[Rekusu]

What ho one and all,

As I will be replacing the wishbones, and the rear hydro bolts were previously inserted from below, I thought I would do a bit of prep work by ensuring they will undo.

It's a car, so no such luck!!!! My impact driver is not moving the bolt and I am reluctant to apply too much torque with the breaker bar. Guess I will have to access the nut from the top, which will entail removing the arch liner and perhaps lower the sub-frame for extra room.

Having watched various vids, including the AutoDo, (about 6 minutes), lowering the sub-frame a bit raises some questions that the vids do not address.

The vids show removing the rear s-f bolts to lower the rear of the s-f. This means the s-f is 'supported' only by the front two bolts. Is droop angle likely to damage the front s-f rubber mounts (or bolts)?

Lowering the s-f in this way, what does this do to the steering column? Is it OK?

None of the vids show s-f alignment when reassembling. If the front bolts are not released, is alignment an issue? (I will mark the s-f location and when the job is complete, will be taking her for a wheel alignment.)

Thanks and toodle pip

 

[PURPLE_2L_LX]

Probably threadlocked into place, the risk of fitting them upside down is that is the nut should come loose then the
bolt can fall out. Maybe they used red loctite or similar to make sure its never coming loose.

Lots of force or heat required to break the bond?

Anytime you undo a bolt on the suspension there is a chance its altered something, you could drive it and keep an
eye on the tyre wear. If all seems well ie. drives in a straight line and no pulling to the left or right then you can
carry on without an alignment.

 

[Rekusu]

I had broken a spring due to a pothole and it was a mobile mech who changed the spring and wishbone, around 12 years ago. Although I was keeping an eye on his work, I was pretty much a rookie on car DIY. He must have lowered the s-f to remove the hydro bush bolt, but I very much doubt that he used any threadlock. Suspect it is just rust.

Also figure that it is better to undo via the nut as I assume there is a chance of shearing the head of the bolt.

When I get around to attacking it, I will give some heat to the nut and hope that I can crack it.

Not too worried about the bolt being inserted the wrong way, after all, there are plenty of other bolts on the underside that are important. All the subframe bolt are inserted from the bottom, but the argument will be, there are four of them.

If lowering the s-f to get more working room and insert the bolt the correct way, what happens to the steering rack and/or column which are mounted on the sub-frame?

 

[nicam49]

When I changed a n/s wishbone, I wanted to inset the bolts the correct way (well, as factory fitted) and in order to do so I had to lower both sides of the subframe. I didn't have to disconnect the steering column, but I did have to detach from the front cross member some pipes and fittings as they prevented the s/f from being lowered.
Have you bought new nuts and bolts?

 

[Rekusu]

Have you bought new nuts and bolts?

No! Having had the pinch bolt and front wishbone bolts out , cleaned and chacked them, I was quite happy to reuse. But as the hydro bolt is going to be a b*****rd to remove and will be quite rusted (I think) I will buy new.

When you say you had to remove some things from the front to lower the s-f, does that imply you lowered the s-f rather than pivoted is on the front bushes / bolts? In any of the vids, they only lower the rear and do not touch the front bolts.

As it happens, I have had th front s-f bolts out individually, cleaned and slipped, and know they are easy to release.

 

[nicam49]

Yeah, in order to fit the bolts as per factory, I had to lower the sf a lot lower than just one side allowed enough room to achieve. Of course, if I wanted to fit the bolts upwards instead, I could have done it lowering just that side. But anyway, there's a few pipes that need to be disconnected else they might get damaged and certainly prevent the sf from lowering - Haynes doesn't mention that tho' - you have to find out for yourself.

 

[Rekusu]

I feel like a grumpy old man (may be I am???) but searching for anything on the net is a regular PIA.

When searching for a resonably priced control arms, virtually everything had sets of tie rod ends and drop links, and may be bolts. As I have recently replaced the tie rods and drop links, did not buy any of those. Instead, I found plain vanilla control arms with no new bolts.

Now I am looking for a bolt set, everything is displaying control arms with bolts. Is there such a thing as a control arm bolt set at a reasonable price? Not really interested in the excessive Ford price per bolt.

 

[nicam49]

If you don't buy Ford ones you won't get flanged nuts and bolts.
Unless you know otherwise.

 

[Rekusu]

It's becoming a nightmare!!!

What is the difference between flanged nuts / bolts and the use of washers?

 

[nicam49]

What's wrong with buying Ford fittings? Have you had a quote from a main dealer and not just ebay sellers?
I give in.... What IS the difference between flanged nuts / bolts and the use of washers

 

[Rekusu]

When I was at the dealer a few weeks ago, trying to sort out the ARB bush (no luck), he had a wishbone on the enquiry and I was told it and associated parts where on indefinite back order. Guess that is a technical term for 'no longer available.

But I may try again as I cannot believe that is the case with bolts, which must be pretty universal.

 

[Rekusu]

Found a pair of flanged M12 bolts on the internet but waiting for an answer to the torsion spec. Don't understand why is is not possible to buy suspension bolts as a set. Can find calipers bolts and botls for other bits, but no suspension sets.

Spent the afternoon tackling the nut on the hydrobush by removing the wheel arch liner. Haynes says it should be 90Nm plus 60 degress; I would guess this was a whole lot more. Heat, PlusGas and an extended bar on the spanner before it released. But it has been released, cleaned and replaced. No evidence of being rusted in place, just bloody tight. Now I know that all bolts will be easy to release.

The biggest challenge was getting the liner back in place!

 

[Rekusu]

Ohh dear lord!!!!!

Six hours of buggering around to replace the ns control arm, top mount and swivel.

And it was all because of the difficutly in removing the lower ball joint, then later, getting if back into the hole. Interesting things is, I was under the impression that the ball joint was tapered but it is not. Used my vernier to measure and 21mm top and bottom. So it will ony go in or come out straight; any slight angle and it jams. That is what was happening to me.

Had intended t o lower the sub-frame and put the rear hydro bolts in from the top, but with all the hassel, decided not to. So they are in, wiht the nut on top, as they came out. Used new nyloc and some threadlock.

Now I can look forward to doing it all again on the drivers side!

The interesting thing is, before replacing, albeit a DIY tracking having replaced the tie rod end, the steering wheel was virtually at 12 o'clock driving in a straight line. With a new ns control arm, the steering is now at around 1 o'lock.

After the os renewal, will take if for a wheel alignment.

 

[Rekusu]

Even longer to replace the os wishbone and swivel mount. All came apart OK, but perhaps the spring is a weird shape as I could not compress it sufficiently to get the swivel mount fitted.

Had a fright when after one attempt, when one compressor slide around the spring but fortunately, the hooks held. That is when i decided to visit the local garage with a bottle of alcoholic beverage to ask if they would compress the spring. They had to compress it virtually fully to have sufficient piston protruding from the top to fit the mount. But all done now.

Had a Hunter alignment done yesterday and all seem good to go.

But some additional issues discovered. Think I need a new bearing and I am planning to fit new rear suspension arms, which will entail another whell alignment.

The joys of owning a car!!!!