who's replaced all front suspension arms?

[glenandem]

just got my meyle hd kit delivered this morning and just waiting on some b5 platforms and new rubber top mounts then gonna get to work, ive decided i think rather than fight with the siezed bolts etc on the car im gonna drop the struts with all arms attached and replace in the garage but when i fit it all back on the car im gonna have to load the suspension before i tighten all the bolts, how do you guys who done it load the suspension, im thinking of dropping the wheels on bricks or maybe just jack the front hub up?
any advice from those who replaced all these bits and anything to watch out for other than the known seized bolt!!!

 

[S4_dan]

As you are replacing all of the arms, use some good heat on the body of the pinch bolt. Undo the (16mm nut I think) on the pinch bolt and hammer the pinch bolt from the hex head. I then used a pry bar in the cut outs to spread it open a little and I managed to work the bolt free. This is whilst the strut is still on the car.

To set the arms, I measured from the egde of the wing to the centre of the hub before doing any work. Then I used a large trolley jack on the hub and lift up to the measurement then tighten the arms. I used thread lock too just for extra hold.

Dan

 

[mattyboyc]

Same as above really, but I had the luxury of a vehicle lift and a transmission jack, but took the same measurements.

 

[SuperV8]

I couldn't get to the top arm inner bolts out when on the car so I had to persevere with removing the seized pinch bolts! Took a day per bolt! Air chisel didn't work, in the end had to cut the head off and use a nut and washers/spacers to slowly pull the bolt out, cutting sections off as it touched the upright.
Good luck,
Don't torque up any horizontal bushes without either the car on the wheels or the hub/arms in the correct ride height position as you will wind up the bushes and knacker them prematurely. Haynes gives you a measurement to set the top arms to before you install them on the car, I just took off a few more mm for the new drop that the B5 perches give.
Tom.

 

[glenandem]

Cheers mate do you know what measurement that is?

 

[S4_dan]

It will vary from car to car due to different type of front springs used, spring sag and age etc etc.

 

[BakPak]

Apologies for being ignorant but I thought the bolts were simply torqued up once the car was settled with all wheels back on the ground. I appreciate you need a ramp for this though.

 

[glenandem]

Yes ideally you want the car sat in its natural position and a 4 poster ramp would be spot on but working off a drive you can measure the centre of the wheel to the arch etc then jack the hub up to the matching measurement then tighten bolts so when you put the wheels back on and on the ground hopefully the bushes shouldn't be in a twisted position!

 

[SuperV8]

In the haynes manual it says:
Front upper link arm position = 81 +-2mm (taken from the flat mounting surface to the back of the ball joint)
Rear upper link arm position = 70 +-2mm (taken from the flat mounting surface to the back of the ball joint - not the rubber bump)
I presume there should be different values for standard and sports suspension? Haynes only quotes this one value, although the vehicle used for most the procedures was a sport so I presumed had the sport suspension and so this figure is correct.
I took off something like 4-5mm off to take into account the lower position from the new perches
I agree it would be better to torque up the horizontal bushes at ride height (assuming the rubber is free enough to rotate and relax!) but at the time I think access was difficult and definitely couldn't get a torque wrench in there.

For information;
Photo showing my top arm bolts and that they couldn't be removed in situ.


Original strut


Difference between B6 and B5 spring seats:


How I got my pinch bolts out


Before B5 perches

After B5 perches

 

[J14hob]

I need to do mine soon not looking forward to getting the pinch bolt out

 

[Mike.M]

Unbolt the top of the strut so it drops down and you do not need to touch the pinch bolt.

 

[J14hob]

I meant the bolt to undo the top control arms