Front control arm bushes

[ssopho]

Failed mot yesterday front control arm bushes the rear ones in aluminum housing have perished, also front wishbone bush.

Purchased new ones from vw, will be attempting to do this weekend and was hoping you guys would be able to offer some advice regarding removal of complete wishbones and replacing bushes.

I remember reading a post on here a while back regarding this but searched and cannot find. Passenger side is harder due to a bolt not being easily removed????

any help would be very much appreciated.

thanks.

[martin1810]

Do you mean both wishbone bushes. One is in the wishbone and the other comes as a separate bracket with the bush installed. You will need a good vice or a press to get the wishbone bush in and out. Sometimes the bracket/bush needs a press to get it on and off, other times brute force is good enough. If you need some details send me an email address.

[ssopho]

Hi Martin

Yes both wishbone bushes. I have 2 rubber bushes, and 2 brackets ally with bushes pre installed. I cannot send you a pm not enough posts.

Seems i need to remove wishbones of car complete, but read on here that the passenger side wishbone is not easily removed??? cannot find thread?.

Just wanted to fully sure whats required before i start.

Thanks Martin

[martin1810]

In theory you should not just remove the rear bracket/bush. You should use some studs to keep its alignment spot on when you remove the bolts. I don't think many people bother but it could effect steering alignment. DSG and automatics are more difficult. With the manual car it's just a case of nuts and bolts.

[bigrich1]

Changed my wishbone bushes late last year. Once the undertray is removed and car on stands, Wishbone removal is a doddle - unbolt 3 nuts securing the bottom balljoint and then remove the single front bolt and the bolts securing the alloy block. To ensure alignment I scribed around the alloy block onto the chassis before removal...then realign on refitting - no issues found with this method.

As Martin says, the front bushes in the wishbone need some encouragement to be removed from their home! (hacksaw, sockets and a good vice did it for me)...then a light washing up liquid solution to lube the rubber bush before pressing back in (start of at an angle when pressing in, it then straightens up during fitting.

About 3 hours for me (if I recall correctly)....and in Haynes speak about a '3 spanner job'

ATB

Rich

[ssopho]

Thank you all for your advice, on further investigation i now know the removal issue.
My car is a DSG so removing passenger side wishbone requires either the subframe to be lowered to allow room for the single front wishbone bolt or the ebgine to be lifted to allow the bolt room withdraw completely.

A little worried about subframe lowering as im doing this on the floor with axel stands so not much work room below, will look into maybe gearbox mounting removal and jack up slightly to allow more room.

Will post picks and how to if succesfull.