Change all bushes on ARB - correct procedure

[Gis]

I have to renew all bushes on the ARB and do it without a lift. I have ramps but they don’t really help so here is a couple of questions on how do tackle that task in a good way. I’m thinking of using two jacks and prop the car up in front on both sides (with the back wheels securely locked) then remove the wheels, flip the calipers out of the way, remove both wheel hubs and disks (pnm disks so that’s easy, no heat shields) and then compress both springs with compressors to get the ARB to a “neutral” no load state and dismantle it from there. Is that a feasible way or complete no-go? 

[skiing]

As far as I have read a luggage ratchet strap or similar is essential equipment for getting the anti-roll bar back into place (the ends into the lower arms). 

[Gis]

Thanks Henry, I’m trying to avoid having to force it by working the springs instead but that might be wrong thinking. Perhaps not possible to compress the springs to the point of straight exit/insert. 

[910Esprit]

All I do is release the 2 U shaoed brackets with the car still on its wheels, with a jack under the centre of the ARB, not that there is any load on it .   Then jack up car and release trunnion bolts to make more clearance.  Remove 2 nuts from end of ARB & remove.

Reverse procedure to remove.  No special tools required       

[C43]

done it on an S3 and an S2 now and same as above, no need to compress the springs nor take the discs off.

easy job, the only decision is what colour to get the ARB powder coated..

C43

[Gis]

Great. Thank you all. Good advise as always. I’ll try that. 👍

[gvy]

I did this job today.

The car stayed on its wheels, No jacking was done, I worked from beneath the car ( pit). 

I demounted the left fan to clear some space. I then  unbolted the two bushes anti roll bar to chassis, Next the two bolts on the lower wishbone.

Then the anti roll bar came straight out, (no real dangerous tension on it)

I cleaned and sanded the antirollbar. Getting the old bushes ( anti roll bar to chassis) off was a bit of work. Getting the new rubber ones on was even more powerwork; i had to use grease and I used a rubber hammer at some point, but it all worked well. I then repainted the antiroll bar .

So for the center ones I ordered the rubber bushes, but for the bushes anti roll bar to lower wishbone, I ordered  the SJ sportscars PU bushkit.

Reinstalling the anti rollbar with the car on its wheels was easy and no real force or even ratchet straps were needed to get it into place. I rebolted the two center bushes and then the bolts to the lower wishbone.

All in all it was a not to difficult job . Of course I could work with the car on its wheels and from below.

Geert

Edited June 24, 2018 by gvy

[Andyww]

Interested to know what people are doing with the PU bushes and nut on ARB to lower link.

That nut on the end of the ARB has a crazy low value of torque in the manual. At least 2 people I have seen on here have stuck to this figure and had the nut come undone. Not a surprise as there is rotational motion going on there. On the other hand if you wind the nut up to the shoulder on the ARB, the PU bushes are so compressed they seem absolutely solid with no possible movement. For this reason I changed back to rubber on here.

This is a safety issue and it is something that Lotus themselves should be asked to comment on, despite the age of the car because the service notes seem to be giving dangerous info. If the ARB comes detached there is no lateral location for the lower suspension link.

[Barrykearley]

Put some threadlock on it ?

[Paul Coleman]

1 hour ago, Andyww said:

Interested to know what people are doing with the PU bushes and nut on ARB to lower link.

That nut on the end of the ARB has a crazy low value of torque in the manual. At least 2 people I have seen on here have stuck to this figure and had the nut come undone. Not a surprise as there is rotational motion going on there. On the other hand if you wind the nut up to the shoulder on the ARB, the PU bushes are so compressed they seem absolutely solid with no possible movement. For this reason I changed back to rubber on here.

This is a safety issue and it is something that Lotus themselves should be asked to comment on, despite the age of the car because the service notes seem to be giving dangerous info. If the ARB comes detached there is no lateral location for the lower suspension link.

I had some work done at a well known Lotus specialist and they took the anti-roll bar off and refitted it. Within a very short time of having the car back one of the bolts on the end of the ARB fell out and the back of the front wheel hit the wheel arch (whilst the other wheel was still pointing forwards) at 20mph coming up to a corner!!!

Needless to say I ignored the torque figure and did it up tighter with thread lock as well. So far, so good...

[Smithy111]

What about two nuts tighted against each other instead??

[gvy]

Chris

There are no nuts involved. There is just the bolt that goes into the ARB😉

[910Esprit]

Different arrangement on my turbo.  Stud protrudes from each and of ARB,   There are then 2 thick 'penny' type washers and a distance piece separating these.   So I can tighten the securing nyloc nuts mine to a suitable torque with a consistent load on the bushes regardless of the actual torque 

Edited July 1, 2018 by 910Esprit

[Smithy111]

2 hours ago, 910Esprit said:

Different arrangement on my turbo.  Stud protrudes from each and of ARB,   There are then 2 thick 'penny' type washers and a distance piece separating these.   So I can tighten the securing nyloc nuts mine to a suitable torque with a consistent load on the bushes regardless of the actual torque 

Yes mine is the same (84 Turbo) ends of arb is just threaded with a single nylock on the end. I'm confused is this nut the problem? Its just im in the process of a full front suspension rebuild and want to make sure this is right. Mines nin bits at the moment so dont know if there will be enough thread  protruding to perhaps drill the end and wire lock it?

Edited July 1, 2018 by Smithy111

[Andyww]

There is a spacer with washers either side, where the ARB goes through the bush as Steve mentions. The problem is the torque setting in the service notes for the nut which is 6-10 lb ft, which is practically finger tight! Not sure how they came up with this figure. If you actually set the torque wrench to this figure the nyloc nut doesnt go on at all! So this figure has to be ignored to even assemble it. 

Simply tightening it up hard against the washers/spacer seems the way to go but the spacer could do with being a bit longer because the bushes get really squished.

 

[C43]

it might have been said earlier on but the two washers are not the same. One has a chamfer on the inner shoulder. This goes on first against the ARB to clear the radius where the thread runs out onto the bar.

I just did mine up with a spanner not too tight. Suggest using a new nylock nut as this is your only thread locking.

cheers

C43