Hi.
I'm working on replacing the anti rollbar drop link bushes on the R-sport!

Here's a pic of the front suspension.



I have bought new ones from Volvo (they were cheap), and I have changed the upper ones (number 22 one the pic).
Now to the lower ones (number 40 on the pic)..... I have fought with them for about 4½ hours now, and I can't seem to get the bushes through the hole in the wishbone!!!!
HELP HELP HELP! How can I get them to fit? There must be a way, but I can't seem to find it!
Here's a pic of the drop bar link and a circle around the bush I can't fit in the wishbone!



Any help is MORE than welcome

Cheers
Peter

there are special tools for doing bushes, but you can just use a puller type tool with a bit of bodging

cut em in half lol! They'll compress together when it's all bolted up anyway

Actually I don't know how true that is? Luckily with Dai's Polybush items they're in 2 halfs so theres no need to worry about it

Hi Jason B.
I have tried to pull the bush through the hole by using two 27mm socket spanners (one on each side of the lower arm) and a long bolt! Then the upper socket was holding the bush and then I was holding the two sockets onto the lower arm, but the bush was just squeezing together and not through the hole! No luck there!

Hi Griffo.
I have tought of that but not did anything yet! This is the last solution, because it MUST be possible to fit these bushings!!!
If I'm unsuccesful in fitting them tomorrow, then I will need to cut them in half and fit them as two pieces!

Cheers.
Peter

did you not lubricate the bush with anything, as that would make it much easier to fit. Also when you say long bolt, you'd need a piece of pipe with greater diameter than the bush on the other side otherwise the bush won't go anywhere it'll just compress against the bolt.

Hi Jason.

I did lubricate them with soapy water and later WD40!
My "two 27mm socket" setup has covers for the fact that the bush must be able to enter on the other side! Maybe the 27mm socket is a little to small in case the socket is not centerd under the hole?!

You say that the poly bushes from Dai is in two halfs......
Maybe is't OK to just cut them in halfs and tighten it together?!!

Peter

A lot of bushes for other cars (I have no idea about 300 ones tbh) need a hydraulic press. I'm wondering if it's the same for this.

meh, just use a puller I reckon (what I plan to do with wishbone bushes). Either way a 3-arm puller or similar is a seriously useful bit of kit regardless as it often saves buying special tools and or bodging things.

Aside from a 3 arm that had any strength wouldn't fit in this case Jason They only just fit inside a front hub bearing shell!!!

pretty sure I could get that particular bush in with my 3-arm puller

Hi all.

Here this morning I unbolted the suspension arms and went to a garage with them and the bushings!
I'm currently waiting on the garage to finish the fitting! I'm not sure how they do, but I think they use a big vice and a lot of force! I'll ask them when I collect the arms!

Peter

they'll use a hydraulic press, glad you've got it sorted now!

You have to press them in with a vice and use a blunt screw driver to ease them through. It is not easy. Cutting the bushes would work but it is not ideal as you will have lost some of the material and they will not locate properly.
With my links ther is enough material to locate both sides properly and make fitting very easy.