Subframe to body polybushes too small?!?!

[Bobbieslandy]

Hi all,

I started to fit the polybushes to my subframe and noticed the ones which fit between the top of the subframe and bottom of the body, or in my case, top of the subframe and bottom of the aluminium subframe spacers appear too small. i was expecting them to be half the thickness and twice the diameter, or the same size as the old ones i just took out! do these sound like the right ones?

Thanks,

Rob.

[PeterTR7V8]

They will look like this. The yellow ones are the rear bushes & the smaller bushes go between the chassis & the subframe..






The map: http://tinyurl.com/wedgemap . The blog: http://www.forum.triumphtr7.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=8548

[Bobbieslandy]

Thanks Peter,

I was wondering if i had the right ones. Once the subframe bolts had been tightened they did compress quite a bit and ended up looking like the originals!

Rob.

[Beans]

They shouldn't compress that much.
Make sure the steel inserts are in good condition.

<center>
<font color="blue"><i>1980 TR7 DHC (my first car, currently being restored)
1981 TR7 FHC Sprint (better known as 't Kreng)</font id="blue">
<b>[url="http://www.tr7beans.blogspot.com/"]<u><b><font size="2"><font color="red">My Weblog</font id="red"></font id="size2"></b></u>[/url]</b></i></center>

[Hasbeen]

Rob, as Beans says, with the steel spacers in good condition, there
should be very little compression. Not enough for you to see a
change of shape as you tighten them.

Have another look at them.

Hasbeen

[Beans]

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Century Gothic, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Bobbieslandy</i>

... they did compress quite a bit and ended up looking like the originals! ... <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
This is how they should look with the sub frame bolts tightened up ...



<center>
<font color="blue"><i>1980 TR7 DHC (my first car, currently being restored)
1981 TR7 FHC Sprint (better known as 't Kreng)</font id="blue">
<b>[url="http://www.tr7beans.blogspot.com/"]<u><b><font size="2"><font color="red">My Weblog</font id="red"></font id="size2"></b></u>[/url]</b></i></center>

[Bobbieslandy]

Ah, mine look a bit squashed!







I believe i'm missing the 4 steel inserts which sit in the lower bushes, hence the old bushes being crushed. I think longer bolts are in order too!

Thanks Guys.

Rob.

[REPLIC8]

Rob, if you're not running a V8 why are there spacers between the chassis & the subframe? There shouldn't be any clearance problems with a 2 litre engine.

Andy
1981 UK SPEC TR8

[Beans]

What did you place between the polybush and the chassis leg ?

<center>
<font color="blue"><i>1980 TR7 DHC (my first car, currently being restored)
1981 TR7 FHC Sprint (better known as 't Kreng)</font id="blue">
<b>[url="http://www.tr7beans.blogspot.com/"]<u><b><font size="2"><font color="red">My Weblog</font id="red"></font id="size2"></b></u>[/url]</b></i></center>

[Bobbieslandy]

The Spacers came with the car, something to do with lowering the roll center and giving slightly more negative camber. As they came with the car i thought i'd leave them there but with hind sight i might remove the subframe to body bushes and fit thin rubber between the aluminium spacers as protection. It's either that or fit the inserts which i'll have to do anyway and get hold of some longer bolts. The trouble started when i noticed the original bushes (subframe to chassis) were twice the diameter and half the thickness. I now know that's because they'd been crushed! in order, from the chassis leg down i've got...

Subframe spacer, bush with insert which is being forced down into the bush below, subframe, subframe bush (no insert) and a shaped, thick washer on the rear and normal large washer on the front.

You say there's no clearance problems, even with the spacers the bonnet is very close to the oil filler cap. With the bonnet off you can see the filler cap is actually higher than the wings. At one point i didn't think it was going to fit. Maybe it would fit, i'm not 100% sure but i wouldn't fancy shutting the bonnet without those spacers fitted!

Rob.

[PeterTR7V8]

I hate it when you get called on something on your car that's out of place when a PO put it there & you don't know it isn't meant to be, [xx(]

Did the old bushes not have the steel tube inserts? My poly bushes are squished a bit but not nearly as bad as yours Rob.



The map: http://tinyurl.com/wedgemap . The blog: http://www.forum.triumphtr7.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=8548

[REPLIC8]

If you're eyeing through from wingtop to wingtop parts of the engine will protrude above. My carbs are about 2" above this line. There is quite a curve to the bonnet plus the bulges to accomodate this. Looking at the photos, if you remove the spacers & use the proper steel inserts for your polybushes so they don't compress it will only raise the subframe about 5mm. If it's all standard things should fit just fine. [:)]

Andy
1981 UK SPEC TR8

[Bobbieslandy]

That's totally cool Peter, it's to be expected on a 32 year old car i guess. I must admit that this is the first "old" car i've bought where the wiring has not been butchered by a p/o though so that's some consolation! I'll make some inserts up, remove the spacers and take it from there, 5mm can't make that much difference surely? ( i feel i may be quoted on this!). this is what keeps things interesting [:)]

Rob.

[Beans]

Unless you fit Webers with a certain throttle linkage on top you shouldn't have any clearance problems with the Sprint engine.

If in doubt don't slam the bonnet shut but lower it gently [:p]

<center>
<font color="blue"><i>1980 TR7 DHC (my first car, currently being restored)
1981 TR7 FHC Sprint (better known as 't Kreng)</font id="blue">
<b>[url="http://www.tr7beans.blogspot.com/"]<u><b><font size="2"><font color="red">My Weblog</font id="red"></font id="size2"></b></u>[/url]</b></i></center>