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How common is it for the bolts to sheer when replacing the rear anti roll bar bushes? I need to replace mine on my 99 hdi exec but Id like to minimise the hassle of dealing with a sheered off bolt, is it safe to heat those bolts? They are close to the fuel tank, what else can be done to reduce the risk of snapping one off?

Cheers

Matt.

From what I have seen the best thing to do might be to clean off as much rust as possible from the exposed threads then undo the nuts a little before soaking the exposed threads and the back of the nuts with WD40 or your favourite penetrating oil.

I would do this the day before you intend replacing the bushes.

When you undo the nuts keep screwing the nuts back and forth slackening a little bit further each time and soaking more WD40 into the back of the nut and the exposed threads.

Thanks Jasper, have you happened to snap one of these off before? are they accessible without ramps to drill out with left handed bits? i'm just thinking about the worst case.

sorry to butt in, but is it tank out job???

keep getting a "ping" on the rear of car, and changed the droplinks but made no difference
I'm suspecting it's possibly the bushes making this noise?

no worries, I've read that you can just un-clamp the filler neck and move it over to get enough access

Would yours be a D9 since it's HDI? If so, I don't think you have to worry about the fuel tank. On mine, there were 3 studs protruding from the body work over which went a nut. Under the fuel tank down pipe there was normal bolt. The 3 studs weren't a problem. I find heating corroded threads very effective, as corrosion burns off and leaves good metal. Just be patient and work the nut forward a bit, back a little, some more WD40 and wire brush, then forward some more. I got the bolt out most of the way and if I'd been just a little more patient it wouldn't have been a problem. However I hurried things and sheered it off A garage re-tapped it for me, so all is well.

Hi
I replaced my roll bar bushes last year. I would agree with Jasper about soaking the nuts and bolts in wd40 or penetrating fluid a day or so beforehand. I had a bolt that snapped on the drivers side and it was a real pig to get out snapped off a cobalt drill bit but it came out in the end and you don't have to drop the fuel tank out if you take the fuel filer pipe and breather pipe off the fuel tank you will have plenty of room but make sure you don't have much fuel left when you do it!

I would say its a also a good idea to put plenty of copaslip on the bolt threads when you put it all back together. The bushes themselves aren't dear to replace. The ones i took off the car were knackered also replaced the droplinks while i was there.

Yeah mines a D9 ally i'll try the WD40 and patience approach first, would it even be safe to use heat so close to the fuel tank? its a diesel but its still flammable after all

where can i buy some of these bushes from? i had a look on eurocarparts but they have listed the front ones twice and none for the rear

Matt wrote:Yeah mines a D9 ally i'll try the WD40 and patience approach first, would it even be safe to use heat so close to the fuel tank? its a diesel but its still flammable after all

On the passenger side there's loads of space, no real worries of melting anything. On the drivers side I don't think I was able to use heat on the bolt as it was close to meltable objects, on the stud use a low flame pointed away from the tank and it should be ok. Then I am on veg which is hard to ignite with a naked flame, if you blow yourself up don't blame me

lol, if i blow myself up i doubt i'll be in a position to blame anyone

I found that the knocking from the rear of my car was caused by the top links so i decided to replace them with ECP parts following the knowledge base guide and hold back from fitting the new ARB links and bushes, i might get them fitted next time my car is in the garage instead or if i do my brakes in the near future