Fabia wishbone bush replacement DIY Guide

[pyromorph]

I have found it to make it Very uncomfortably Boomy to my ears at low revs forcing me to make each gear change higher up(above 2,300rpm) to avoid this loud noise and it's causing my more gear changes.

That's interesting, I've just installed the Seat Cupra Bushes and I get the "boom" before 1500 rpm, which I never did before. It's really loud... and I've had to change my driving style to work around it. Either there was an issue before and now I can hear it .. or the Seat Ibiza has the boom engineered out somewhere else..

[nonspacial]

hello,

so i've read this whole thread and am no wiser to how the *&$% i am supposed to refit the new front bush to my wishbones, i am told that i need a special 'Bush Tool' which is specific to that particular bush and make... and i am also told that one of these could be as much as £90-160, which is ludicrous.

My 2000 Fabia is now on axel stands with the left wheel and wishbone removed and no bush in said wishbone. the posts end in April so i hope someone still reads this that can help me?

I have already mangled one bush attempting to use my neighbours vice and copper ease, and i can't afford the wishbones themselves.

I either need a quick mock up solution or if anyone might be in the Maidstone, Kent area that has this tool that i may borrow? My fingers are most definately crossed but my hope is dwindling, with no drivable car i'm not goin anywhere fast.

[BlackFR]

Hi There

Order up the VW lube mentioned in the first post and get some substantial bits of tin and fashion them to roughly the right shape as shown in the first post, it only needs to be roughly the correct shape. Your local cromwell tools will have the high tensile bolt which you can poke through the middle a and use to wind the assembly in. From the couple I have tried the lube used is quite critical in making it all go together easily. Good luck with it.

m.

[nonspacial]

cool tyvm

[BlackFR]

Are you putting the cupra bushes or the standard ones back in?

If the cupra ones did your initial attempt mash up the console at all?

The ratchet strap for pulling the wishbone back in the console in a must too

[pyromorph]

The ratchet strap for pulling the wishbone back in the console in a must too

If you don't use the right lube, you could ruin the ratchet straps.. I went through 3 (old ones.. but decent none the less). In the end I used pure Silicon grease and it went in no problem. It's a tight fit.

[fatty-arbuckle]

If anybody has the washers/spacers and HT bolt for fitting the bush, ill give good money them!!!

A car in bits is no fun at all!

[opentoideas]

Hi there,

this is probably a stupid question but this is not the kind of job you want to get half way through and find you have the wrong parts

the powerflex site shows the bushes as only for 02-05 Fabia's - is that correct? or out of date?? as mine is an 06 I wanted to be sure before ending up with a pile of bits on the floor

can anyone confirm if all of the parts listed in the first post are correct for an 06 TDI estate?

from serching other posts it looks like these are correct for all Fabia I including mine so i think i am good to go

thanks for your help

Edited 13 June, 2010 by opentoideas

[opentoideas]

just wanted to post a thank you to the OP and those that have added to this thread.

job done and all sorted. didnt use the sugested tool but removed the console to allow the bush to be easily pressed in from the other side which makes the allignment easier and also replaced the ball joint since i was in there anyway.

thanks for a very helpfull how to guide

[tiggr]

Hi all

Thanks for the super guide helped loads, just done this to mine and steering feels so much more positive but have to say the vibration at low rpm will have to live with for the improvement in steering, the ratchet strap idea is pure genius would never have got the arm back in without it, thanks again to the person who made this guide :p :p :p

[franv8]

Just wanted to say thanks for this guide, really useful.

Did the job on Sciencebird's vRS, using the latest stock Fabia bushes, I was looking to do the Seat ones but the parts guy at Skoda said they'd been modded (see below if I've been able to add pics) - I figured these did away with the risk of boom, since the car does a lot of miles in the year.

Old ones lasted 80k, so not too bad really. I made a couple of changes to how I did it vs the guide, used copperslip on the bush - I'm not worried about it turning or shifting about. I also used coperslip on quite a few other threads, including the front wishbone bolt (it is threaded into the aluminium console and people here say they've had it seize) and the wheel bolts too.

Last mod I'll mention - be careful when marking up the balljoint - you need to mark the cast part of the balljoint where it meets the wishbone, this is what keeps/sets the geometry, if you just mark the bolts you'll achive nothing. Handling is exactly as it was before.

[imp]http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l68/franv8/Fabia%20Bits/SkodaBrakesBush_20100827_0779.jpg[/img]

[imp]http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l68/franv8/Fabia%20Bits/SkodaBrakesBush_20100827_0778.jpg[/img]

[imp]http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l68/franv8/Fabia%20Bits/SkodaBrakesBush_20100827_0763.jpg[/img]

[imp]http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l68/franv8/Fabia%20Bits/SkodaBrakesBush_20100827_0759.jpg[/img]

[imp]http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l68/franv8/Fabia%20Bits/SkodaBrakesBush_20100827_0757.jpg[/img]

[imp]http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l68/franv8/Fabia%20Bits/SkodaBrakesBush_20100827_0756.jpg[/img]

[imp]http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l68/franv8/Fabia%20Bits/SkodaBrakesBush_20100827_0753.jpg[/img]

[imp]http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l68/franv8/Fabia%20Bits/SkodaBrakesBush_20100827_0751.jpg[/img]

[Andy1985]

Does anyone know what size the thread is for the 18mm horizontal bolt that goes through the front wishbone bush?

Mine had seized and snapped off in the console itself. Managed to remove the console and get the rest of the bolt out but need to re-tap the threads if possible as still has bits of bolt in, otherwise it's going to be the cost of a new console.

