Suspension Bush Replacement

I am replacing the suspension bushes at the rear of my 1800 and have a question regarding the 'big' bushes on the lower trailing arm. These are 'waisted' and The engineering company who I asked to press in the new bushes reckon it will damage them when they try to squeeze the bushes in through the smaller middle part of the aperture on the arm. I can't see any other way of getting them in other than brute force - will they take it?

I was told to boil the bushes in order to soften them enough for this, they also came with special lube, though these were polyflex bushes and maybe use a different method of installation than standard ones.

Sounds like it would work but wouldn't it effect the rubbers firmness even after it had cooled down?

Nope, seemed to go back to how it was before, with no problems

You used to be able to buy the arms complete from Volvo. Fitting poly bushes is not to bad as the inner sleeve is seperate allowing the bush to colapse to get it through. Once you have pressed it through the sleeve will go in quite easily.

Thanks but unfortunately I have the original rubber type. I will try the boiling water method when I get time to do the job.

White spirit is a good lube on rubber, it disappears too. I warm rad hose, bike inlet rubbers (notoriously hard & pesky) and with a bit of white spirit they usually go on nicely

Hi Mike you will have no problem with the bushes if you have a large vice.cut the old one out with a hacksaw then load the rubber with rubber grease ,then press in with vice don't forget there is a wrong way to fit it ,I think it's north to south ,with the void east to west.