Front ARB - How on earth!

[Martin.]

How on earth do you do it up!!

Had it off randomly to be powder coated with a load of other bits. Went to re fit it yesterday but gave up after a few hours and with the lack of light.

I've got the ARB in position with the powerflex bushes and brackets in place. Bracket is hooked on the link, but I just cannot clamp the bracket up to the chassis.

The bush needs so much more compression that I can manage just to line the bolt holes up. The Renault bolt is no where near long enough to try and close the gap. Currently starting at about an inch and a half down to a cm when I've used a longer screw to try and clamp it up.

Hoping someone might have some advice or some special techniques to tell me to help me out because I just cannot see how it's possible.

I'm also thinking that the poweder coating of the bar and the bracket may have just been that few extra mm too many. So might look to file the insides of the bushes down a bit.

Any advise will be greatly appreciated.

Cheers

 

[Martin.]

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[bristolnate]

It is a pain in the ass, took me and two other people ages to get it in. Basically brute force and patience!

 

[Dan@SJM]

Lever bar on the floor pan to line it up on the bolt holes and do it up.

 

[Martin.]

It is a pain in the ass, took me and two other people ages to get it in. Basically brute force and patience!

I was trying with my old man for about 3 hours lol. Couldn't see any light at the end of the tunnel!!

Lever bar on the floor pan to line it up on the bolt holes and do it up.

Was trying a chunky chisel to lever it. Helped a little but no where near enough to close it completely. Being under a car on axle stands probably isn't making the job any easier.

I'm more worried about how the bush looks. It's looking quite deformed already and there's still a good cm gap to close still. But Mike said this was normal.

Must be the extra thickness from the powder coating but can't see how it would affect it his much.

 

[bristolnate]

I had it on a ramp with a very long bar and it was hard so I feel your pain mate! I fitted powerflex bushes, this makes it even harder as well!

 

[Martin.]

I had it on a ramp with a very long bar and it was hard so I feel your pain mate! I fitted powerflex bushes, this makes it even harder as well!

Yeah mine are Powerflex too :banghead:

Horrible job lol!

 

[Budgie]

front of the car level?

 

[Martin.]

front of the car level?

On axle stands... Couldn't say if it was perfectly level though...

Would that cause more problems?

Baring in mind that the outer brackets aren't even connected up yet.

 

[Budgie]

Oh, I thought it was the outers you were having problems with.

Yeah, the inners are fiddly f*****s. Lever bar to as close as you can, then mole grips on the brackets is how I did the last set.

Vowed to never again though. Lol. Much easier if you can get the car higher too.

 

[Martin.]

Oh, I thought it was the outers you were having problems with.

Yeah, the inners are fiddly f**kers. Lever bar to as close as you can, then mole grips on the brackets is how I did the last set.

Vowed to never again though. Lol. Much easier if you can get the car higher too.

Axle stands are as high as they can go now.

Will try and put some more effort into it tonight or tomorrow.

If not i'll just leave it off and drive slowly to my mates garage to get on the ramps.

Never known such a s**t job. Ahhhhh

 

[gwalker98uk]

I found it fine when I did it a week or so ago. I did replace it with the standard Renault bushes (my car is stiff enough as it is), are the powerflex ones asymmetrical, like the Renault ones, as that may be the issue i.e. they could be the wrong way up.

 

[Martin.]

I found it fine when I did it a week or so ago. I did replace it with the standard Renault bushes (my car is stiff enough as it is), are the powerflex ones asymmetrical, like the Renault ones, as that may be the issue i.e. they could be the wrong way up.

I've tried them both ways and doesn't make any difference. They're pretty asymmetrical apart from the split on one side. I've now got the split facing up (shown into the pics) into the space so it can push out away from its's footing on compression.

 

[Chip-mk1]

Would you be able to get at it if you used a longer bolt?
Ive seen people do that before to pull it into place, then swap back to the normal one after (keep it in place with grips while you swap over)

 

[Martin.]

Would you be able to get at it if you used a longer bolt?
Ive seen people do that before to pull it into place, then swap back to the normal one after (keep it in place with grips while you swap over)

Exactly what I tried mate

Was hoping to pinch it up, clamp in place then swap bolts. But still didn't seem to work. I got the gap down to just below a cm but couldn't get any further.

The angle starts to become a problem too.

Think I'll try skimming the inside of the bushes and if not leave it off and take to a garage with ramps for more access...

 

[Ph1 Tom]

I cheated, used longer bolts and left them in place

 

[Martin.]

I cheated, used longer bolts and left them in place

Lol was considering this. If I can even get that far though I'd probably try and clamp it up to swap the bolts over.

 

[24JSeymour]

Think i somehow managed get some big eagle beaks in to squeeze it together! Might of put a dab of copper grease on the outer of the bush to help it slide over

 

[Martin.]

Think i somehow managed get some big eagle beaks in to squeeze it together! Might of put a dab of copper grease on the outer of the bush to help it slide over

I'll try for another hour or so tonight.

I was trying with clamps and grease already too.

 

[Coops Mk1]

nightmare job on the car, i usually do it with frame off (its always fallen nicely like that, car in bits proper ) but tbh you should be able to mole grip the side of the clamp and clamp it into pretty much the right location. if your struggling that much there must be something else amiss? got a thicker arb or something and wrong bushes? (are the cup/trophy ARB's thicker?)

 

[mantis946]

I done mine yesterday on the PH1 with powerflex black and can confirm they are an absolute nightmare (And Mine had the subframe off the car !) Basically a 2 person job with a big pair of grips to compress it at the top, throw the bolt in and get a few threads, then adjust the grips to a place where you can tighten up fully. One thing I noticed is there is a notch in one side of the bush, I believe that goes to the bottom for the arm to go under.

 

[Martin.]

nightmare job on the car, i usually do it with frame off (its always fallen nicely like that, car in bits proper ) but tbh you should be able to mole grip the side of the clamp and clamp it into pretty much the right location. if your struggling that much there must be something else amiss? got a thicker arb or something and wrong bushes? (are the cup/trophy ARB's thicker?)

This is what I was thinking. The bushes were the wrong size, they look far too big. But they were the ones that I took off and the ones that Mike Woodford fitted for me originally, so I know they fit lol. However the arb and bracket being powder coated probably aren't making things easier. Even if it's a few mm.

I will succeed lol! Clamps and a big lever is my aim tonight.

I done mine yesterday on the PH1 with powerflex black and can confirm they are an absolute nightmare (And Mine had the subframe off the car !) Basically a 2 person job with a big pair of grips to compress it at the top, throw the bolt in and get a few threads, then adjust the grips to a place where you can tighten up fully. One thing I noticed is there is a notch in one side of the bush, I believe that goes to the bottom for the arm to go under.

There is a minor minor ridge on one top side of the bush. Mine are powerflex purples but shouldn't be different to your blacks. But I've tried the bush both ways anyway and left it in place where it sits best. With the split and ridge on the top side (see pic)

 

[MartinR]

I cheated, used longer bolts and left them in place

And me lol.

I refuse to do them pissing bushes regardless of how much im offered lol

 

[bloke]

I must be the only person who doesn't struggle doing them

 

[Martin.]

All fitted now

 

[JonC219]

Luckily did mine when the subframe was off the car