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[grifter]

Removing front wb this morning, eveything going nice and easy then boom hit the back nut & bolt to discover the bolt head is inside the subframe, no captive nut and bolt fed in from underneath as i would have thought. So how do i remove that? I can get my hand in round the top and get a socket on but it just spinning when turning from underneath. Cant see a way to get a ratchet or anything in to stop it turning. 

Ps just found the guide,knew it was somewhere. Attack from top. Hope ican muster up a concoction of half and 3/8 extensions that's long enough and there aint any electrical gubbins down there to short out on 

[Doctor Gollum]

Which side? Drivers side use two long 1/2" extensions and a short breaker bar to stop it turning. Passenger side use the short breaker bar and 21mm socket and locate the end of the bar against the idler heat shield

Leaves plenty of room to swing a full length breaker bar underneath...

Whoever fitted it before was being lazy... should be nut on bottom. If the nut comes undone the bolt stays in place and the car remains controllable... nut on top, and the bolt can drop out, leaving you potentially dead. Also good luck not dropping the nut into the subframe

[Andy H]

Usually the bolt is dropped in from above and the nut fitted on the bottom.

Make sure you have a magnet-on-a-stick handy for fishing the bolt out of the box section when you drop it. (even more so if the nut disappears inside the box section....)

[grifter]

Passenger side was where I started out.

The bolt was top down through subframe hence bolt head in subframe comment, so I could crack the nut on the bottom but as soon as it loosened the whole thing spun, therefore had to secure from top. I thought maybe could get an extension onto the socket as I could get that in onto the bolt head. Ended up with a 1/2" flexi joint then a small solid extension then ratchet sitting just above the steering thingymabob.

Drivers side was actually a little more difficult as the idler arm was in the way and could see the starter wire at close range 

Other than that everything was well easy to remove. Glad the balljoint had the pinch head rather than the top end nut. Just split it with chisel - which is a bit of a pita when it firms itself into the slit, there is hardly any room to hit it due to roll bar in the way.

So I have all the bushes removed except the collar of the larger front bush so will need to cut that off with hacksaw.

I also have the new rear bushes into place. I used a large socket to drive them out and the new one in with help from blowtorch, boat club workbench vice and loose oil. Not the "by the book" way to do it but I aint got a press. I usually change cavy wheel bearings with a chisel lol. I can get them out and then use the old bearing collar to knock the new one in! No press needed.

Here's a pic from today of the split bush, will take more tomorrow of the new bushes in place.



It didn't seem that worn really more that it had split. Although I can imagine this causes a lot of deformity once the weight of the car is on it, moving and hard breaking/cornering. I also noticed there seemed to be a split on the front bush when I put a screwdriver in the bolt hole and stretched it I could see the rubber had broken although it really didn't seem that worn or much play in it despite that.

Also got my pop to do a bit of rust descaling on the 2nd arm while I was blow torching the other one. Will update my log for this soon with some other pics as well.

[grifter]

Usually the bolt is dropped in from above and the nut fitted on the bottom.

Make sure you have a magnet-on-a-stick handy for fishing the bolt out of the box section when you drop it. (even more so if the nut disappears inside the box section....)

At first I was trying to drop a long extension down the back of the inner wing, this never worked in the end. Once of the little extensions ball bearing is bust so I put this in with the socket so it was not having to travel down the inner wing and drop, but I ended up somehow catching it, lifting the extension, and then it dropped off. I heard it go clink cling down but not on the deck. Thought oh f**k it's done a burton into the subframe but trusty periscope light located it stuck down the side of the inner wing!

[Fraggles Rock]

Are you fitting polybushes to replace the front bushes? If not, be bloody careful how you fit them... the OE bushes must be fitted in the correct orientation AND tightened with the weight of the car on the wheels, other wise they'll be scrap the instant you put the car on the ground.

[Doctor Gollum]

Are you fitting polybushes to replace the front bushes? If not, be bloody careful how you fit them... the OE bushes must be fitted in the correct orientation AND tightened with the weight of the car on the wheels, other wise they'll be scrap the instant you put the car on the ground.

Got that T shirt before I found this place...

[grifter]

Are you fitting polybushes to replace the front bushes? If not, be bloody careful how you fit them... the OE bushes must be fitted in the correct orientation AND tightened with the weight of the car on the wheels, other wise they'll be scrap the instant you put the car on the ground.

Got that T shirt before I found this place...

its poly bushes going on. I know all about the tightening the longitudinal bushes, seen mechanics in many old jobs "just tighten em mate and get it oot the door". That was on 2 poster ramps where suspension was hanging; better doing bushes on 4 poster. I always tighten bushes with car on the deck or jack up the arm to ride height if I can't get under.

In saying that I noticed 2 little dimples opposite each other in the rear bushes. Wondered if this was a placement tell tale. The old bushes dimples seemed to be at 90 degrees to front and rear so kind of stuck with that orientation.