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Mk4 Fiesta stabiliser bushes - changing


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Have identified a 'noise' coming from the front wheels when going over bumps - l have looked underneath and it appears to be from the stabiliser bushes as there is play between these bushes and the bar when the car is rocked sideways.

Q1. Does anyone know if these are bolted in with captive nuts or are they 'nut and bolt'?

Q2. If they're nut and bolt, is there an easy way to change them without resorting to removing half the front of the car?!!!

Cheers, :(

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What do you mean by stabliser bushes? Anti roll bar bushes im guessing?

If its that I think there easy enough to do as long as the bolts aren't seized solid.

Let me know if were talking about the same thing and I will have a look at mines tonight.

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Yes, sorry, I would normally have said they're the antiroll bar bushes - been reading too much of the FORD manual (CD) as that's what they call them!

They're sitting just on top of a lower crossmember(?) just under the steering rack near the rear of the engine bay.

The ford CD i have say's you need to remove almost all the lower suspension to get to them so i'm hoping they're bolts in captive nuts, or if nut and bolt, then at least easy enough to get to the nuts on the underside!

Cheers, ;)

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Yeah. Sounds like antiroll bar bushes then.

At most I would say you would only have to take the antiroll bar off but I could be wrong.

Ill have a look tonight and keep you posted

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Cheers Bud, much appreciated - I can do most things mechanically, but don't really relish dismantling 1/2 the car to change two bushes!

Look forward to your next reply.

Cheers, :)

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Had a look and it looks like it going to be a bit trickier than I first thought :(

It just 2 bolts on each side which can be seen by turning the wheels on full lock and looking in from the rear.

Only problem is that the rear bolts are so close to the body of the car. So it looks like your going to have 2 drop the sub frame.

Hopefully you will only need to lower it about an inch or so and not remove the bolts that hold it in place completely. This will save you a lot of messing about getting it lined back up again.

Your best bet is to get the front up on axle stands and undo the drop links that are connected to the anti rollbar. Then undo the bolts that are holding the sub frame up at the rear. Don't take them completely out if at all possible! This should lower the antiroll bar just enough so that you can get a spanner on the bolts and are able to remove them. Think they are captive nuts but cant tell from the quick look I had.

Any more questions don't be afraid to ask

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Thanks,

Phew, why do they make them so difficult to get to?!!!

My spitfire (other car) is right at the front with acres of room around them!

I'll do exactly as you say ie axle stands etc making particularly sure i DON'T take those subframe bolts out!!!

Any idea how long the thread is before they drop out?

Hopefully i'll have enough room to get the bolts out - i've spayed them with WD as they look as though they've been there for 'a while' ie the car is a 97' so i guess they're original ones.

Thanks again bud, and all the best.

:D

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Cant imagine thed be that long. Maby about 2 inches max.

Let me know how you get on and good luck! ;)

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Cheers,

Managed to change them on saturday - undid the front two bolts of the bracket, removed them and managed to bend (slightly) the holding bracket up enough to slide the bushes out sideways and the new ones in! Quite a lot of effort needed to push the new ones in, but with a bit of water to help slide them along the bar and under the bracket they went in. A few scrapes on knuckles from being a bit ambitious but all ok and saved having to drop the front subframe!

Thanks again and hope this helps anyone else contemplating the same.

p.s. whilst I was there in noticed the top of the strut was loose and moving within the mounting turret? I take it the strut is supoosed to be tight with the rubbers gripping the top of the turret??

Cheers, :rolleyes:

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I like the way you changed them without having to drop the subframe. Quite clever :P

Guessing they were captive nuts then?

It would be much easier on a ramp to just lower the subframe but needs must.

Not sure exactly what you mean by 'strut' and 'turret' (is this the ford manual again? :lol: )but there should be no movement in the bushes once the 4 bolts are tightened.

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Sorry, should have said, yes, they are captive nuts and the bolts came out easy for a 12 year old car!

The strut I refer to is the top of the suspension where it comes into the engine bay area directly above the wheels - usually has a black cover cap on it?

I was able to hold the top of this and move it sideways in its locating hole, making a clonking noise which I don't think is quite right?! :unsure:

I've tightened it up and all is so much better now! :P

No noise at all; except for a slight rub in the rear arch when going down a roller coaster road, ie undulating rather than bumpy - might be something to do with the tyres; 185/65/R14? Can't see any evidence of rubbing anywhere though; any clues? :unsure:

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