Getting ready to replace these. Tested the through bolts and they both turn (Whew!). Can somebody (or somebodies) give me the bullet points of what I should know before I tackle this job. Are there things that should be reinforced? Can the bushings (standard IPD metal-clad rubber, not poly) be pressed out/in with a big C clamp and sockets or do I have to go to a machine shop? Should I go with poly instead?

Did the uppers some time ago (poly), but they squeak until they get warm, so I may take them apart at the same time? Can/should they be lubed? What with?

Thanks for any hints you can offer.

Rubber for stock springs + mediocre tyres, but poly uppers might be a very marginal improvement under heavy braking.

Poly everything for stiff springs + sticky tyres.

I don't know what the lower A arms look like on your model, but on 140's, the lower control arm is prone to fail starting at the swaybar pickup using a 22mm swaybar and stock springs. I beef mine up.

I used a big c-clamp from harbor freight (ball joint service kit). worked fine. As you pointed out, if the bolts turn, you are home free.

Dean

You can reinforce the front and rear brackets for the lower control arm bolts by perimeter welding the brackets to the crossmember.

I always clean out the tubes and used some anti-seize on the shoulders of the bolts.

The Volvo tool for pressing the lower bushings out and in is basically a large C clamp, but it is a thick and strong C clamp and the regular style of C clamps are too weak so I would go to a machine shop to have the bushings pressed.

The most important step when changing the lower control arm bushings is tightening the nuts properly. You only want to fully tighten the nuts with the weight the car on the wheels. If you tighten the nuts with the suspension hanging you will be damaging the bushings.

IPD sells AquaLube to lubricate poly bushings and that green stuff is the best AFAIK for poly bushings. I like the stuff so much, I buy it in 16oz tubes.
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Eric
Hi Performance Automotive Service (formerly OVO or Old Volvos Only)
Torrance, CA 90502

Just Googled "Aqualube," and it seems there's an intimate bedroom product with the same name. Don't want' order the wrong stuff. Reminds of my days in the motorcycle industry when I came around the corned at a trade show to find a giant sign that read "ANALUBE." It was supposed to be pronounced "Anna- Lube," but in all caps, on a big sign, it sure looked like something different. The company quickly changed the name of the product.

I keep forgetting that they changed the name, possibly for the reason you insinuated to a name which I think is not much better.

The product is now called "Aqua Shield".
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Eric
Hi Performance Automotive Service (formerly OVO or Old Volvos Only)
Torrance, CA 90502