removing anything from the car I went round all the bolts I was going to remove and sprayed them with WD40 as I don't think they had been removed in 55K miles and they were covered in a bit of rust as well. Also when I was undoing the nuts and bolts I was working them back and forth to help remove the rust and clean the threads to prevent snapping a bolt. I also used a wire brush as well to help clean off as much crap as possible.
Then I removed the nuts from the lower Ball Joints on each wishbone, found just below where the driveshaft attachs to the wheel hub. You might find it easier to turn the steering for this, make sure you put the steering lock back on though as undoing the nut is impossible without it on. Next is to split the ball joint with a splitter, for these joints you are going to need a small Ball Joint splitter as there is not much room between the top of the threaded bar on the end of the ball joint and the stub axle/hub.
Since I had the ball joint splitter at hand I decided to remove the nut on the ball joint on each track rod end, then I split the joint just as before.
Next I unbolted the the Anti Roll Bar from each wishbone, see first picture in post (broken bolt pic). Brian showed me a little tip with this, jack up the wishbone under the ball joint and it removes some of the pressure on the bolts holding the Anti Roll Bar in place.
Next I decided that with the wishbone still in place with still 3 large bolts to loosen of the nut and bolt that goes through the front bushes on both wishbones. I removed the nut from the end of the bolt, but I left the bolt in the middle of the bushes to hold the arm in place.
There are two 13mm nuts and two 19mm bolts holding the Anti Roll Bar to the car (one 13mm and one 19mm on each side, close to the rear bush) Both these needed to be removed. I removed both 13mm bolts first as it makes it easier for working. Now the only thing left holding the Anti Roll Bar to the car was two 19mm bolts (again, one each side of the car). These 19mm bolts go through the Anti Roll Bar bracket and then through the bracket that wraps around the rear bush and holds it up against the car. Once both I removed these 19mm bolts the Ant Roll Bar could be removed.
Now there will be one 19mm bolt through the bracket that wraps round the rar bush and holds it to the car, once removed I was able to pull out the bolt through the front bush (the one I left in) and the arm come away from the car with a little bit of force.
Once I had both wishbones away from the car I thought how could I remove the old bushes from the arms, could cut them out (very time consuming), so I decided to burn the old bushes using a blow touch (whcih was great fun). Note once you start with this there is no going back with the old bushes. I kept the heat on until the bush looked like it would give way and then pushed it off with a long screw driver, I took my time with this as I did not want to hurt myself.
Note, the rear bush on each wishbone places over the end of the wishbone. The front bush slides inside the arm itself.
Once the I had removed the old bushes it was time to fit the new ones, I used powerflex bushes
. The powerflex bushes are supplied with copper grease in packets, I used this all over each bush to help it with fitting and also to stop the bush seizing on. The rear bushes went on easy enough, just push them on, as confirmed by other who people who have fitted them (brian and tosh, cheers
) there is a gap between the rear bush and the shoulder of the wishbone. To fit the front bushes I found that a bit of pressure was required on the bush and metal insert; I found it easier to remove the metal insert from the centre of the bush then half start the bush into the arm and then push the metal insert as far as possible into the bush. When I could not push the bush in any further I got a clamp and tightened it up in the bush/metal insert until I happy with were the bush/metal insert were sitting.
Once I was happy with the bushes in both wishbones, it was time to refit everything to the car. Basically it's the reverse of removing everything. I found it easier to place both wishbones into position and start the bolts just enough to hold it in place before going round tightening everything up. When I was fitting the wishones back to the car I found that both front bushes did not want to go into the gap easily by hand, so I got the jack out and applied a little bit of pressure to the wishbone directly under the front bush, they went up no problems. I was carful to watch the axle stands as well so that I did not lift the car off them and end up with it on the floor.
Next I fitted the Anti Roll Bar back onto the car, I needed to remove a 19mm bolt, the one that goes through the Anti Roll Bar bracket and the bracket holding the rear bush in place.
Next was the two 13mm nuts that hold the rear of the Anti Roll Bar to the bracket that wraps round the rear bush. Then I bolted down the Anti Roll Bar down onto each wishbone, it was easier to place the jack under the bottom ball joint and help raise the wishbone a bit, to help remove some pressure on the bolts/nuts.
The last thing I had left to do was the ball joints that connects the track rod ends to the stub axle. Refit the wheels and you are sorted. Take it easy with the car for a bit, as you have just took half the suspension apart. Check your nuts and bolts after a few days of driving to ensure nothing had came lose with vibrations, if so sort it.
This is what I did over the course of a few days, took my time over it as well. I would suggest that this job might be easier and quicker with a spare pair hands. When refitting any nut or bolt I was forever using copper grease as well.
HTH, any bits I have missed please feel free to point out.
The Haynes covers how to remove the wishbone (lower arm) but not refitting bushes or removing the old ones.David
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