Volvo Maintenance Hints for 7xx/9xx - Bill Garland's Nuclear ...

end of the strut rod is a round bushing with a bolt going through the frame mount and the bushing. The nut is probably coated with undercoating, so you will need to clean some of it
off to get the 22mm socket over the nut, or just hammer the socket over the undercoating like I did.
The head of the bolt is a 15mm hex (and again heavily undercoated on my car), so you will need a second socket, or long box end wrench (don't even think of using an adjustable
wrench on these-you will need a very good fitting socket. If you have a 6 point socket, find it and use it). Again, the undercoating is the biggest issue here.
Brace yourself against the frame of the car and break the nut loose, then use the ratchet to get it off the bolt, and make sure the bolt is loose in the bushing. If it is corroded, you will
need to get it free before attempting the next step.
Now go to the front end of the strut rod, and look where it comes through the lower control arm. Under that gob of undercoating, is another 15mm hex bolt, which screws into the end
of the strut rod, clamping the bushings into the strut rod.
Using the long breaker bar and the 15mm socket again, remove the bolt and outer bushing. Now remove the rear bolt completely from the frame mount. Pry the rear end of the strut
rod down and out of the mounting bracket, and slide it to the rear and out of the control arm. Remove the remaining half of the front strut rod bushing. Don't forget to clean out ALL
the residual old bushing material: you made need a chisel as the old rubber is often stuck to the control rod. Then be sure to clean the threads of all the nuts and bolts, just in case
there are some deformed threads or rust. Use a wire brush. When reinstalling, use some 'Lock-tite' (or other brand) bolt retainer on this mounting hardware. On the replacement
bushings, usually the part numbers go toward the large support washers.
Now replace the strut rod, with the new bushings, back into the lower control arm, and get the front bolt started. Then pry the rear bushing back up into the frame mount (you might
need a small hammer or mallet here) and pry it forward to line up the bolt hole with the mounting bracket. Insert the mounting bolt, install the nut, and tighten both the front and rear
bolts. [Tip from Hakan Carlsson] When the bushings are in place compress them slightly by screwing in the bolt without the washer. This will make it easer to actually fit the washer,
since it otherwise will be a little hard to start the thread. Use some force to push the radial arm into place. It takes a little patience but it works. [Tip from JohnB] Here's a useful trick if
you can't get that end bolt to start with the new bushings in there...take off the bolt that holds the sway bar link to the strut control arm (same thread...longer bolt!) and use that bolt to
start/compress the new cone bushings. Then unscrew the long bolt and put the correct bolt in with loctite. [Tip from Paul] After replacing the strut rod bushings (also known as cone
bushings because of their shape) it is better to lightly snug the fastening nuts while the front end is supported off the ground. Then lower the front end back to earth and tighten the
nuts to the specified torque. The reason for doing this is so that the bushings can find their "sweet spot" or neutral setting in the position that they will spend 99% of their time in. If
you torque them up with the front strut arms hanging down and then lower the car to the ground it is possible that there is tension in the bushings as the load of the car is put on them.
This is probably something you would never feel driving the car, but it could contribute to decreased bushing life.
Do the other side the same way and take it for a test drive. I will be willing to bet the steering feels quite a bit more precise. You are done with your part, but now you need to contact
your local friendly alignment shop to have the alignment set again, as it is probably in need of a bit of adjustment. You have just saved yourself about $100 in labor and parts costs.
[Tip from W Bain] Once the new ones are in, lower the car and tighten to specs. I've got the Volvo green manual for our cars and the torque specs are: Bushing, washer and bolt for
control arm: 95 Nm - 70 Ft-Lbs Then rock the front end a few times, torque the rear nut and bolt to 85 Nm - 63 Ft-Lbs.
More Tips. [Inquiry on 89 745T:] What's the best procedure for replacement of the front suspension radius arm bushing with minimal disassembly? I simply removed the sway bar
end link (replacing them anyway) and the bolt holding the control arm to the radius arm. So I was obviously able to get the front conical bushing out (man, was it trashed) and now I
can't get enough play to clear the tube from the radius arm where it goes through the control arm. Do I remove the radius arm from its rearward mount (to the chassis)? [Response 1:]
You have to remove the arm.
[ Inquiry 2: ] How about the chassis end? [Response 2:] The rear bolt has to come out. It is the only way to get the rear bushing off.
[Inquiry 3:] If I am replacing struts and balls joints, is it better to remove the CONTROL arm instead of the RADIUS arm? Is it more likely that the control arm's chassis side bushing is
in need of replacing vs. the RADIUS arm's? [Response 3:] Control strut bushing (the conical $20 bushing, two each per side) is the one most likely to need replacing. BTW, IPD sells
the whole front end bushing set for $130 or so...if you're replacing four conical bushings for $80 and your car has over 100k on it, you should just bite the bullet and buy the IPD
bushing kit and do them all. However, it's not trivial to replace the other front end bushings (much like the rear) - you need a press.
[Tip from Warren Bain] If you round off the radius rod rear bolt, replace with a 9/16 3" bolt which will work for the rear radius rod attachment point. The combo was about $4.80 for the
set, nut, bolt and two washers. SAE quality only, no lesser quality will work since they might break and cause loss of vehicle control.
Grease on Bushings? [Inquiry] Should I apply grease to the bushings? [Response: Don Foster] Do NOT put grease on rubber components. Oil-based grease will quickly damage
rubber bushings. I'd only add that you can grease the outer metal sleeves where they slide into a bracket or mating fixture, such as with the large trailing arm bushings—grease the
metal-to-metal interference fit. It might ease the installation. Also, you can grease a bolt that slides through a metal sleeve—it might make disassembly easier ten years from now
when you redo the bushings. [Response: Jim Baron] The point underlying the first two responses: rubber bushings are not supposed to move or slip at all against metal surfaces:
they are designed to absorb the various twisting and compressing forces imposed on them within the body of the rubber itself. If you grease the area where the rubber meets the
metal, you create a sliding friction situation which will wear out the bushing very rapidly.
Weird Bolt Heads. [Inquiry] The head of the strut rod bolt towards the rear is a 6-point star -- an inverse Torx head (looks like a giant Torx bit)! A 13/16" 6-point socket fits the nut end,