Volvo 480 Club Europe

Hi people,
I wonder whether someone has any idea whether such parts are available for 480's and if not I am thinking about making some (for myself initially as my subframe bushes are flagging up on the MOT as advisory) however if there is enough interest i may make a batch or two.
i have been to volvo today to get myself some new gear oil and discovered that they no longer make the subframe bushes. I know the lower arm ones are available but i'm not aware of a poly bush upgrade anywhere.

I am on the scrounge for some old unwanted ones for the purposes of reverse engineering in order that i can design and make a mold for the liquid polyurethane. it does not matter how ruined they are as long as they are somewhat intact for the sake of (hopefully accurate!) measurement. I would use my own but my 480 is my daily driver and therefore cannot be dismantled to take parts to the metrology lab at work because i need it in order to get to work!

If anyone has an example of each bush (lower arm ones and subframe) and wishes to donate them to a good cause then it will facilitate the first step towards making available a poly bush upgrade kit for our beloved rustbuckets!

Any advice on the best hardness characteristics for the polyurethane would be greatly appreciated as this is not my area of expertise, the design, drawings and manufacture of the molds is no problem as i am a mechanical engineer and have access to a state of the art cad system and a machine shop but any advice on the poly characteristics and molding techniques would not go amiss as this side of things is rather new to me.

If you have some bushes going then i will collect if not too far from birmingham or cover the postage costs if further away, just pm me.

Any other input would be valued and between us hopefully we can create a useful and worthwhile set of parts for the beloved knackers!

Thanks in advance,

Adey

Another chap know as Adi (i guess thats a different Adey to you!) has done something similar for the 400 sereies here:

http://www.volvoforums.org.uk/showthread.php?t=109092

I don't know how much detail he goes into, but it might be worth a read or he might be a good contact?

Right, had a read of that link and he's talking about machining the bushes one by one by turning, i'm looking at molding the liquid stuff as once the molds are made an unlimited number of items can be produced and in any different grades required. This method will be much more cost effective and i may be able to offer the bushes commercially at quite competitive prices (once iv'e tested them on my own car obviously, may give away a couple of sets of prototypes to people who don't mind being guinnea pigs for the experiment!)

Just need a friendly person willing to donate some of the original items (all be it bolloxed as long as in one piece) so i can design a mold..................

Have a chat with a liquid poly supplier................

Bob's your uncle, poly bush kits made to order for a 480 near you!

Any takers??? I'll make sure the donor gets a set to try out when done!