Volvo RWD 200 Forum

INDEX FOR 2/2026(CURRENT) INDEX FOR 12/2002 200 INDEX

[<<]  [>>]


THREADED THREADED EXPANDED FLAT PRINT ALL
MESSAGES IN THIS THREAD




  REPLY TO THIS MESSAGE    PRINT   SAVE 

installing rear bushing kit,how difficult to do,would i need special tools? 200

i notice fcp grotn has a kit for sale for$ 70..my 89 240 with 290,000 miles is making some clunking noises in the rear and i think i know what that means,but will i need any thing that only the professional mechanic has in order to do the job?blessings,kris








  •   REPLY TO THIS MESSAGE    PRINT   SAVE 

    installing rear bushing kit,how difficult to do,would i need special tools? 200

    Not simple, not quick, and yes you need some special tools. But do-able and saves a slug of shop labour cost.

    Dave Shannon's excellent website used to have a section on rear bushing replacement but it seems to have evaporated. In there he described his unhappy experience with Scan-Tech rear TAB bushings - they wore out very quickly, which is a huge frustration given all the effort to replace them. He recommends that when buying from FCPGroton you specify that the bushings must be BOGE (OE supplier). This doesn't cost much more, and given the time (if you do it) or labour cost (if a shop does it), it's peanuts.

    here's a home built tool page:
    http://www-ese.fnal.gov/People/wilcer/volvo_trailing_arm_bushing_tool.htm

    and the URL of a previous thread here about this job:
    http://www.brickboard.com/RWD/index.htm?id=671853&show_all=1
    --
    Bob (son's 81-244GL B21F, dtr's 83-244DL B23F, 'my' 94-944 B230FD; plus grocery-getter Dodge minivan, hobbycar 77 MGB, and a few old motorcycles)








  •   REPLY TO THIS MESSAGE    PRINT   SAVE 

    installing rear bushing kit,how difficult to do,would i need special tools? 200

    You will need a strong hydrolic press to push out the old and in the new bushings. Also if you look at the IPD.com web site or their catalog they show a special tool for the part of the job. I put in the front set on 2 different 240's and my friend had the press. It does make a big difference in the feel and handling with the new bushings in!! But it is a job however,and in my opinion also well worth it.








  •   REPLY TO THIS MESSAGE    PRINT   SAVE 

    installing rear bushing kit,how difficult to do,would i need special tools? 200

    At 290k miles, you are probably due for pretty much all of your rear end bushings, and this may be the second replacement for the lower control arm bushings. They are the first to fail.

    No special skills are required but it is a tough job AND you need a special tool to press the lower control arm bushing out of the brackets on the axle. You can buy one (not cheap) or you can make one from common plumbing parts if you have a drill and a grinder. This was the job I used to justify buying the bench grinder I have wanted for years. Search this archive for instructions and pictures on how to build the tool. Tip: When the instructions say to use a Grade 8 bolt - believe them. If you cannot find a grade 5 or 8 bolt that size, buy several because you will twist standard bolts in two. - Oh, yeah, you need a long 'breaker' bar and 6-point sockets.

    For the other bushings, you can take the arms off the car to get to the bushings, so you can take them to any shop with a hydraulic press and have them pressed out, or you can buy a hydraulic press (cheap one at Harbor Freight is about $125, or you can build tools similar to the one you built for the lower control arm bushing and press them out. On my first car, I built the smaller tools. On my second car, I bought a press; MUCH easier.

    Whatever you do, you will use up a whole Saturday and buy some new tools the first time you do one of these.

    One last tip: DON'T grease the new bushings to make them press in easier. I did that stupid move and two of my bushings worked their way back out over the first year.

    One more tip: Let the weight down on the rear wheels before you tighten the bolts. Otherwise, if you tighten the bushings and then let the car down, you are twisting the rubber part of the bushing, using it as a helper spring. That will shorten the life of your bushings.








    •   REPLY TO THIS MESSAGE    PRINT   SAVE 

      installing rear bushing kit,how difficult to do,would i need special tools? 200

      I wonder if it's possible to cut the old bushing and metal sleeve in pieces with a hachsaw and pry them out. If your bushings are poly not rubber, the metal sleeve is not needed any more. Am I right?
      --
      1994 944NA 100K miles








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

        installing rear bushing kit,how difficult to do,would i need special tools? 200

        It is possible, but you still face the problem of installing the new ones. With The Tool you have a perfect instrument for both removing and installing. It does not take much time making the TAB tool. I put some pictures up on my site showing how I made mine, but they don't really add any information that isn't already on the "official" tool site.

        Erling.
        --
        My 240 Page







<< < > >>



©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.