I plan to rebuild my front end, hopefully before Spring. Some questions -

I know someone on this forum was kind enough to write a very clear description fo how this is done, with words of caution about different things to look out for, etc. I've searched using different strategies but haven't been able to find it. Anyone who knows where it is (even the author perhaps), I'd really appreciate seeing it again so I can print it out (again) and use it this time.

I do have the shop manual but it is not as helpful as what I remember reading here on the brickboard.

Now for the real question - My lower A-arm bushings are COMPLETELY shot and I have polyurethane replacements. At a bare minimum, these need to be changed. Although the car is old, the rest of the front end seems pretty tight. No play detectable (by tire wobble test) in king pins and the upper A-arm bolts appear solid with no play detectable there either. The grease fittings were replaced by me last year (those that needed changing) and the front end re-greased. I have all of the parts needed for a complete front end re-build.

What I'd like to do is to spare myself the trouble with the upper A-arms and change only the lower bushings and steering arm ends/pitman arm/ideler arm etc. Would this be wise? I prefer to do my own work and the uppers, from what I remember reading, seem to be quite a challenge. Any way to check out the upper bushings more accurately? What about the steering box? I changed the oil a year ago and plan to adjust freeplay once front end work is completed. What about springs??? I don't see new 'sport lowering springs' available anytime soon and I don't want to raise the front up above the level of the back of the car... I plan on using the old ones.

Any words of wisdom, as always, sincerely appreciated.

Kai S.
'67 Duett

I rebuilt the front end on my 444 project last year - except for the kingpins, tie rod ends and the upper inner bushings which all seemed tight.

Its a dirty and greasy job. But that aside, I was amazed at how simple it all was, once everything was soaked in enough penetrating oil to come apart. To me it was well worth the exercise just to see how it all goes together, adjusts, etc. I don't remember needing any special tools - although as Belinda says the upper inner bushings need some special handling.

If you have the parts already and have the time and curiousity, I would say to do it. I know that I am glad to have the new parts in there.

Keith
444 Project, Moline, IL

Hi Kai,

Starting on Front End Rebuild (5/2005) might be one of the threads you remember? We also just went through my front end completely rebuilding almost everything, including the steering box so I might be some help to you, especially if you need photos emailed to ya! (I took lots) or p/n's.

part of the story of my car is here too:
http://community.webshots.com/myphotos?action=viewAllPhotos&albumID=526663578&security=bIByVa

belinda

Here's a link to that thread I mentioned

http://www.brickboard.com/RWD/index.htm?id=954432

Ya, the upper control arm bushings are a bit more daunting, I believe because of what has been mentioned here before (not using a jig/tool as the manual describes can be disastrous as you need to hold the control arm stationary as you thread those new bushings in)? I'm looking at the photos are remembering how we did this (without a jig) and thinking we still haven't test driven the car yet..another week and the disk brake conversion will hopefully be complete and we can actually test out my new front end and adjust the caster and camber and listen for squeaks.

Honestly, the worst thing about the rebuild was redoing the kingpins. Our kit came minus one bushing (only had 3/4 we needed) so we spent an inordinate amount of time looking for another bushing..

Also, since my car had been in Two front end accidents (I think) at various points in it's life before I got it (only one of which was known to me). Whilst trying to put front end parts back on I found stuff that just needed to be replaced--an entire upper A-arm for example, as it was so badly bent, new stuff just didn't line up right.

Another disaster for us was the Control Arm "bushings" (pivot arm bushings) is what I called them. But actually they are not meant to be removed. Most would have probably throw out the entire A-Arms if they'd seen ours, but we opted to cut out these (nonremovable) cylinders, make new ones (a friend of ours now has a drawing and made me an extra, if anyone is interested), and welded the new ones back into the control arms.

The other bad part about the rebuild was the discovery of the steering box wear (I think covered this in one of my threads, titled Ever Look Inside Your Steering Box?). Again, I encountered something completely unusual, it seems (just my luck). Although it was kinda fun to hear the gasps and the "Oh My Gods--I've never seen That before." And then the speculation about How It Happened. :)

But then there were also a few pleasant surprises, like the wheel bearings which looked almost new except for a (what I would consider normal) light frosted look to them. So the new pair of wheel bearings I bought can probably be resold these on ebay (for ~$50 each).

So like you, I started off thinking about what you're thinking--that I would replace the tie rods, the tie rod ends, rebush the lower (and in my case upper too) A-arms...it ended up being a much bigger job than that, and about a year later my car is still apart and not back on the road yet. But that is mainly because we decided to convert to disc brakes while we were at it. Some of the stuff I found was just too scary not to fix too. And the car handled and drove OK--except for the jumping into the lane to the right when braking hard on the freeway...oh yeah, I forgot about that. :P

Belinda,

Many thanks for taking the time to send the links. Your stuff is REALLY helpful - though the thread I remember was one posted before yours. Likely in 04 or possibly even in 03. My plan (hope anyway) is to get this all done in less than a month's time. Couldn't bear to be off the road this summer. I've already done the disc conversion as you know though I do have an unusual problem left to deal with (will query group with a later post). Plan to get that taken care of once the front end is disassembled again.

If anyone remembers the earlier thread on front end bushing replacement, please let me know.

Thanks again.

Kai S
'67 retro Duett

With regard to replacing the lower inner A-arm bushings, see the 444-544 archives for Apr 13-14, 2002, and Jan 30, 2003.

Removal and replacement of the lower arm is most of the concern in these postings.

The entire front suspension design is the form used by most US-made cars from 1940-54, as evidenced by info in Motor's Auto Repair Manual covering US cars of those years. Volvo however used rubber bushings at lower inner, instead of metal like the upper inners. Spreader devices for the arm ends are necessary for correct metal bushing replacement. Volvo's special tool is not the only sort that would work. Reportedly several of Volvo's 444 designers in the early 1940s had worked in the US auto industry in the 1930s when this front suspension arrangement was state of the art and newly coming into US production.

C O Greenlaw

Oops, the April 2002 archive is in the Swedish Classics board, not Brickboard.

You might search jemenacker's posts, because for some reason I thought I remember Joe M maybe had a problem with his A-arm rebush job? (if it was not you Joe, sorry, my memory could be bad about this)


http://www.brickboard.com/RWD/index.htm?id=968315