166 Rear Anti-Roll Bar Bushes

I've replaced the rear anti-roll bar bushes for £42.69 - somewhat less than the official Alfa way where you buy a complete anti-roll bar for £158.62 and probably have to get the rear alignment redone because the rear sub-frame is disturbed.

I used :
Superflex anti-roll bar bushes Pt. No. SPF1450/20 (2 off)
Superflex anti-roll bar brackets Pt. No. SPF0984K (1 pair)
RS Components Two Piece Shaft Collars Pt. No. 289-9751 (2 off)
M10 x 45 Lg, screws (4 off)

Here's what I did.

Drill out the existing M8 screws. Sounds easy but actually quite difficult to get right! It's impossible to loosen the screws as there's no access to the top (this is why the sub-frame has to be dropped normally).

Cut off the existing bushes and brackets with an angle grinder or hack saw.

Make two aluminium plates to go between the brackets and the sub-frame.

Make two captive nut plates to go on top of the sub-frame (this allows the new screws to be fitted from the bottom without need access to the top). I welded two nuts to a steel strip. This has to be fitted with nuts towards the sub-frame because the sub-frame has a rib that stops the plate sitting flat.

With the car sitting with its weight on the wheels at the normal ride height, fit the new bushes and brackets. I cut the corners off the brackets to clear the sub-frame mounting washers and the fuel tank.

Check the bar is centred side to side and tighten up the new M10 screws.

Fit the split collars. (You only need the split collars if the existing plastic collars are broken).

Future repairs will now be only the cost of the bushes

Once again a top job Ken.


As an aside do you know if the antiroll bar drop links are sided.

Reason is I just got 2 and the look identical although some site say they are sided.

Pomeo

Hi Pomeo, i thought that about a pair of front ones that arrived, as one seller said 'please specify side', but they were identical, went on no prob. HTH

The rear anti-roll bar drop links are indeed handed at least mine are. Front ones are not.

Be careful when buying these because if you buy a pair of 'drop links' you might get these: Fiat Parts and Alfa Romeo Parts from Shop4Parts

Here's some info.

Nice job, but you can do it easier and cheaper.

Go to local dealer and ask for bush from front anti-roll bar Fiat Panda AWD – p/n 0050705943.

1. Lift the car,
2. drop down suspension frame,
3. unscrew upper bolts on bracket,
4. Using flat thin screwdriver separate upper plate of bracket from bottom part of it.
5. On flat plate you will find “sticking rings” of material – on production process used to orientate both pieces of bracket for crimping.
Now we don’t need them and simply, using grinding machine we are making hole area flat.
6. Replace old rubber bush with new one from the dealer.
7. repeat steps from 3 to 1.

Now everything is prepared for future easier changes of bushing …

Originally Posted by Ken

Here's some info.

Ken ,Do you know what the difference is and how you can tell them apart.

I thought that 1 would be a mirror image and hence sided.

No detectable difference between the ones I got but there wouldn't be if they are the same part.



Too wet to go out and under the car to look today.
Pomeo

That Webcat ZF web site has got pictures BTW.
Here's one I prepared earlier.

Seems the front ones are turned 180 degrees away from each other, so they can be left or right, where the rear ones only have a 90 degree turn, meaning you need the exact side required

Ken, fair play to you, and you certainly made a great job of these, but is it really possible that there is no option for replacing of the bushes on the 166 without having to go to all this work, or without having to go to the stealers for full assembly!

Surely somebody has come up with an aftermarket option?

Originally Posted by Mad_mike

Seems the front ones are turned 180 degrees away from each other, so they can be left or right, where the rear ones only have a 90 degree turn, meaning you need the exact side required

Thanks MM lokks like I've got 2 front ones then.No wonder I couldn't work out the difference.


I definately specified rear too.


When dry I'll check on Lacey.

Pomeo

Quite an amount of expertise and labour involved, but sound engineerig principles employed there.: Looks like access to a hoist was had, looking at the photographs? Rear anti-rollbar, isn't it, in the piccies? The fronts look rather more awkward on the 147, but well worth doing, if you have the necessary requirements to accomplish it. Excellent job well done.:

Originally Posted by Pomeo

Thanks MM lokks like I've got 2 front ones then.No wonder I couldn't work out the difference.

Thats a bit of a pain
Having said that, with Alfas you are probably better off either change them also or hang on to them as sooner or later, you'll be back looking for them

Carefully drill into the end blanking plates of the ball cup, tap a nice neat thread, screw in a grease nipple, pump in some GP grease, sorted. Dampen that free-air space that developes? Go for it.