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Tool rear axle bushing

Volvo 200, 164

04.09.2024

The bushings of the rear trailing arms on the Volvo 164 and 200 series tend to be worn quite often, since they have to take a lot of force constantly. We show you that the replacement is not a big problem, when you have the right press tool and you use it correctly.


To do this repair properly a lift is required! To do this repair on jack stands will be rather painful and dangerous. Put the car on the lift and take off the rear wheels.


It is advisable to replace the bushings one after another, otherwise the axle would need to be supported completely.


Before loosening the trailing arm, you need to support the affected side. If you support the axle under the wheel hub (like its seen in this picture), you need to pull the hand brake first. 


If your car has a rear sway bar like this one does, unbolt and remove the sway bar completely. With the sway bar attached it will not be possible to lower the trailing arm enough to get good access to the bushing.


Remove the rear bracket of the sway bar, it is attached with the screw of the axle bushing to the trailing arm.


Loosen the sway bar on the other side too. To do this put the screws of the shock absorber back in the trailing arm loosely and use the transmission jack on the other side.


When the sway bar is taken off, loosen the screws of front trailing arm bushings a few rotations. Do not take the c´screws out completely!


Take out the shock absorber screw on the supported side of the axle.


The trailing arm can be folded down easily now.


spray the old bushings and their seat with rust dissolver.
Attention: In the past it was common to secure the bushings with a spot weld against moving in their seat. Check the old bushings for spot welds! If the bushing has spot welds to the axle, they have to be removed carefully, otherwise you may damage the axle and the press tool!

Now you can put the press tool into position. Grease all threads properly before you start to use the tool to prevent damaging the threads. Push the support sleeve between the seat brackets first. It the sleeve does not clamp into the seat by itself, secure it with two zip ties around the axle.
To press out the bushing the smaller press tool is used, that matches the diameter of the bushing exactly. 
Use as much as possible of the smaller threads, the rear nut always has to be threaded on completely onto the bolt. The threaded sleeve (the one with threads on both sides) should be threaded on as far as possible on the center bolt of the tool, but the large 36mm nut needs to be threaded on 3-4 rotations on the threaded sleeve. Never use an impact wrench for this!

The press tool is used with a 24mm and a 36mm wrench. Turning the 36mm nut with a long and robust ratchet will be easier.
Attention: If the bushing does not want to move out of its seat with moderate force, remove the tool again and continue to spray the outer sleeve of the bushing with rust dissolver or use heat to loosen it.
Otherwise the press tool could be damaged. These tools were developed for rather new cars and not for bushings with 40 years of corrosion to the axle!

When the bushing starts to move out of the seat with a slight knock, pressing it out the rest of the way will be easy normally.


Clean the seat of the bushing and remove rust as much as possible, but do not take off material of the seat.


The cleaned seat of the bushing should be lubricated slightly with grease to prevent corrosion and make the install of the new bushing easier. Make sure no grease will remain on the rubber of the bushing later.


To press in the new bushings the two equally sized press tools are required. The one with the larger hole is for the side with the larger nut on the axle side. The smaller nut over the bushing has to be threaded on completely!
Use both threads as much as possible, the larger 36mm nut should never only grip with one or two threads on the threaded sleeve.

Press the support sleeve into position. Now you can pull the new bushing in the seat brackets rather easily with a long ratchet.


When the bushing is pressed completely into its seat it hits the outer side of the tool and you can not turn any further. Now dismantle the press tool and take it off.


Do not forget to take out the support sleeve too.


Now check if the bushing is sitting firmly into its seat. Rather often the seat brackets lost some material over time due to corrosion or cleaning. In this case the new bushing can be moved sideways with some force.


In this case (and on our demonstrator car too) the bushing can be secured with two spot welds to the seat brackets. Weld on the inside of the seat bracket, so the welds can be ground off easily in the future. Do not weld too long, so you do not damage the new bushing with heat. Two spot welds are enough!
Re-assemble in reverse order. Install the sway bar (if your car has one) always in the last step.
  • All notes serve only as an example and do not replace the workshop instructions of the automobile manufacturers! All information is supplied without guarantee!

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