Radius arm bushes replacement

[nutbox]

Hi there,
I was going to change the radius arm bushes today ,I undid the 3 nuts/bolts on the lower control arm ,but I could budge the bolts out of the arm,they were seized in there,(I also undid all other nuts to remove the radius arm.)
I am wondering whether I need to take the pressure off of the suspension at all?
Or is there anyway to get these bolts out at all? I do have replacements .
Any tips you may have please let me know.
Thanks dazz

[billy739]

to be honest i have never seen a bad bush withouth the arm / mounting being bad

if the bolt is seized like most you either cut the arm or the mount

why are you replacing them?

[nutbox]

I am replacing them because they are perished.
I don't want it be cutting the arm or anything like that surely there's got to be away of doing it with out to much damage.
Cheers

[billy739]

when they are seized they arent coming out.

when you need to get the arm off either cos the van is scrap or the arm is rusted you cut the part you dont want!

it may be possible to get a slitting disc (1mm) on a grinder and go up through the rubber and poss a hacksaw blade and cut the bolt but it will be fiddly and time consuming!

usually the inner bush will give and you only have a seized outer bush bolt.

sometimes they go with a clout , but the outer bolts uaually are well seized.

you can buy the mount for the outer bush so you can cut the van , chances are the mount is worn any how. the bush rubs against the metal work and sometimes theres corrosion , which can only be seen when the bush is out!

[nutbox]

my radius arm bolts under the lower control arm with 3 bolts and it them 3 bolts i am on about ,not like the newer ones where they screw into the lower control arm. like the one pictured here https://club8090.co.uk/wiki/St ... and_bushes
Is it that one you are thinking of? I am not doubting what you are say but i want to make sure we are on the same wave length,because i cant beleave cutting the body where the bushes are or the control arm is a good sollution?

Thank you for your help dazz

[billy739]

im talking the wrong end , rear arm! sorry

some times you need to jack up the van under the arm to take the pressure off. when the suspension is hanging down there is a certain amount of twist on every thing tightening the bolts.

if they still persist in beoing tight i have remover the shocker / spring and inner arm bolt and put the whole assembly in the vice , a little heat and a hammer seems to eventually do the trick!

[nutbox]

Sorry billy I should of made it more clearer,I shall give it another go this weekend.
Thanks again dazz

[DavidPallister]

I stripped my front suspension about 5 yrs ago, and was faced with exactly the same problem.

I wound up removing the complete 'lower arm' assembly (for want of a better term), taking it into work and drilling out the 3 siezed bolts using a pillar drill. It took quite a while.

Upon reassembly, use copperslip to stop the bolts corroding into place again.

Hope this helps

Dave

[smashyvan]

Hi did mine - later ones tho last year. Plusgas penetrating oil on all bolts for a few days beforehand. Use a quality open ended spanner (& lump hammer) as you dont want to round off the nuts. Even with all this I needed to use a a blowtorch (heat is your friend :wink: ) to free off the rod into the steering knuckle bit

[nutbox]

Well tried this again today and still no joy,I put a jack under the suspension and had it lifting on that,but I still couldn't budge them.
Is it better to just remove the whole bottoms arm and wack them out?
Cheers dazz

[Plasticman]

gas axe sorry but you asked
mm

[NeilHarris]

I also thought this was going to be an easy job putting new poly bushes on the radius arms, but no, it was a complete pain in the butt.
Luckily I had full garage facilities, otherwise I wouldn't have managed it. It needed a flame on the nuts to release them and two people on a massive spanner to budge them. The threads are so long that it took a while to crank them back far enough to get the rods out, and need some heavy pushing to get them back in also. It certainly didn't help having years of waxoyl all over as well as the corrosion. Plenty of copperslip to put everything back, but I'd imagine that in a couple of years it would be just as tough again ?
Most things i've attempted have not been straight forward. I have a box full of cable pulled outfrom under the dash that was not needed. Years of people making modifications and adding things I guess. Even the radio aerial had four joints in it !!!

Still, its all great fun -keep telling yourself this

[nutbox]

I got the 3 nut off no problem but the bolts are seized in there ,I think I am going to call a local vw garage to get them done to save me the head ache.