front arm rear bush aligning the bolts ... help!

[klarzy]

Originally Posted by Pagnol

Oh Dear!
My new bushes arrived from Rimmer Bros. this afternoon. Spent two hours trying to undo the bolts on the nearside and another two trying to get the back bolt to bite.

Front bolt no problem, but the back one seems to bite and then...

Now I just read this post

I was doing it with axle stands and don't have ramps. It's back to trying again tomorrow. Anyone got any suggestions? Please...

Ivor

put or jack under the hub and take some of the load off, it may help...

[marinabrian]

Originally Posted by Pagnol

Oh Dear!
My new bushes arrived from Rimmer Bros. this afternoon. Spent two hours trying to undo the bolts on the nearside and another two trying to get the back bolt to bite.

Front bolt no problem, but the back one seems to bite and then...

Now I just read this post

I was doing it with axle stands and don't have ramps. It's back to trying again tomorrow. Anyone got any suggestions? Please...

Ivor

Ivor, if you tighten the front bolt up it will pull the bush parallel with the subframe.
The bush can be articulated around the front bolt as a pivot using a 10" shifting spanner on the outer part of the bush loop to align it.

Turn the bolt anticlockwise until you feel the click of the thread engaging, then with fingers tighten the bolt until you are satisfied it is entering correctly and not cross threaded.

You have done the difficult bolt first, the rearmost one should be a doddle

Brian

[Pagnol]

Originally Posted by marinabrian

Ivor, if you tighten the front bolt up it will pull the bush parallel with the subframe.
The bush can be articulated around the front bolt as a pivot using a 10" shifting spanner on the outer part of the bush loop to align it.

Turn the bolt anticlockwise until you feel the click of the thread engaging, then with fingers tighten the bolt until you are satisfied it is entering correctly and not cross threaded.

You have done the difficult bolt first, the rearmost one should be a doddle

Brian

Thanks for the advice Brian.

Fortunately, the front bolt was a 'doddle'. I'll be at it again tomorrow and hope to report good news

Ivor

[Pagnol]

Wow! Job done

Only took another 2 1/2 hours!

The front bolt was easy peasy. Did up no trouble, undid it, took it out, put it back again several times.

The back one!! Got it to bite then started to do it up and after a few turns it was extremely tight. I was worried about cross threading, so took it out again and again and again... Eventually sprayed the thread with some WD40 and hey presto!!!

Thanks to everyone on this wonderful site for all the great advice and to you all. Ivor

[Pagnol]

Took the car out for a spin yesterday, listening attentively for any clonks etc. and all was fine.

Went out this morning and thought I could here something unusual! Opened the passenger window and there was definitely something going on.

Think the bolts have come loose!!

I thought I had done them up tight enough, but I suppose it doesn't help with the limited access. Did the front with a ratchet spanner and the back one with a 3/8 socket and small breaker bar.

Wonder if, as I did it on axle stands, the bush housing has slightly moved and hence bolts are slightly slack?

Back underneath tomorrow. Meanwhile, any suggestions gratefully received...

Ivor

[DMGRS]

Check the bolts are tight, but also check the pinch bolt from front hub to the lower arm is tight enough to grip the ball joint on the lower arm.
Sometimes they appear to be tight, but aren't torqued enough to stop the ball joint knocking slightly.

[Pagnol]

Originally Posted by DMGRS

Check the bolts are tight, but also check the pinch bolt from front hub to the lower arm is tight enough to grip the ball joint on the lower arm.
Sometimes they appear to be tight, but aren't torqued enough to stop the ball joint knocking slightly.

Thanks for the advice.

I didn't actually undo anything other than the two bolts on the bearing housing and reading on here about 'best done with weight on wishbone etc.' it would seem logical (to me at least) that it has settled/moved since i tightened them. Hope that's the case...

I'll check it all tomorrow and post my findings...

Ivor

[Avulon]

I completed the tightening for the bolts on mine with the scissor jack under the end of the wishbone jacking up the hub to load the suspension. You'll be unlikely to be applying enough torque to the bolts through a ratchet spanner without breaking it! I simply used the old trick of two combination spanners, the one with the ring end over the bolt and the second with the ring end on the fork of the open end of the first to give about 24 inches of total spanner length, then applied a 'bucket' load of force to it - no room for a torque wrench in there. Don't worry about breaking anything, a bolt that size isn't going to snap easily, but then I'm not King Kong, if you suspect you might be (King Kong or his younger brother) then I guess I applied about 70 ft/lbs. It doesn't sound much but lying underneath the car on axle stands in an awkward position and applying it through two interlocked spanners takes a fair bit of effort.


Just to add, it's been absolutely fine since. The addition of two new front tyres with wheels balanced finished it off beautifully .

[Pagnol]

Thanks.

There was a time when I thought I might have been King Kong's younger brother, but my aching body told me for two days, after doing this last time, that I'm most definitely not!

I thought the ratchet spanner was a bit too delicate, but I don't have an 18mm ring spanner. However, a friend has told me has one I can borrow. I'll also jack up the hub when I'm tightening it.

Here's hoping...

Ivor

[Pagnol]

Well, so far so good.

All jacked up, including wishbone, retightened with 18mm ring spanner (got bump on head from spanner to prove it lol) and hope I managed to get them tight enough this time!

Gave it a quick spin and no nasty noises. Yet...

Oh the joy of car maintenance

Ivor