Lower arm bolts now too short with Powerflex bushes

[Benh7]

Just refreshed the front suspension including Powerflex front and rear bushes in the lower arms. All gone back together perfectly except with the extra meat on the new front bush central pin, the original subframe bolts don't come all the way through. Some only get half way.

Going to need to get longer bolts unless I've missed something.

Anyone found the same?

[Dancake]

There are two different lengths of bolts for the wishbones. One part of the subframe is wider than the other, so just make sure you're using the correct bolts on the correct sides. It's also perfectly acceptable for the bolts to not come all the way through the new pins on the Powerflex bushings. Providing you have the bolts on the correct sides, there will be enough of the bolt threads coming through to properly secure the Powerflex bushings

[Benh7]

Thanks Dancake.

The bolts are definitely in the sides they came out of. The nearside is not far off but one of the longer bolts in the offside is only half way which just seems wrong. Surely there must be a lot of stress going through these with the arm going up down?

[Dancake]

It makes no difference whatsoever. At a guess I would imagine that Powerflex don't thin their pins down to save on machining costs. The pins are held on by the same amount of threads regardless of whether they are the originals or Powerflex. Because the pin can't move once it's secure, the stress isn't any more than what it would be if you used original bushings.

It's also worth mentioning that the bolts are stretch bolts. They should ideally be replaced with new bolts each time they are removed. There are some reports of these bolts shearing, so for all the cost of them they are worth replacing.

[Benh7]

Thanks. Good to know about the shear bolts. I'll get some new ones fitted.

[Brendan W]

Well, if they are too short stretched what are they like new ?

[CricketyJimin]

I had this on my previous V70 - one of the bolts (front one on the drivers side I think) seemed to be short and only came 2/3rds of the way through, and another only just came flush with the outside. Seemed perfectly secure and must have been short before the new pin was used anyway.

How did you get on with fitting the front bushes? I found the new design to be *very* difficult to press in even with a big vice.

[Benh7]

Absolutely right Crickety it is the drivers side front bolt that is way to short. Unfortunately the rear bolt on that side is too short as well. However on the other side one is throw and the other almost, so I'm not bothered about them.

I used a mates press for the bushes. We still needed to cut a V out of an old bearing so the arm could sit square. Otherwise it all went together easily. Don't know how you managed with just a vice!