Rear suspension arms

Big lumps of metals and spanners.

Moderators: User administrators, Moderators

Locked
trundletruc
Registered user
Posts: 115
Joined: 20 Oct 2005, 19:45
80-90 Mem No: 1225
Location: Gnosall Stafford

Rear suspension arms

Post by trundletruc »

I have to replace a rear suspension arm. I have a replacement but I have been told that the bolts, through the rubber bushes, that hold it to the chassis rust in badly so that you cannot get them out!

Anyone got any suggestions about how to remove the old suspension arm/ cut the bolts fairly easily?
Trundletruc 1984 DG-DJ Devon Moonraker

User avatar
dugcati
Registered user
Posts: 2004
Joined: 15 Aug 2007, 18:23
80-90 Mem No: 3825
Location: Debris
Contact:

Post by dugcati »

oh the pain!... I have found out the really hard way about the bolts that hold the rear trailing arms on.

The way I took mine off was too cut the bolt heads and nuts off, lever open the plates on the van and then once in the garage drill out all four bolts - it took me days and days!

It might be worth a try of over the course of a week or so apply and re-apply WD40/graphite release spray/maybe brake fluid failing that shock freezing the blighters could work Wink

It worst you could hack off the arms and then destroy the whole bush; then replace the lot and rebuild - downside with this is that getting new bushes in can be a really hard and infuriating job without a proper press
It is by will alone that I set my 'van' in motion!

davegeezzer008
Registered user
Posts: 93
Joined: 19 Jul 2008, 15:56
80-90 Mem No: 7244
Location: Crantock cornwall

Post by davegeezzer008 »

ive just stripped mine down and i used a gator saw to cot the bolt, the otherside came off easy

talkingwhippet
Registered user
Posts: 10
Joined: 19 Feb 2008, 14:05
80-90 Mem No: 4779
Location: Ilminster, Somerset

Post by talkingwhippet »

Hi. I've done both sides of mine fairly recently. Took half a day or so all in. I used a angle-grinder to cut off one end of bolts on inner & outer side of each arm. Use the disc between plates attached to vehicle & trailing-arm - bits of rubber & lots of dust!

Be careful on inners as easy to cut cross-member underneath van. As I recall the only way to get at outside of outer bush was with a hacksaw instead of angle-grinder - this took about 40 mins each per side - just persevere & make sure you have several blades in reserve!

Once they were off, I used a chunky drill bit (8mm or 10mm) in an electric drill & just drilled a series of holes as close together as poss all around the bolt rusted into centre of bush. It quite quickly becomes detached & comes out so you can "peel" away the remaining rubber bush - some persuasion with an old screwdriver I seem to recall.

It's not a great job - but auite possible with normal range of everyday workshop tools. I bought angle-grinder at Screwfix for about £12 I think -with some very thin discs - this helps.

To put new bushes in I got about a metre or so of 8mm threaded rod from a fasteners place with a selection of round washers & square reinforcing washers, & several nuts - amd a bloody great socket that is bigger in diameter than bush. Just cut off requisite length & played around with combinations of washers/nuts etc. until got something that worked to press new bushes in. I had a length that passed through both holes for bushes I think, as well as a shorter one. Anyway worked a treat if coat bush liberally with vaseline first and use a bit of coaxing at end to get "lip" though all the way round. I got second-hand imperial socket from tool merchants down the road - imperial sockets are dirt cheap now we're mostly metric.

Hope this makes sense & is helpful in some way - well worth doing - good job once done. I thought I would never manage before I started, but where there's a will there's a way!!

Talking whippet
Talkingwhippet
1984 1.9TD pop-top camper - aka BLUE COW!

User avatar
Aidan
Trader
Posts: 6992
Joined: 11 Oct 2005, 19:21
80-90 Mem No: 742
Location: Llanfyllin, mid Wales : )
Contact:

Post by Aidan »

For everyones information, esp NW possee I have the press and correct press tools for fitting these bushes, the bolts are still available from VW too.

trundletruc
Registered user
Posts: 115
Joined: 20 Oct 2005, 19:45
80-90 Mem No: 1225
Location: Gnosall Stafford

Rear Suspension arms

Post by trundletruc »

Thanks for the info. everyone.

Now have the new(secondhand) arms primed and painted and after a long struggle with large socket, washers and some 12mm studding have the new bushes in place.

Now to get the old arms off, when it looks as though we are going to have another fine day.
By all accounts this looks as though it's the worst job you have to tackle on a T25? Unless somebody knows better?! Thank god they only seem to need changing every 14years or so.
Trundletruc 1984 DG-DJ Devon Moonraker

Locked