Rear bushes bolt seized...

[johnsbegood]

hi guys, came to do my sisters rear bushes this morn and having trouble removing the rear mount through bolt and nuts basically because they have rusted and perished. can i remove the 4 bolts holding the bush mount onto the car or will i struggle to put these back on and tighten up?
the mount through bolts a knackered so have ordered new from the stealers.

 

[ScubaSteve]

You can remove the 4 bolts Infact that's the recommended ford tis method. Be aware when you put it back on only do them up loose then put the car down and tighten them up fully otherwise the beam may be out of align

 

[johnsbegood]

You can remove the 4 bolts Infact that's the recommended ford tis method. Be aware when you put it back on only do them up loose then put the car down and tighten them up fully otherwise the beam may be out of align

excellent thanks Steve. what i was going to do is support axle while car chassis is on stands, loose the wheels, undo the 4 bolts both sides, drop jack on axle to lower the bushes down then hacksaw the offending through nuts and bolts out, remove bush housing, do the bush and replace with powerflex, mount housing over new bush and tuse new through bolt and nut and do up tightish but still allow housing to swivel then jack up axle and locate 4 holes for the 4 mount bolts to go intodo up tightish, then pop wheel on lower to groung then tighten up ths 4 bolts??? and then through nut and bolt??

sound ok?

 

[ScubaSteve]

Yeah sounds fine

 

[jacko]

i wouldnt undo the mounting bracket.....chances of rounding a bolt / them being stuck are just as good the one your strugging with but if it goes wrnt the cost is much greater

take it to a garage and get them to heat the stuck bolts and crack the nuts, throw them a couple of quid and take it home to do the rest....itl take them minutes!!

 

[JonB]

Good idea jacko, I did round one off doing it the bracket way. My tried and trusted 1/2" socket and hammer method got me out of the doo though.

 

[johnsbegood]

the four bracket bolts are in good condition but the through bolt head thats the 15mm part is absolutley buggered. i put on a 15mm socket (squeezing it by the exhaust) and it rounded off immediatley. :evil:
think i'll slap the breaker bar on and have a go at the mount bracket bolts and see how i get on. if they start slipping off over the bolt heads then i'll rethink. just a shame the bolts and nuts are so knackered and rusted!
might have a go at the "stick on the 19mm ring spanner and smack it with the hammer" approach on the through nut before attempting the bracket bolts.
i've done plenty of seized nuts and bolts, even the classic VW pinch nut and bolt fitted at the top of the hub carrier on passats and a4's that seize solid in the hub carrier.
thanks for the input though guys!

 

[quest63]

I did take off the axle with the brackets to do mine and got away with it. Just a warning though those bracket bolts are a fortune from Fords i.e. £40 for the set of 8 so this should be taken into account as well. In the end I just treated cleaned and painted my originals.

 

[Ian G]

Good luck, check the spanner bend on the 19s :lol:

 

[ScubaSteve]

The bracket bolts are far less torque than the beam bolts 50 odd as opposed to 120 or something. It's also easier to get a breaker bar going on the mounts in my experience they come off fairly easy. It's true they are a fortune to replace though, so 35 quid for 8

 

[ScubaSteve]

Ian is that yours or stes Sex face :lol:

 

[Ian G]

Yeah that's me on the job.

Is 35 quid the dealer price? They're just self locating high tensile standard things aren't they? Can't remember.

 

[ScubaSteve]

Yeah dealer price they are just high tensile with some sort of washer

 

[johnsbegood]

Well if I get a breaker bar on the bracket bolts and it starts to slip then I'll leave it. What's it like to get the bolt out on the drivers side as I did notice the back box of the exhaust is very close to it? Does it just skid past it?

 

[Ian G]

I've done them before with everything in place, bit more awkward but there's still room. Although I generally prefer spanners to sockets.

 

[ScubaSteve]

 

[johnsbegood]

What's the betting there made in china for about 20p each. Lol
Not looking forward to this job but the bushes are absolutely knackered. I wobbled the wheel earlier and u could see the axle moving all over the place and pivoting on the bushes. Now I'm no expert but surely they shouldn't be moving the axle if any at all?!
Then I just have to sort the door ajar light on in the dash. :|

 

[ScubaSteve]

The rubber will naturally have a bit of give but.not excessive and certainly no knocking noises

 

[pipcars]

Mine are the same lol Will be doing mine asap.

 

[Severio]

I done mine just before xmas as my bushes had worn so badly the rear of the car had started to drop on one side!
I used a bush tool an done it on car with plenty of heat available!!! Managed to pick the tool up on ebay for about 30 quid but there pretty easy to mock up yourself..