what have you done to your car today ?

[Sl1ced]

I've just spent the past hour watching YouTube videos about people fitting dogbone bushes and none of them has said anything about snapping the bolts - but come on here and it's like they're all made of porcelain.

I know you guys all think I'm obsessed or something, but I'm bloody terrified.

I'll do it tomorrow and they'll probably just come straight out, but now I've said that...

Sprayed the offside control arm with Hammerite today and a bit of the brand new one on the nearside that has already started rusting after two months on the car. The old one was pretty rusty along the welds, so gave it a good sand before cleaning it up and spraying. A few runs around the holes, but it's not like anyone's going to notice.

Bushes will go in tomorrow or Wednesday, but I don't want to put them back in the car until I get the ball joints out. Probably made life harder for myself taking the control arms out though...


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Dude I thought it was gonna be a **** job but the dog bone was one of the easiest things I’ve ever dow


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[Connor H]

Dude I thought it was gonna be a **** job but the dog bone was one of the easiest things I’ve ever dow


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haha same my bolts were not even looking to good at the head but i reused them. Tbh im gonna get new bolts for when that comes off along with my subframe in the coming weeks

 

[Connor H]

I've just spent the past hour watching YouTube videos about people fitting dogbone bushes and none of them has said anything about snapping the bolts - but come on here and it's like they're all made of porcelain.

I know you guys all think I'm obsessed or something, but I'm bloody terrified.

I'll do it tomorrow and they'll probably just come straight out, but now I've said that...

Sprayed the offside control arm with Hammerite today and a bit of the brand new one on the nearside that has already started rusting after two months on the car. The old one was pretty rusty along the welds, so gave it a good sand before cleaning it up and spraying. A few runs around the holes, but it's not like anyone's going to notice.

Bushes will go in tomorrow or Wednesday, but I don't want to put them back in the car until I get the ball joints out. Probably made life harder for myself taking the control arms out though...


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I really want to do this, but my control arms are so crusty i think id spend more time sanding than its worth lol.....does look good tho...

 

[iammooks]

Dogbone bush tomorrow then. If it all goes wrong, I'll find you. Both of you.

Fingers crossed the paint will last a while. The Hammerite wasn't cheap at £12.90 for the can, but it's cheaper than a new control arm and all the messing about getting the bushes out. With the roads being as they are, anything new will be corroded in a year or two anyway, and it's the original arm, so it's done well to look like that after sixteen years. In all honesty I sanded it down because I was worried at what I thought was the amount of rust, but it turns out it's just that the welds are really chunky, so you'd probably be fine.

I'm in two minds now, if I'm honest. My subframe is looking pretty grim so I'm thinking about taking it out and spraying that too, but to feel totally safe, I'd want new bolts and they'd take a few days to arrive. I promised the girlfriend I'd drive her to get her Covid vaccine on Saturday, so I'd be cutting it fine dropping the subframe, sanding and spraying it and then putting it all back together. At the same time though, while everything is out, I wouldn't mind doing the steering rack bush, which I can't do with the subframe in.

Man, it's never easy with these cars, is it?


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[MoToJoJo]

Honestly, I've done the steering rack bush (black series) and don't feel it made a difference but that's just me

 

[iammooks]

Honestly, I've done the steering rack bush (black series) and don't feel it made a difference but that's just me

I've heard the same. I bought it because it was less than £20 and I thought it would be a straightforward fit - I know it is on other cars - but it seems like one hell of a faff for something that's not going to make much difference. If I ever have the subframe off sometime in the future - quick rack maybe - the bush will go on, but otherwise, yeah, it'll stay in my parts box.


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[MoToJoJo]

I've heard the same. I bought it because it was less than £20 and I thought it would be a straightforward fit - I know it is on other cars - but it seems like one hell of a faff for something that's not going to make much difference. If I ever have the subframe off sometime in the future - quick rack maybe - the bush will go on, but otherwise, yeah, it'll stay in my parts box.


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I can definitely recommend the quick rack as an upgrade, it's not a huge change to the Cupra one (think it's 2.75 vs 3 turns lock to lock) but it's noticable (larger roundabouts don't require crossed arms or taking a hand off the wheel)

 

[iammooks]

So that's not the best start to my day.

Left side came out easily. Right side, not so much.

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[Rich.T]

Whats that?
Dogbone bolt?
Can you get molegrips on whats left?

 

[Connor H]

So that's not the best start to my day.

Left side came out easily. Right side, not so much.

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Shittttt i feel bad now

 

[iammooks]

Whats that?
Dogbone bolt?
Can you get molegrips on whats left?

I haven't tried anything, to be honest. The front gearbox bolt came out no trouble, but the other one is super stiff and if I snap that too, I'm going to have a really, really bad day. I'm not getting anywhere with the 3/8" ratchet, so will try the 1/2" next and then I don't know whether to try a breaker bar or try and get it to a garage to see if a rattle gun will be better on that.

Shittttt i feel bad now

I wouldn't feel bad - I was doing them both a little at a time, and judging from how easily it snapped, it was always going to happen no matter how careful I was. When the other bolt came out, the amount of road salt that came out with it was insane.

