Anti roll bar bushings take me too long to change

BlakeS94 · 17-04-2021 2:54pm #1

Just changed the anti roll bar bushes on the rear as I'm doing the links because they started to rattle the other day, so I said I'd change the bushings aswell. What an ordeal. Took me about 3 and a half hours over 2 days to replace them. Old bushings were completely seized onto the brackets. Took over an hour to get them off with a pry bar, claw end of a hammer and penetrating fluid. And then to install the OEM new bushings I picked up from main dealer. Could not get the bushings around the bar at first they were very tight. When I did, I spent about an hour and a half trying to get the brackets onto the bushings, wouldn't go on without incredible force and then wouldn't stay on. I had to resort to using pretty much all the strength in my legs to push the bracket onto the bushing while my partner got one screw threaded, did this on each side. And then, the other bracket hole didn't line up to go through and be threaded. So had to use a jack on the control arm to get it to line up. Finally got two screws on each bracket and snugged them up, took car for a spin and all is well except for the rattle from the links, that's for another day. I think I'll give the car to a garage in the future its not worth the heartache to fit them myself over 20-30 quid to a garage. Rant over

Oops! · 17-04-2021 3:05pm

Sounds like DIY is not for you......

17-04-2021 3:08pm

Oops! wrote: »

Sounds like DIY is not for you......

I wouldn’t sneer too much at them, suspension arms and joints can be an absolute disaster. Especially if they’ve been in for a good while before you go at them. Taught me fairly quickly the same conclusion to let a mechanic do them.

JustJoe7240 · 17-04-2021 3:12pm

Out of touch with garage prices as I do all my own spannering but if that's only costing 20-30 quid in the garage I may start getting a mechanic to do my work

Oops! · 17-04-2021 3:12pm

I'm not sneering.... Just stating the obvious.... It always amazes me when people see these jobs and think... Shur that's a simple job, i'm not going to have a mechanic rob me for that.... Leave it to the professionals... Plenty of cowboys out there, i'm sick of having to fix other peoples messy efforts at some jobs.

BlakeS94 · 17-04-2021 3:31pm

Oops! wrote: »

I'm not sneering.... Just stating the obvious.... It always amazes me when people see these jobs and think... Shur that's a simple job, i'm not going to have a mechanic rob me for that.... Leave it to the professionals... Plenty of cowboys out there, i'm sick of having to fix other peoples messy efforts at some jobs.

DIY isn't for anyone until they learn. And I'm in the process of learning so don't appreciate your condescending comment. I've seen many posts about people having trouble installing and removing these kinds of bushings. But I dealt with it and got the job done eventually so how is diy not for me? I knew it wasn't going to be straightforward before I started because I've done the front bushings and it was a bit difficult but the rears were on another level. How about giving some advice to a novice in the diy world instead of words of discouragement. Isn't this forum for that kind of thing, people giving advice and helping each other out.

BlakeS94 · 17-04-2021 3:32pm

JustJoe7240 wrote: »

Out of touch with garage prices as I do all my own spannering but if that's only costing 20-30 quid in the garage I may start getting a mechanic to do my work

Parts supplied and I presume 30mins labour would be €30 thereabouts. If the garage charges minimum 1hr then probably more like €50-€60 for an indie

corkgsxr · 17-04-2021 10:34pm

Alot of time there is a much easyer way if you know the cars.

Eg older avensis youd be faster dropping the subframe to change a rear bushing and back again than struggle it in

Tea drinker · 17-04-2021 11:51pm

yeah these jobs can get away from you, or a professional, and the 1 hour turns into hours of escalating brute force attacks.
The pros have more tools and techniques and a spare pair of hands usually.
Most online timelines to do something are lads forgetting how long it really took and are unmatchable anyway.

Hope the next jobs go easier...

BlakeS94 · 18-04-2021 10:15am

corkgsxr wrote: »

Alot of time there is a much easyer way if you know the cars.

Eg older avensis youd be faster dropping the subframe to change a rear bushing and back again than struggle it in

I know what you mean, access wasn't the issue here the bushings had nothing in the way except maybe the exhaust backbox when doing the left side bushing was in the way when the ratchet pushed towards it loosening the bracket screws. Other than that no issues with access. The other problems I ran into however, were a PITA

corkgsxr · 18-04-2021 5:45pm

BlakeS94 wrote: »

I know what you mean, access wasn't the issue here the bushings had nothing in the way except maybe the exhaust backbox when doing the left side bushing was in the way when the ratchet pushed towards it loosening the bracket screws. Other than that no issues with access. The other problems I ran into however, were a PITA

Did you disconnect both droplinks?

BlakeS94 · 18-04-2021 6:05pm

corkgsxr wrote: »

Did you disconnect both droplinks?

No I didn't, it didn't seem to affect it though the bar moved freely when the bushings were off, would that have helped? I need to change them also but I haven't gotten the parts yet

BlakeS94 · 22-04-2021 8:27pm

I'll probably be doing the drop links over the weekend, looking at the old ones (which are battered and spinning freely where it joins the trailing arm) there's no indentation to fit a wrench before the threads to stop it from spinning, and no hex bit on the end of the threads, so it seems like a good clamp with pliers on the joint and ratchet the nut off, but for installing the new parts, which do have the indentation before the threads to hold it with a wrench and tighten the nut, the bottom one is buried into the trailing arm so don't know how ill fit the wrench on there and don't want to clamp the new parts over fear of damaging the rubber boot, any ideas?

Anti roll bar bushings take me too long to change

Comments