Rear suspension arm bushes / bolts

[Heb1802]

Hello trying to get my GTI ready for an alignment after being told it has seized bolts, therefore have a few questions.

Basically I’m looking at changing the bushes in the rear lower suspension arms as the bushes are shot and the bolts need cutting out, Ive got my eyes on some power flex bushes as might as well ‘upgrade’ whilst doing this.

Basically my questions are as follows;

Are the eccentric bolts for both the camber and toe adjustments the same size if not does anyone know the part numbers for these?

Are the power flex bushes PFR85-510 and PRF85509 the correct ones for the upper and lower bushings on the suspension arm?

How difficult are these to fit do they need a hydraulic press to get them in?

Any help appreciated cheers in advance 

[Heb1802]

Car is a 2007 MK5 GTI

[andyiseddy02]

If you are unsure about doing the work then pay someone to do it.

I have a Passat (same setup), I did rear arms, drop links, eccentric bolts (toe), coil springs and outer bushes. It was a sunny day, I got at it early and had vice, two trolley jacks and all the tools you could want...……………..And I really really struggled. Once I started there was no turning back.

It is all about knowing how to get old bolts and bushes out and using bits of screwed rod and whatever comes to hand to get new bushes in.

I knew the rear camber bolts needed doing as well but I took one look at them and thought they looked a nightmare so I left them for the garage to do when it was in for a service. (Glad I did as they said they were a real pig of a job). 

[pudding]

Yep /\ !!

I wouldn't even attempt this job without new all new parts ready to go on.  2 x control arms with bushes already pressed in and 4 x eccentric bolts.  Plus all the other one time use bolts that will need replacing.

There's no point faffing around driving new bushes into old arms imo as complete arms with bushes aren't expensive.   There's a lot of links and bushes back there, so you may as well attack the whole lot in one go.  Just replace everything.

[OEM+ DUB]

Completely agree with the advice to change the complete arms for what they cost.  I had the same problem of seized adjuster bolts (steel bolt through alloy bearing = corroded solid) that you couldn't free even with a breaker bar and the car on a lift at the garage.  Replaced min on the drive and had to cut the eccentric adjuster bolts off either side of the bushes to release using an angle grinder fitted with a thin metal cutting disk.

Top tip for when you do replace them is to remember to coat the new eccentric adjuster bolt in anti-seize compound such as copper slip.  Fit the eccentric bolts and arm to hub bolts loosely, then jack up the hub to normal running height before torqueing up the bolts to avoid unnecessary preload stress on the bushes (there is a VAG-specified dimension from top centre of wheel arch to centre of hub for standard cars but given that we all run different suspension set ups I would just measure this with the car on the ground before starting and replicate).

Hope this helps.

[Heb1802]

Cheers for the help everyone! Managed to get the old bolts out with the help of a grinder, and then replaced the upper control arms and all the eccentric bolts and then press the power flex bushes into the lower suspension arms. Took about 4 hours wasn’t as bad as I expected!

[andyiseddy02]

Well done. It is really satisfying when you do a job on your own car.

[carsten]

Just did this on my 05 GTI, took the whole carrier off the car, made it a little easier, but still a pig of a job

/Carsten