RH Sway bar chassis bush replacement in a RHD 6.9

[WGB]

This was of course the more difficult of the two to replace as the instruments lower knee roll and brake booster have to be removed.
One point I had never noticed until afterwards but the bush is visible from the wheel well on each side - to check for condition.

The replacement bushes (with the blue dot of paint) are different to most of the original bushes and will change your front end geometry requiring a whel alignment afterwards.

Master cylinder is emptied - I used a small vacuum pump - and the three brake lines unscrewed.



Post ?1978 models have a bush with a nut and bolt that holds the brake pedal to the booster which is probably easier than the earlier pin and clip version.

There are four bolts that hold the booster to the firewall the right pair of nuts and the top left nut can be accessed through the empty instrument nacell using two long and one medium extension bar,



I have made up a home made magnetic insert for the 13mm socket using an old round magnet that makes re-fitment a lot easier




Here is a photo of the right pair of nuts



The left top one requires the socket and extensions to be fed betwen the support bracket and the cruise control amplifier.

THe LH lower one is easily accessible from below.



The booster and master cylinder can then be removed as a unit - with a little difficulty - by pulling it while rotating it 90 degrees anti-clockwise .

It maybe a little easier if you split the master cylinder but as the seal between master cylinder and booster is critical I prefered not to touch it.

The sway bar bush is finally exposed.



It is actually quite a tight fit and removal and re-fitment takes a litte while and is helped by raising and lowering the car so that the bar moves backwards and forwards and gives the necessary clearance.



It would aso be easier replacing both buses at the same time to allow for more movement.



A very complicated uninteresting job that hopefully will make a real difference.

Bill

[s class]

Those are the only suspension bushes that I've never replaced on a W116.  I would imagine they are more critical on a 6.9 than the steel spring cars due to the way the levelling valve is actuated off the anti-roll bar.