Volvo RWD 120-130 Forum

INDEX FOR 10/2025(CURRENT) INDEX FOR 6/2024 120-130 INDEX

[<<]  [>>]


THREADED THREADED EXPANDED FLAT PRINT ALL
MESSAGES IN THIS THREAD




  REPLY TO THIS MESSAGE    PRINT   SAVE 

Problem with control-arm bushing replacement...? 120-130


So I got my upper and lower control arms removed from my 122, then took them to a place and had them blasted and powder-coated. I was very happy with the results of that, so next step was getting brand new bushings pressed in.

I was too afraid to try to rig up something myself for this element of the project, so I took them to a local shop to have it done. Unfortunately I wasn't able to stay and watch the process and had to leave them overnight to pick up the next day.

Well.. today I picked them up and there was a problem with one.. the large bolt that passes through on one of them does not pass through very smoothly at all.. it in fact will not push in by and would take some pounding to get through, which would then make turning on the axis rather stiff. The shop claimed that this was the way the arm came to them, and they had no part in that. I was sceptical, but what could I do to prove my case against them? I don't remember putting the big pins back through with the old bushings to see what kind of alignment they were in. I do remember pounding a little more lightly on one bolt to get it started out that on the other side..

So now I have the arm at home and I'm wondering how much of a problem this is? Would it be totally wrong and unfeasable to put a little pounding on this one pin to get the it through, and drive it this way? It would still pivot under the weight of the car, but, well, it's not up to perfect and good standards in my book. Just knowing that was the way it was would probably bug me.

What can I do... try to fix the bend...? I was also thinking that perhaps the flange of the bushing doesn't have to be seated perfectly and I could forcefully "tap" one side of the bushing out just a little so that it corrects the angle of alignment with the other side's opening...? Any ideas of feedback for me out there on this?

Thanks.








  •   REPLY TO THIS MESSAGE    PRINT   SAVE 

    Problem with control-arm bushing replacement...? 120-130

    Hello,

    You can easily align the bushings by placing the arm firmly in a vise on the side of the arm so that only 1 half of the arm is held and the other is hanging out.

    Since you have the arms powder coated you will need to protect the arm somehow.

    You can use the large pivot bolt to tweak the unsupported half the arm to align the bushings.

    FYI, it is highly recommended that you use a little anti-seize on the pivot bolt and on the inside of the bushings.

    --
    Eric
    Hi Performance Automotive Service (formerly OVO or Old Volvos Only)
    Torrance, CA 90502








    •   REPLY TO THIS MESSAGE    PRINT   SAVE 

      Problem with control-arm bushing replacement...? 120-130



      When you have it in a vise properly... do you just use muscle force on the pivot bolt to move the bushing around enough?










      •   REPLY TO THIS MESSAGE Replies to this message will be emailed.    PRINT   SAVE 

        Problem with control-arm bushing replacement...? 120-130

        I would clamp the BOLT in the vise and handle the A-frame by hand!
        Also, when installing, I would grease the bolt very well for its whole length and also the hole in the crossmember. You want to not allow space for water to intrude.

        See what being "too afraid" brought you!
        I'm more afraid of the guys who don't have time to take care of things right.
        --
        George Downs, Bartlesville, Heart of the USA!








      •   REPLY TO THIS MESSAGE    PRINT   SAVE 

        Problem with control-arm bushing replacement...? 120-130

        Whatever it takes to line things up. Also these are rubber bushing so they distort anyway. BTW if the shop bent the control arm, would the powder coating not have shown stress marks? FWIW I have pushed these in using a bench vice. I never let shops do anything but exhaust pipes and machining too many f ups too many times.
        --
        Patrick, '68 220, '92 Eurovan , '53 PD4104 (highway coach conversion).








        •   REPLY TO THIS MESSAGE    PRINT   SAVE 

          Problem with control-arm bushing replacement...? 120-130



          Yah... I thought about trying it myself, but figured a shop would have a proper type of tool with which to do it correctly. I should have just assembled what I needed to try it on my bench vise I guess.

          There are not stress/stretch marks on the a-arm that might indicate that it was bent at the shop.. I was looking for that.

          I'm going to see if I can apply some force to r-aligning the one bushing with the help of the bench vice.

          I do know there is some give to the rubber bushing, so I can drive the bolt through with some grease and a little pounding, but it would satisfy my purist urge to know that it was properly aligned and offered no undo resistance to turning. With the ammount of weight involved on those control-arms, that little bit of force probably wouldn't make a dif in handling, but I wonder if over time the extra force of the bushing on the shaft of the bolt might create a wear pattern or groove in it. Granted, that might take years and years of further use however...

          Thanks for your input all.








          •   REPLY TO THIS MESSAGE    PRINT   SAVE 

            Measure! 120-130

            If the machine shop truly bent up your arm, it would not fit properly on the crossmember. My guess would be that it they would have bent it "closed" and you'd be unable to fit it. Measure the difference between the left and right lower A arms. If one is bent it should be obvious.

            My suspicion is that the bushing is not installed "squarely" in the hole. It should be fine if you can straighten it with the bolt. it would probably right itself after installation and a proper torquing.

            I too, was afraid of replacing those bushings myself. The VClassics article is right to caution the reader about bushing replacement and front springs, but I found that neither task was as dangerous or risky as the article suggested... 'course I *do* seem to have abnormally good luck on some things...

            I found that the lower arms are quite strong and a hand-powered benchtop press from HarborFreight ($40.00) *will* work w/o bending them. It really helps to chamfer the bushings slightly with a grinder wheel, polish and oil the metal bushing sleeve and clean up the receiver with a wire wheel before pressing them t in...








        •   REPLY TO THIS MESSAGE    PRINT   SAVE 

          Problem with control-arm bushing replacement...? 120-130

          I Have used the services of a machine shop to have these bushings pressed in, and I supplied them with the large bolt that goes through the bushings so that that they could check the alignment of the bushings. No problems.

          Bill









<< < > >>



©Jarrod Stenberg 1997-2022. All material except where indicated.


All participants agree to these terms.

Brickboard.com is not affiliated with nor sponsored by AB Volvo, Volvo Car Corporation, Volvo Cars of North America, Inc. or Ford Motor Company. Brickboard.com is a Volvo owner/enthusiast site, similar to a club, and does not intend to pose as an official Volvo site. The official Volvo site can be found here.