Anti-roll bar bushes for 1998 V70r

[Yog Sothoth]

My 1998 V70r has failed its MOT because the D-bushes on the anti-roll bar need replacing (the bar is loose). I ordered some online but it turned out they don't fit.
The garage said they can only get hold of a complete bar, bushes included, but it's £170!
Does anyone know a foolproof way to work out the right bushes to buy? There seem to be several different types.

[Clan]

Originally Posted by Yog Sothoth

My 1998 V70r has failed its MOT because the D-bushes on the anti-roll bar need replacing (the bar is loose). I ordered some online but it turned out they don't fit.
The garage said they can only get hold of a complete bar, bushes included, but it's £170!
Does anyone know a foolproof way to work out the right bushes to buy? There seem to be several different types.

The 850 type anti roll bar ( which your car is ) had separate bushes when it was launched in 1992 , but they were so troublesome and noisy that from 1994 they were bonded to the bar and never gave trouble again . Your bushes are 22 years old and have served you well , Unless you want to do the job again in a year or two I would Take Advantage of the complete bar with bonded bushes whilst they are still available , it is a bargain .. maybe fit the turbo one which is a bit stiffer in cornering .

[acshortt5]

Partsforvolvos used to sell repair kits with poly bushes but there are several sizes available so maybe a case of measuring the diameter of the bar accurately using calipers to get the right one.

Just checked and they are still selling them at £34

[tdidave]

Yes.. I can verify what Andrew has said there. I renewed mine on a V70 TDi a couple of years back with parts from Parts for Volvo's Online..

Dave..

[classicswede]

£170 is a lot of money for 2 small bushes

[sdg1970]

Originally Posted by classicswede

£170 is a lot of money for 2 small bushes

Err, it's the complete bar and the bushes. Bargain imo..

[Cookeh]

Oh yeah, spending £170 instead of £35 is the deal of the millennium.

[DaveNP]

Having done those bushes on another car I've owned I'd have a good look at the actual bar where the bushes fit, in my experience the bar was quite corroded too, so the complete bar with bushes may be a better long term solution.

[sdg1970]

Originally Posted by Cookeh

Oh yeah, spending £170 instead of £35 is the deal of the millennium.

The false economy strikes again.... 🥴 🙄

[Cookeh]

False economy would apply if there was actually anything wrong with the PU replacement bushes or if they had particularly short shelf-lives. In almost all reported cases the PU bushes last in excess of five years (if not closer to ten).

You'd have to replace the PU bushes 4.5 times to reach the same cost as the bar itself. Assuming that the Volvo bar with vulcanised bushes last another 22 years, that would still make the bar the false economy - not the other way round. That's before we consider the likelihood of the majority of current owners still having the exact same car in 22 years time.

This only gets heightened when you consider the increased labour (and so cost) involved in replacing the full bar relative to changing just the bushes.

If your bar is knackered then fair enough, £170 is not bad for a full arb (though at that price you're getting very close to upgraded performance arb pricing). The likelihood of the bar having anything wrong with it at all beyond some light coating peel is highly unlikely though.