S60 D5 lower arms
 

Hi everyone - excuse the slightly rookie question but I know there are plenty of helpful people here who won't mind helping me ....

I have a Volvo S60 D5 SE LUX on a 58 plate but registered in 2009. I need to replace the lower arm bushes and have been advised to buy new arms because it's quicker labour and better outcome than replacing bushes alone. Problem is that I can't seem to find the correct arms. It seems there might be 2 possibles for my car but I don't know which. Can anyone advise how I would find out without climbing under the car please?

On eBay, I have a 2008 D5 'in my garage' and a 2009 D5 there too. Most parts fit the 2008 but not 2009. Am I right in thinking I need 2008 because my car has a 58 plate? Or should I look at 2009 parts because it was registered in 2009? Should I trust eBay compatibility thing?

Thanks in advance.

as I understand it there are steel ones and alloy ones, so a magnet is the obvious way to tell them apart if that's the only difference

the best thing to do for checking part numbers is to get VIDA installed on one of your PC's (https://docs.google.com/document/d/e...i3cpHBdsZa/pub ignore all the stuff about the nano just start halfway down. enter your VIN and it gives you a full parts catalouge and diagrams. later you can get a nano if you want, stick it on a laptop and use it for diagnostics as well

the slightly easier option would be to have a look on scandix https://www.skandix.de/en/spare-parts/1/ and you can get part numbers from there to seach ebay and other places

there is also the powerflex option where you retrofit polybushes, firmer and possibly also should last longer.

https://www.volvoforums.org.uk/showthread.php?t=330523"

https://www.volvoforums.org.uk/showthread.php?t=315538

My D5 MY08 has steel arms. I don't know when they changed but I know earlier ones (at least MYs 02/03) were aluminium. I've just polybushed my car using and refitting my old original arms and you don't need the cut away scaffold tube to support the arm on the steel ones, but access to a press or a very strong vice is a good idea.

General advice on here is go for Volvo or a very good OE supplier as many of of the cheaper ones available fail after as little as a year.

My S60 d163 is 2006 Model Year facelift and has the Aluminium type

the alloy arms are much chunkier than the steel ones but as stuart says use a magnet if you are unfamiliar with the 2 types.

Thanks everyone
 

Thanks everyone for the comments/suggestions - I found the Skandix link to be really useful and now have the OE part numbers to help me find the correct replacements - sadly my D5 is on borrowed time so it will have to be pattern parts this time :-(

When I got a cheap temporary pair I got them from a site called energized customs, £80 for the pair

https://www.energizedcustoms.co.uk/s...prefix%5D=last

currently only alloys in stock by the looks of it, did you figure out which ones you need?

it'll pass an MOT but obviously I wouldn't recommend them as such

Looks like it's the steel ones I need - shame there's not a place where I can get reconditioned Volvo jobbies - I'd happily return my original ones after swapping over!

In our country when you buy new control arms at the volvo dealership, they charge you some money,when returning the old worn control arms to them you get the deposit back.
I have a set of refurbished steel control arms in the garage with powerflex bushings, to bad shipping costs to the uk is that expensive nowadays…

I don't like the look of the angle of 2 bolt mounting in the photos. I seem to recall that when I changed both of mine, the threaded holes were more square to the arm.
I believe that's why most people just bit the bullet and buy new arms because that particular mounting angle has to be just right.