suspension questions
 

I need to replace the strut rod bushings and wanted to know how hard is it to press in the new rear bushings into the strut rod. I would also like to know how to install the inner tie rods, they seem simple but I want to make sure before I decide on tackling the job.

Another quick question, how much would the above work cost if I had it done at a shop.

inner steering tie rods are quite simple, so are the radius arm bushings. the pivot bushings for the two front trailing arms can be a real bear to get out, you definitely need a big shop press, and a large creative vocabulary to do that job.

I had a shop do my suspension rebuild on mu 745, with the parts I supplied, this was *ALL* front bushings, new struts and strut tower mounts, new sway bar, new inner and outer tie rods, new ball joints, new front brake rotors and pads, rear panhard and rear trailing arm main bushings, new rear shocks, and new rear springs. oh and install IPD Swaybars front and rear. they charged me for 10 hours labor (but I suspect they took longer, the car was on a lift for 2 and a half days).

http://pierce.smugmug.com/By-Date/20...IMG1608-XL.jpg

http://pierce.smugmug.com/By-Date/20...IMG1594-XL.jpg

car drives better than new now :)

I used mostly Volvo OEM bushings, except the panhard ends and front control rod tie bushings are SuperPro poly. shocks/struts are bilstein TC (touring).

I kept collecting the parts til I realized I'd bit off a bigger job than I wanted to do on jack stands in my driveway, hah! once I realized I'd pretty much ahve to have the shop do the struts, I decided to go whole hog and got the rest of the bushings too.

Thanks for your help Pierce. Did those blue polyurethane bushings come with those washers or did you have to buy them separately? Where did you purchase your suspension parts.

I'd skip the poly stuff entirely, frankly, unless you're building a track car. I ordered some of it via a private SuperPro group buy deal on turbobricks before I knew any better.

I got all the real volvo bushings from tascaparts.com. I got the swaybars and frame brace from IPD, and the bilsteins and wagon overload springs from FCP, if I remember correctly. as I said, I sorta collected this stuff over about a year.