TD4 - Front bushes

Using the Bank Holiday to do a full pre-winter service,
I carried out a fluid and filter service yesterday and then started on replacing a worn suspension ball joint

Figured I would do both sides and replace the drop links and all the bushes at the same time - so took delivery of all the items I needed during the week


First off, fitted new drop links to the anti-roll bar - relatively easy

then tried to get the ball joint undone - rounded !!
- cut thru the nut with an angle grinder - no need to remove driveshaft nut etc.

Removed the bolts and took out the lower suspension arm

Drilled out the ball joint rivets and lined up the new balljoint (several very good drill bits and some grinding - sounds easier than it was)

Turned my attention to the bushes - opened the pack of brand new Flo-Flex bushes ......

...... and.......

.......they don't fit !!!! :doh:

Enough for one day, dinner and a cold beer

Tomorrow I shall take some measurements and pictures

to be continued....

Having had a nights rest, a fresh approach

The Flo-flex bushes fit - sort of.

The front arm bush - make sure the metal carrier comes out with the old bush.
My puller had only taken out the rubber and centre tube - but not the outer thin metal tube which left me with a reduced inner diameter.
So, it looked like the new bush wouldn't go in - until I split and removed that outer tube

Now,
the front arm, rear bush carrier is a different story.
There is a step on one end that the old bush locates against,
and,
this has to be opened up (cut away) to allow the flo-flex bush to be inserted - and the old large end washer then re-used to tighten against the bush.

here are a couple of pics of the bush carrier as I started to grind away the step:-

Not too sure what these bushes will do to your ride quality as the standard ones are fairly compliant. It might be worth your while sourcing a set of secondhand standard good ones from your local scrappy in case it doesn't work out.
p.s. you can use the earlier types fitted to R-plate models (diesel or petrol) etc. as long as you drift out the locating pin. I did this on mine initially as a stop gap but it's worked out so well, I've decided to stick with them.
Your housings look quite dented etc. & I'm not sure how well it'll all go with them flo-flex ones.

Oh, & I know only too well how "easy" it is to drill out these bloody balljoints. Better to buy a new arm with new front bushes already pressed in as I found out (though I guess your drilling yours out & fitting flo-flex there as well)

Good luck.

Housings actually not as bad as they look in pic
....that "denting" is actually after I started grinding the step out and realised I hadn't taken a photo
cleaned them up and pressed the new bushes in.
They are late 2000 on a TD4 with the locating pin

I admit that at one point I thought it would have been better to just buy the complete arms but, having fitted the bolt in ball joints, I can now change them out easily in the future

Figured as I was gonna have it apart I may as well change the bushes and went with the recommendations by folks on here - after much reading I ordered the Flo-flex. Did the whole lot - bought front end kit, both arm bushes and roll bar bushes

The existing bushes seemed virtually perfect when examined after stripping, but they were 10 years old, so no harm in replacing

On the road result:-
like a new car,
no more banging from the knackered ball joint and all "bounce judder" gone from steering.