Finally got around to buying a set of anti-roll bar bushes for the Fiesta, a job which is now long overdue (hollow knocking from the floorpan at the front over bumps where either suspension moves any distance independently of the other)
Haynes suggest the front subframe has to be dropped to get to the mounting bolts, with all the extra work this entails, but I wondered if anyone has succeeded in doing this job without it? The bushes are genuine Ford items and have a split so they can be popped over the anti-roll bar without disconnecting either end. It's just a question of whether the clamps and bolts are accessible with the subframe in situ. I would have thought that as long as I can get one bolt out of each clamp and the other slackened a few turns, this should be enough to get the clamp open enough to be able to slide the bush out of the clamp, along the anti-roll bar and pull it off.
Any suggestions / advice / experience welcome.
Cheers
DP
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Sorry, meant crossmember not subframe. Still adds about 20 procedures to the job though.
Cheers
DP
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For reference, the answer is no. The clamps are actually quite accessible with the wheels removed, but the rearmost bolt is about a millimetre from the bodywork.
I'm not prepared to go to such lengths to rectify a minor clonking. Will reassess when it gets worse.
Cheers
DP
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DP
It sounds like my MkIV Fiesta is suffering from a similar clonking (rattly hollow light clonking noise esp at low speed over bumps/lumps)....
If you find out if there is an easier way let me know...
I'll have a look at mine at at some point soon, but if you could not find an easy route to replacing front anti roll bar bushes then there is unlikely to be one (esp as Haynes say the same).
When you say 1mm from Bodywork, are you saying no chance of getting a spanner or socket set to it without dropping the whole crossmember?
Will post back some point in the future when I've looked at my Fiesta...
Cheers
S.
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You can get an open end spanner on it, but it has nowhere to go. There is literally a fag paper or two clearance between the top of the bolt and metalwork.
In a flash of inspiration, I even tried removing the front bolt (easy to get at, just needs a stubby extension to clear the steering rack gaiter) and gently levering the free end of the clamp upwards in the hope that I could get enough clearance to slide the bush along the bar towards me, but the clamp runs into the same clearance issues before it's moved enough to clear the lips either side of the bush. I have to concede to Mr. Haynes on this one, I think.
Mine only clonks if I hit a bump affecting one wheel. I can go over a speed ramp "square" with no noise at all, but if I go over the same speed ramp at a slight angle so the suspension compresses on one side slightly before the other, it clonks. Same with drain covers or any other "odd" bumps in the road.
If you suss anything out, I'd be very grateful to hear it.
Cheers
DP
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i covered this last month DP look here.
www.kelsey-forums.co.uk/cgi-bin/cmm/YaBB.pl?num=11...0
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Oldman, you're a star. Looks like I was being too gentle with it. ;-)
I agree with your sentiments exactly. No way I'm dropping a subframe for two poxy bits of rubber!!
Will give it another shot at the weekend.
Cheers
DP
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Yes cheers,
although I'll be sweating a bit when I bend the clamp back...if it snaps then argghhh
Hopefully only a small bend reqd.
If this is a yearly thing is it a job for polyurethane bushes (if available?) - they're supposed to last much longer than normal rubber?
S.
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