I've decided to keep myself busy getting the bushes in the control arm. Thankfully the SuperPro ones are super easy to get in, so if I do need to sling the arms back on the car, at least that'll work.

Just can't get the ball joints off either. The offside seems to be seized solid, while the driver's side just turns, even when I've got mole grips on the rubber boot

 

[Sl1ced]

I haven't tried anything, to be honest. The front gearbox bolt came out no trouble, but the other one is super stiff and if I snap that too, I'm going to have a really, really bad day. I'm not getting anywhere with the 3/8" ratchet, so will try the 1/2" next and then I don't know whether to try a breaker bar or try and get it to a garage to see if a rattle gun will be better on that.



I wouldn't feel bad - I was doing them both a little at a time, and judging from how easily it snapped, it was always going to happen no matter how careful I was. When the other bolt came out, the amount of road salt that came out with it was insane.

I've decided to keep myself busy getting the bushes in the control arm. Thankfully the SuperPro ones are super easy to get in, so if I do need to sling the arms back on the car, at least that'll work.

Just can't get the ball joints off either. The offside seems to be seized solid, while the driver's side just turns, even when I've got mole grips on the rubber boot

Get some heat on the box bolt I you can then while it’s hot penetrating oil or wd40


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[supersticky]

Somebody nicked my osf skirt cover, now making another one. Bet the bitch was gutted when he saw I made that one also hahaha.

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[Rich.T]

Just can't get the ball joints off either. The offside seems to be seized solid, while the driver's side just turns, even when I've got mole grips on the rubber boot

A few (maybe lots) good hits with a hammer on the bottom of the hub should shock it loose. If all else fails, a ball joint splitter.

On the side thats free spinning.
Stick a jack under the ball joint and lift as much as you safely dare.
Should be enough for the ball joint pin to grab the hub to stop it spinning.

 

[iammooks]

For sure - I'd like to get the new ball joints on before I take it to the garage, but if it's a matter of just soaking it all in penetrating lube every few days until it comes good, I can do that too. I'll just fit it back with the old bolts until I can get it done. I'll do the same with the gearbox bolt.

They've never been off, so I'm expecting a fight - I have fire and hammers too, so that's all good.

At least I have polybushed control arms now.

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[MoToJoJo]

So that's not the best start to my day.

Left side came out easily. Right side, not so much.

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Well.... ****.

 

[iammooks]

Well.... ****.

Tell me about it.

You can see how much road salt is on that bolt. There's no way that was going to come out in one piece. I'm trying to be 'zen' about it and accept the fact that while it happened, it was always going to happen.

I've ordered a new dogbone, which should arrive in the next couple of days, and when that arrives, I'll put the Powerflex bush in and take it to the local garage. It might just be a matter of taking the gearbox bolt out and just pulling the dogbone off and getting vice grips on the bolt that's sticking out (there's a lot left!), but if I snap that bolt in the gearbox, that's going to send me over the edge, and getting it done at the garage is going to cost me less than a new gearbox...

 

[Sl1ced]

Tell me about it.

You can see how much road salt is on that bolt. There's no way that was going to come out in one piece. I'm trying to be 'zen' about it and accept the fact that while it happened, it was always going to happen.

I've ordered a new dogbone, which should arrive in the next couple of days, and when that arrives, I'll put the Powerflex bush in and take it to the local garage. It might just be a matter of taking the gearbox bolt out and just pulling the dogbone off and getting vice grips on the bolt that's sticking out (there's a lot left!), but if I snap that bolt in the gearbox, that's going to send me over the edge, and getting it done at the garage is going to cost me less than a new gearbox...

It’s such a lottery. My car had not been looked after before I got it. And I had no corrosion and it came out no problem. I feel for you man


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[iammooks]

It’s such a lottery. My car had not been looked after before I got it. And I had no corrosion and it came out no problem. I feel for you man


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...whereas my car was a fleet car before I got it, with pretty much only motorway miles on it, well-serviced until I got my hands on it, but even then, I wasn't running it into the ground or anything.

I think a lot of it's to do with me living by the sea. Brighton's sea air is a bit of a nightmare - it's even eroded the bricks at the front of my girlfriend's house - and combine that with them gritting the roads... It was bound to happen. Since I've lived here, my subframe has rusted up good and proper - I'll have to post a photo later - so I think I'll be spending some time protecting as much stuff as I can and putting anti-seize on all the bolts I can get out.

 

[Connor H]

...whereas my car was a fleet car before I got it, with pretty much only motorway miles on it, well-serviced until I got my hands on it, but even then, I wasn't running it into the ground or anything.

I think a lot of it's to do with me living by the sea. Brighton's sea air is a bit of a nightmare - it's even eroded the bricks at the front of my girlfriend's house - and combine that with them gritting the roads... It was bound to happen. Since I've lived here, my subframe has rusted up good and proper - I'll have to post a photo later - so I think I'll be spending some time protecting as much stuff as I can and putting anti-seize on all the bolts I can get out.

its 100% living by the sea mate, f*cks your **** up royally. Guess it would literally pay to get it undersealed up!