Front Wishbone Bolts (BX)

jeremy · Post by **jeremy** » Fri Sep 22, 2006 4:50 pm

How easy is it to get them out? My front bushes need replacing and I have the bits which I'm sure I can fit by fair means or foul. My question is am how difficult is it to get the big bolt attaching the things to the chassis out?

I have good tools but not the slide hammer shown in Haynes - and of course the things have been in there for years.

Cornishbx16v · Post by **Cornishbx16v** » Fri Sep 22, 2006 4:58 pm

when i did mine it was a case undo the inner nut and using a suitable bar lever it out and then it simply slid out!! worht dropping a bit of copper slip on it when you drop it abck in to make it easier if you need to do it again!

ken newbold · Post by **ken newbold** » Fri Sep 22, 2006 7:14 pm

Some wil come out easily, while others can be a pig to get out.

You may have to use spacers behind the nut in order to extract the bolt. If you get my drift.

Kitch · Post by **Kitch** » Fri Sep 22, 2006 7:24 pm

I had one look at mine and walked away.

If that helps?

jeremy · Post by **jeremy** » Fri Sep 22, 2006 7:50 pm

Kitch - that has been my reaction so far - it has the look of a job that could take for ever - the thing seems about 18 inches long and - at 1/4 inch a time thats 72 movements and at 5 per hour . . . . which is why I haven't done it.

Real problem I suppose is will the right nut come off - then can I persuade it to come forward - and as Tim says - it will probably slide out. My luck is that I'll have to pull it out like Ken did - so I'd better make sure I've got some old water pipe or something handy as spacers.

Quoted £309 for a cambelt prior to MoT today! So you know what I'm doing over the weekend - fortunately someone has left the bottom cover off (round the bottom pulley) so I won't have to remove it or the pulley.

ken newbold · Post by **ken newbold** » Fri Sep 22, 2006 8:04 pm

If the back nut comes off, you could use it as a locknut onto the front one and keep turning untill it gives up and comes out.
Some come out so easily it's untrue.

£309 for a cambelt

better tell my bro in law, his clutch link snapped today on his Xantia, Leeds morning rush hour traffic came to a standstill

so fitted a new one this afternoon but it definatley needs a new clutch. Very unpleasant job while they're away on holiday, cant imagine how much your people would charge, 97 td Xant estate.

Geoffrey Gould · Post by **Geoffrey Gould** » Fri Sep 22, 2006 8:19 pm

Hi have tried to get mine out with a very large slide hammer, one I made for removing bus wheel hubs so not a toy, no luck, the local cit independent as a last resort smacks them backwards and then cuts them off bit by bit.
Cheers and good luck.
Geoff.

citroen7 · Post by **citroen7** » Fri Sep 22, 2006 11:05 pm

the secret is to get the inner nut loose first if you give the inner nut a good soaking the day before but leave the outer one dry then fit spanner on inner nut and let it jam aganst the bodywork put socket on outer nut and siply crack it loose , once loose move it back and forth to loosen the bolt before continuing to undo.
if you have access to a press new bushes can be fitted in 5 minutes, failing that stick the new ones in the freezer overnight and cut the old ones out with a hack saw then push the new ones in using a vice

ken newbold · Post by **ken newbold** » Fri Sep 22, 2006 11:14 pm

citroen7 wrote:the secret is to get the inner nut loose first if you give the inner nut a good soaking the day before but leave the outer one dry then fit spanner on inner nut and let it jam aganst the bodywork put socket on outer nut and siply crack it loose , once loose move it back and forth to loosen the bolt before continuing to undo.
if you have access to a press new bushes can be fitted in 5 minutes, failing that stick the new ones in the freezer overnight and cut the old ones out with a hack saw then push the new ones in using a vice

or threaded bar.

citroen7 · Post by **citroen7** » Fri Sep 22, 2006 11:21 pm

of course ken but that is the easy way, us ex servicemen have had it drummed into our heads always do things the most comlicated way!!

Jaba · Post by **Jaba** » Sat Sep 23, 2006 8:19 am

I have done about 6 of the things. Its a job worth doing if they are old or worn. The steering and stability is always improved and some of those vibrations that wheel balancing does not cure will disappear too.

They all came out pretty easily for me - using the front nut to extract and/or wind it out. You can even use the new bushes as spacers if needed.

With no weight on the wishbone the bolt can sometimes just turn round and round. If some weight is applied then the front nut can be used to extract the bolt initially.

AndersDK · Post by **AndersDK** » Sat Sep 23, 2006 1:56 pm

I'd say have a go no worries.

They are amazingly easy to deal with. Guess its because the bolt is still moving a bit together with the control arm's excursions.
As said by others : remove rear nut and the rest comes out pretty easy.

The real entertaining part is when you remove the old rubber bushings.

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Front Wishbone Bolts (BX)

Front Wishbone Bolts (BX)

Front wishbone bolts.