Replacement of Front Lower Arms on 2015 XC70

[Baggiebird8]

Hi,
I recently replaced the front suspension lower arms on my 2015 XC70 D4 and I am posting this in case my thoughts help anyone out there. I'm a fairly experienced amateur mechanic but not an expert!

1. The lower arm bushes were an advisory on my 2021 MoT. The car has done 56 000 miles but the roads everywhere are not as smooth as they used to be. Plenty of potholes in Herefordshire!!
2. I used genuine Volvo parts (thanks to FRF for great prices), and decided to replace the links to the front anti-roll (sway) bar at the same time.
3. I have access to a non-updatable copy of VIDA that someone gave me but I didn't find it that especially helpful apart from things like torque settings, which I won't repeat here.
4. The design of the lower arms on this model will be the same I think as on the equivalent V70, but the Ford Mondeo Mk 4 also shares a lot of the platform components, as Ford owned Volvo for a while. Indeed I found this You Tube very helpful although the components are slightly different on the Volvo where the ball joint connects to the hub carrier
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7uIpxYP3mYk
The author of the You Tube is Chazz Coombes.
5. Anyway, to gain access to the lower arms for replacement, jack and carefully support the front end under the appropriate strengthened points, these are shown in the owners handbook, nice one Volvo. Then remove the front wheels.
6. Remove the wheel arch liners, torx screws and 2 10mm nuts in each wheel arch.
7. You can then access the lower arms. They are secured with bolts to the inside subframe, a single bolt through the flat round bush, and 2 bolts for the larger rear cylindrical bush. Use plenty of penetrating oil. The bolts are 18mm underneath and 21 mm on top, all AF and not too difficult to reach or put a socket on. Use sockets where possible. It is best to loosen the bolts but leave in place until the lower ball joint to hub carrier has been loosened.
8. The Volvo design of ball joint is different to the Chazz video. The Mondeo has a more usual tapered pin into the hub carrier with a nut on top. The Volvo version has a pin which is secured by a bolt that fits in a groove machined in the pin. It is easier to get at, though due to corrosion you may need an air tool or electric impact tool or similar. I am lucky to have a compressor and suitable impact driver. The bolt size is 15mm. After the bolt has been fully removed you can try to split the joint. Corrosion does not help of course. Volvo advises a large lever tool and Chazz uses one too. I was able to loosen the joint with a lot of hammering down on the lower arm, and on one side a bit of heat. I made a heat shield from some ally sheet to protect the driveshaft gaiter, I wasn't worried about the old ball joint as the arms were being scrapped.
9. After splitting the ball joint, the bolts through the bushes can be removed and the lower arm carefully prized out of the subframe. It will come out but be careful as the spring in it and the bushes will trap fingers. I found it easiest to remove the rear mount first and the circular one last.
10. Fitting the new arms is the reverse of removal. I suggest leaving the protective plastic cap that comes on the new ball joint in place for as long as possible. The rubber cover on ball joints can be fairly easily damaged and would then potentially be an MoT fail. I also found that it was best to mount the single bolt circular bush first, then the ball joint in the hub carrier and then the larger 2 bolt rear bush. To get the ball joint pin in the bottom of the hub carrier, the new arm has to be levered down and that is where a lever tool (again one shown on video) comes in useful. It could probably be done with a pry bar but easier with the tool? I found one on e bay for just over £30, and it has a resale value or useful for the next suspension arm job on many cars?!
11. Make sure that you use the correct torque settings and carefully support your car. I used to work in industrial safety and find that some very chunky timber baulks come in useful as supports under strengthened chassis points, as well as axle stands where they can be securely placed. The XC70 is heavy!!

[passenger]

Thank you.