Car is currently on axle stands, DOH :S !

[pagh]

Have just bought the Cupra bushes. Wanted the std. ones as they are easier to fit, but the parts-guy adviced me to fit the cupra ones.

Will be fitting them thursday, and i will be using Hauptmann`s method of removing the console as well.

Just for info; i paid 172 DKK (£20] per bush at a Skoda dealer here in Denmark. Quite expensive, but thats life in DK.

[rubadubdub]

Has anyone fitted the powerflex bushes rather than the cupra ones. From the guide on www.powerflex.co.uk they look much easier but if its no different i'll get the cupra ones.

Also is there any change in road noise/vibration with the powerflex ones?

Thanks

[dlp]

Having now changed a few of these front suspension bushes (2 Polos, 2 Fabias and a SEAT Ibiza) my honest opinion now is that its easier to do it with the console removed.

To remove the console (takes about 15 mins):

1. Undo the 3x 13mm AF bolts holding the wishbone to the lower balljoint.

2. Remove the wishbone front bush bolt (18mm AF bolt which fits horizontally).

3. Remove 2x 16mm bolts holding console assy to chassis

4. Remove 2x 13mm bolts holding front ARB saddle clamp to console assy.

5 Remove 2x 18mm bolts holding console to chassis

The console assy then just pulls free.

Cutting out the old rear bushes is then dead easy, as is fitting the new Cupra ones since you can do it in a vice with easy access. Pushing the arm into the new Cupra bushes is also dead easy - just put the console on the floor with the bush facing upwards and simply push the hex pin on the arm into the bush - it goes in easily and without breaking sweat! Then simply fit the console complete with wishbone.

I am doubtful of the benefit of replacing the front arm bushes with Powerflex items. The OE items seem as hard as iron (probably harder that the polyurethane bushes!) and even on one car with over 100k were totally without deterioration. I did replace them as a matter of course though (they are only �3.95+VAT from AVS VW Spares). With the console out its also dead easy to replace the ARB bushes, they are only a couple of pounds each.

Can anyone advise what the torque settings are for the above bolts.

Edited 26 November, 2010 by dlp

[dlp]

Can you advise what the torque settings are for these bolts.

[Gogboy]

Fantastic read, and very helpful.

But could anyone let me know what diameter the rear wishbone bushes are?

Recently stripped down my car to replace the bushes, and found the rear diameter of the aluminium housing to be 55mm, whereas the bush I had sourced was 60mm.

The bushes had a plastic cup that the rubber was cast into, and I was wondering if you take this off at all or leave it on as you press the bush in?

I want to make absolutely sure that I get the right part before I cut the old bushes out.

Cheers!

[pyromorph]

The bushes had a plastic cup that the rubber was cast into, and I was wondering if you take this off at all or leave it on as you press the bush in?

The plastic cup is part of the bush, don't remove it.. The "cupra" bushes don't have the cup around them and are solid all the way through. There are two types of plastic cup bushes, the original where the rubber is only attached on two sides, and the X-bush which I've not yet seen but I believe are the recommended replacements.

Thanks,

Phil.

[RADIOTWO]

[

Parts required:

1 Set Powerflex bushes - Part No PFF85-601

Making your Bush fitting tool:

.This consists of an M12 x 150 long high tensile set screw, 2No M12 washers and 2No M12 nuts. These are readily available from your local hardware shop or Fixings supplier.

You will also need to get a friendly local engineering shop to make the large spacers for you. I managed to get all 4 spacers made in return for a 20 bottle crate of Stella.

The spacers are 8mm thick with a 12.5mm dia hole in the centre. You will need 2No @ 61mm dia and 2No @ 71mm dia.

Procedure:

Why do we need four spacers (two of each) ?

Radiotwo

[Arj256]

Also wondered why we need two of each spacer?

And what is the tolerance for the 71mm Diameter Spacer? Would I get away with 70mm?

[pyromorph]

Just a little warning... I've done two sets of these and both times I've hit a few "issues". The friction fit between the bush and the housing is very tight. You

must

make sure that the housing and the bush are

spot-less

.. no grit etc... It has to be smooth, and the housing very well greased. I actually snapped a 12" carver clamp on the first job trying to get the bush in. The second job involved two pieces of muck the size of sugar grains getting dragged into the housing on the bush. The Cupra buses are hard as nails. It caused the bush to go in slightly out of line (wasn't noticeable until it was too late). I ended up taking off the console mount and getting the bush burnt out with a blow torch... took about 20 minutes to burn the bush out. The housing then needed to be reamed afterward.

I have to say, it's much easier to take the console mount out completely and do it on a bench. Be careful if you decide to take off both console mounts at the same time as the sub frame becomes loose and some of the bolts you have to undo hold the steering rack in. Safest way is to do one at a time.

Thanks.

Phil.

[hjg]

Also wondered why we need two of each spacer?

And what is the tolerance for the 71mm Diameter Spacer? Would I get away with 70mm?

Does anyone know why 2 of each size - post 1 only states to fit one of each size to the HT draw-bolt??

[hjg]

When removing the old rear bush would it not be possible to use the 'inserting tool' (small spacer) and a suitable ~70mm bore tube to pull the old bush out??

[vrsfab]

When removing the old rear bush would it not be possible to use the 'inserting tool' (small spacer) and a suitable ~70mm bore tube to pull the old bush out??

I think that would work if you had a long enough bolt.

[cav-mad-gav]

Can anyone comfirm and repost all the correct torque settings for doing this the way of removing the consol houseingsub frame and any pictures of how best to do this?

many thanks