How to polybush your wishbones while changing shocks
If, like me, your Volvo is your only means of transport, and your missus is dead against performance upgrades, When you find that your shocks are shot, the excuse "it's done the bushes in too" could lead you to the following phrase..."It's £160 for a pair of wishbones but I can get a set of polybushes for £33 and they last forever!" I'll start with the bushes because I found doing it all in one go leads to the hub flapping about while you're trying to do something.
So, here goes...
Firstly, tools...
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With the wheel off, give everything you're planning to undo, a dam good going over with some Plus-Gas...
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Let it soak for a few minutes. The bolts are on the other side of the subframe. On the drivers side (as you see here) These are a pig to undo as there's no room to get a socket on so I used a 17mm ring spanner and a rubber mallet.
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Have a jack under the wishbone, just to hold it steady.
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Pull the assembly toward you and use something to wedge between the wishbone and the subframe. Giving you access to the bush. You can see how bad this bush is as I can push the rod over to one side with my thumb.
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With a 4mm drill, destroy some of the rubber to weaken it a bit...
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Grab the rod with a couple of adjustable spanners and turn it in one direction until you hear a crunch. then keep turning and eventually POP, out it comes!
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Burn the old rubber off the rod.
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So as not to get the rod too hot, burn it for a few minutes then let it cool. Wipe it with a rag and repeat 4 or 5 times until you end up with a clean rod...
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In the intervals between burnings, grab a hacksaw and remove the blade. Thread it through the hole in the wishbone and re-attach the handle. Find the square cut out in the remains of the bush-outer and cut through into it. Be careful not to cut the steel sleeve press-fitted into the wishbone.
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Now hammer a blunt screwdriver between the bush-outer and the steel sleeve, next to where you cut and twist.
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Keep prying the bush into itself and after a while, it will just pull out.
http://i1100.photobucket.com/albums/...s/DSCF6965.jpg
Now, off to the shed with the rod and the new polybush. You can push the rod in part of the way by hand (plenty of copperslip required)
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Now put it in a vice and press it about half way, until the bit of the rod that's inside the bush reaches the vice jaw.
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Now, with a socket or anything to keep the rod away from the vice jaw (I used 2 little dumbell weights, taped together), press the rod all the way in. You should hear a "pop"
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