S60 Suspension: Wishbone removal / replacement tips ?

[Thassos]

Hi,

Im due to remove the wishbones on my S60 to either replace the front bush or the whole 'bone'. Im aware that you musnt pull the driveshaft out (and that the driveshaft bolt needs to be removed to avoid this) to avoid the dreaded ball bearing dropped out inside the CV joint problem, but I have a couple of questions, if youve done this before you might know the answer ?

1) The front bush is under torsion when the suspension strut is fully extended when the car is jacked up, so im assuming getting the wishbone out might be easier than getting it back in,.? Question is, how far out can the strut move? and do you have to completely slide the driveshaft spline out of the hub assy in order to make space above the wishbone to allow it to be re-installed? Seems to me that to get the 2x long bolts in that hold the front bush the wishbone would have to be horizontal ? Whereas if youre trying to get the front bolts in with the wishbone at the 'down' angle that its in when the threads in the new bush/bone will be at an angle and impossible to locate (or do you have to screw a bolt in from the wheel arch side and lever the bush to get a bolt through the subframe started into the new bush?

2) Is it only the top engine mount that needs un bolting to allow the engine to be jacked up by around 25mm? to put the new bolts into the subframe before tightening them?

Pic attached, hope someone whos done it before can give me some tips !

[chopper_harris]

The front mounting pin is free to rotate within the new Polybush, with minimal drag.
Yes, the original bush would provide some resistance to leveraging the wishbone downward, depending on how degraded the bush was.

This issue goes away with Polybushes.

[Dynosaur]

You know, by far the easiest way to change the wishbone is to remove the hub carrier.
Why ?
Because there's only two extra bolts to undo (the strut bolts) and absolutely no leverage is required, thereby precluding damage to the balljoint boot ... which is particularly vulnerable during leveraged wishbone replacement.

All you need is new strutbolts and a £1 plastic Vernier gauge to reset the strut/carrier.

I had to replace my bottom balljoint because I'd unwittingly slit its rubber boot - and lemme tellya now, the BJ lasts absolutely no time once that boot's cut - and it's about £70 to replace.

Try it and you'll see exactly what I mean by 'a whole lot easier'.
Some people get scared when gauges are mentioned, but you could use the Vernier without reference to the scale - as long as you don't move it before resetting.

[Thassos]

Dynosaur,

Many thanks, totally agree on the risks of damaging the cv boot or the balljoint boot, if you unbolt the strut and remove the hub (or support it to one side assuming the brake hose is still attached), what did you do with the
driveshaft which presumably flopping around might do a nasty with the ballbearings dropping out?. Can you angle this so its supported to the side of the strut while you manouver the wishbone out?

Another thought i had, do you think it would work to put some spring compressors on the strut and compress it so that the wishbone isnt so bent downward before removing it? not sure if theres room to get these on around the coil spring, but perhaps if there was and you did this before jacking the car up such that they held the strut compressed ? probably a flaw in this somewhere but do you think it would work?

With the strut 'unbolt' idea Is it just a case of getting it bolted back in the same position? ive got a digital vernier, so no worries on being able to measure, its just where..

[Dynosaur]

Originally Posted by Thassos

Dynosaur,

Many thanks, totally agree on the risks of damaging the cv boot or the balljoint boot, if you unbolt the strut and remove the hub (or support it to one side assuming the brake hose is still attached), what did you do with the
driveshaft which presumably flopping around might do a nasty with the ballbearings dropping out?.

Get some coat-hanger gauge wire and suspend it from the strut spring.

Originally Posted by Thassos

Can you angle this so its supported to the side of the strut while you manouver the wishbone out?

Another thought i had, do you think it would work to put some spring compressors on the strut and compress it so that the wishbone isnt so bent downward before removing it? not sure if theres room to get these on around the coil spring, but perhaps if there was and you did this before jacking the car up such that they held the strut compressed ? probably a flaw in this somewhere but do you think it would work?

Theoretically, perfectly.
But it's a problem of access.

Invest in a Haynes manual. It tells you where to measure, lists al your torque settings and much else. You're going nowhere fast without it.
A copy of VADIS from eBay will more than pay back the fiver's investment in it.

Originally Posted by Thassos

With the strut 'unbolt' idea Is it just a case of getting it bolted back in the same position? ive got a digital vernier, so no worries on being able to measure, its just where..

Get the manual.