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All  |   Discussion (0)Suspension Bushes

Pressing in bushes: For those who have an 8 or 10 tonne press, if you have small bushes that are hard to press in to rods or arms, press the bush into a tight-fitting pipe hollow (uncapped) pipe first. Then press the bush into the arm through the pipe. The pipe gives you the stability you need to be able to push it right into the rod or arm. Sockets are very useful for pressing in bushes but you need so very large ones (over 30mm) for larger bushes. If you can get half the lip of a bush into an arm, you then only have to apply your press force to the opposite end of the bush to that which is already sunken or pressed into the arm, in order to get the whole bush in. Always file down burrs on metal arms and rods before installing bushes as they will cut into the bush and reduce its effectiveness, promoting and early end for them also.   myxlfidian (150)

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Rear Trailing Arm Bushes The only point of contact your car has with the ground is it's four wheels. And half of those wheels are attached to one steel bar - the rear beam axle, torsion bar or differential. And that rear axle is often held onto the chassis or body of the car by no more than a half a dozen rubbers, or suspension bushes. So it stands to reason that if those rubbers are old, hard, cracked, brittle or in some kind of petrification, 50% of your contact with the road will have the exact same feel as the adjectives I've used to describe those dysfunctional bushes. This is not just speculation, it's a reality I've experienced myself. The solution is, replace your rear lower trailing arm bushes, panhard rod bushes, and rear suspension units with new components - but don't forget to use polyurethane or other synthetic bushes instead of rubber, for increased durability and performance. Having done this recently on a 20-year-old car, I can tell you that with decent front suspension components, it revolutionises the car's feel on the road, and definitely saves fuel costs by around 30%. But you will need a 10-tonne hydraulic press to do this job yourself, so a DYI is only recommended for the well equipped and well assisted, because the rear beam axle is too cumbersome and heavy for one person to position on the press, while pushing bushes in and out of it. Also, ensure you grease not only the outside of the bushes but also it's bevel, inside, crush tube outer wall and the parts of the chassis where the bushes make contact (i.e. the metal brackets or housings welded to the chassis that hold the trailing arms or panhard rod). It may be necessary to regrease all of these parts every three years or so depending on whether you notice a performance degradation or stiffening of the rear suspension.   myxlfidian (150)

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