Club 80-90 Forums

Time to replace the upper bushes came (lasted 10 years ish!) so I opted for the pricey powerflex kit- purple and shiney!

However on carefully pressing in to new upper arms and fitting to the van, I have around a 4mm gap so that the arm can move laterally by this amount.  The bolt is tightened up and there is no way to take up the slack, since the bolt tightens against the inner tubing, which sits against the large adjustment washer.  I am using the original washers for my van which are in good condition and 4mm thick.  Thicker ones would make the problem worse unless I am mistaken. 

Has anyone come across this problem?  On searching I couldn't find a mention of it.  The only solution I can think to make it snug would be to put the inner tube of the powerflex assembly onto a lathe and take the desired amount off the end.  

Grateful for any thoughts. 

SLACK SIDE:
 

OTHER SIDE:


SLACK SIDE AGAIN:

I thought I needed to replace my 4 year old bushes recently (but they were actually fine and the bolt had just come loose ( possibly forgot to torque it when I redid the whole front suspension)). In advance I watched several videos on the topic.
Mine are the forged upper arms so the solution would be different if I had the same problem but this video might answer your problem.

"In this video, I show the process of replacing control arm bushings on a Volkswagen Vanagon, addressing common issues like excessive play and bothersome noise. This repair is essential for maintaining proper suspension performance and improving handling. I demonstrate the bushing removal process, providing helpful tips for anyone working on a VW T3."

If I get a chance tomorrow, I shall see what the bentley manual has to say on the subject.

Oh wow yes you are spot on with that video.  He has the same problem with the GOWesty bushings and as a solution it talks about "spreading" the control arm to widen it, in order to take up the slack.  I hadn't thought of that option - wild!

I could give that a go.  Great knowledge and thanks hotpod for posting that video link