powerflex advice. a final definitive answer anyone?

[stapo69]

Thinking of fitting powerflex bushes all round on b5 S4 cos everything's starting to feel a bit vague and knocky. Had a good old search on the forums and various opinions are floating around but i wanna know just how easy they are to fit myself, gettin the old ones out are a bit of a ****** but nothing too major but how's about fitting the new ones? Push in by hand? Press in, with a press!? Easy or not guys? Let me know how you got on with fitting yours if you could. Thanks in advance.

 

[denzelburner]

I just used a rubber mallet to gently persuade them on if that helps

 

[scrupes]

I just used a rubber mallet to gently persuade them on if that helps

?????????

they need pressing in to the suspension arms but if you're getting knocks chances are it's the balljoints on the end of the arms, they cant be replaced, just the full arm with the bushes and joints fitted.

it's apparently a straight forward job for a garage with all the toys but imagine changing all the bushes and finding out the ball joints are knackered after a few thou miles!

it's the only thing stopping me doing it, i go through these arms in no time
(4 1/2 yrs of ownership and 2 sets of arms i've replaced in a v6 quattro !! i imagine an s4 to be similar in weight, which affects the wear on the arms and bushes)

 

[Danielson]

the powerflex bushes just push in, no tools needed, i would reccomend fitting the pf bushes to new arms. tbh piece of cake to change the arms as long as the pinch bolt isnt seized. i just took my new arms down to my local holburns and had them press out the oe bushes.

 

[jcb]

do it!
bring elastoplast! they don;t just push in

 

[stapo69]

Gonna have a good look in the arches at the weekend and try and diagnose the noises. Take it from there then, see what i find. Even if they need pressing in our fitters workshop at work has a press so would just have to talk nicely to the boss.......

 

[jcb]

getting them in is easier than getting the old ones out.
have to hand,
grinder, dremmel or similar, reciprocating saw or similar etc etc

 

[denzelburner]

As said earlier, I had to use a bit of persuasion with my ones (rubber mallet, as wasn't sure if it were a god idea to hit 'em with a normal one). Acetylene had to be introduced to get the old ones out, as I got a bit annoyed about using plasters and pliers, and I thought might as well make it look like I was trying . The end result is pretty noticable though, well worth it

 

[Biglockie]

Dude a clean vice and a bottle of fairy liquid, OH and plasters, I've done it before!!

 

[andybnwc]

Yep finished mine today needed 4 top arms too but still got a slight knock from front nearside when turning right so not impressed but it fixed my camber issues and needed doing anyway , pinch bolts needed replacing they are one use only , bottom big bush is too big to fit in so needed arm in 2nd bolt hole instead ill try get some pics soon , i only got pics of top control arms