Fitting harder suspension bushes- How??

[Dave Dyer]

An easy job I thought, I'll do the rear tie bars, I have a spare 1/2 hour this afternoon...How wrong I was, I've never tried doing anything as frustrating!!! It seems impossible and that was after an hour of trying!

I've coated the bush in rubber grease, got a large vice and tightened the vice to push in the bush, but it always starts to go in on one side at an angle then pops back out.
What am I doing wrong? there must be an easier way (I say hopingly) a knack of doing it right?

How did you fit yours?

Thanks, Dave

[Beans]

Using grease will make the bushes slippery as you have found out by now [:p]

It is a rather straightforward job if you have a half decent vice.
Only thing to bear in mind when putting in the bushes (in particular the larger ones) is NOT to use any grease.
By using grease the bushes have a tendency to slip away in all directions.
Just make sure the inside off the arms are clean and smooth.
I only use grease on the last inside bit of the arm to make it easier for the bushes to "come out" at the back.

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[REPLIC8]

I took mine to Robsports, as I was going there to buy some bits anyway. They removed the 8 old ones and fitted the new poly ones in less than an hour with no damage to my powder coated parts. All I had to do was sit in the office & drink a cup of tea!! Easy really. [:D]

Andy
1981 UK SPEC TR8

[Odd]

<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 Dave Dyer</i>

... there must be an easier way <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"> Yes, there is:
Fit polyurethane bushes - they are split in two halves that go in from opposite sides.
With finger pressure only... [:)]

<font color="red"><b>My two 1980 Wedges...</b></font id="red">

[moestr7v8]

Hi Dave I have a pair of reconditioned tie bars powder coated and fitted with polybushes so they are already to fit.
I also have a set of trailing arms also powder coated and fitted with polybushes ready to fit.Polybushes supplied by S+S.
Email me if you are interested.
Cheers
Moe

[FI Spyder]

Yes, poly bushes are split. You just have to drill a tiny hole in them to allow the air in the centre to escape. I put a thin layer of clear synthetic grease on them.

Here the link to my bushing slide show:

http://s119.photobucket.com/albums/o131/Spit999/TR7/Pulling%20Bushings/?albumview=slideshow

When slide show starts click reverse order to get right sequence.

TR7 Spider - 1978 Spifire - 1976 Spitfire - 1988 Tercel 4X4 - Kali on Integra - 1991 Integra

[busheytrader]

<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 REPLIC8</i>

I took mine to Robsports, as I was going there to buy some bits anyway. They removed the 8 old ones and fitted the new poly ones in less than an hour with no damage to my powder coated parts. All I had to do was sit in the office & drink a cup of tea!! Easy really. [:D]<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

They did the same for me with Front Spax Inserts on a weekday morning. I went up there with my struts, bought the Spax, and they kindly removed the old inserts and fitted the Spax in less than a minute each courtesy of a large vice and wrench. It all happened so quickly there was no fee, but also no tea.
Adam



TR7 V8 DHC Jaguar Solent Blue. 9.35cr Range Rover V8, Holley 390cfm, JWR Dual Port, 214 Cam, Lumention, Tubular Manifolds, S/S Single Pipe Exh, 3.08 Rear, 200lb Spax & PolyBushes all round, Anti- Dive, Strut-Top Roller Bearings, Capri Vented Discs & Calipers, Braided Hoses, 4 Speed Rear Cylinders, Uprated Master Cylinder & Servo, AT 14" 5 Spokes or Maestro Turbo 15" Alloys, Cruise Lights, S/S Heater Pipes, Replacement Fuel Tank. No Door Stickers. Mine since July 1986, V8 from 1991

[Dave Dyer]

Thanks for your help guys,

Poly bushes sound like they would have been easier, but out of my budget though! Also Thanks for the offer Moe, again probably more than I could afford.

So I soldiered on with the harder more awkward rubber ones! I cleaned off the rubber grease as Beans recommended, which did help and stopped the bush moving out of place, but as I put force on the bush it tended to make it wider at the front, which in turn stopped it fitting! I came up with an idea to put a jubilee hose clip round the end to stop it expanding, but it didn't work.
I'm thinking along the lines of a piston ring compressor round the bush, but will try that another day, theres only so much you can take!!!

Cheers, Dave

[jclay (RIP 2018)]

Get one of these. Fairly cheap and you will use it all the time.



Clay

[url="http://web.mac.com/jclaythompson/Site/Welcome.html"]My Triumph Site[/url], [url="http://web.mac.com/jclaythompson/iWeb/Technical/Intro.html"]Technical Stuff[/url], [url="http://homepage.mac.com/WebObjects/FileSharing.woa/53/wo/HJMTK8gsojtwKleP.1/0.2.1.2.26.31.97.0.35.0.1.1.1?user=jclaythompson&fpath=Triumph_Articles&templatefn=FileSharing4.html"]Download Page[/url]

[Dave Dyer]

Hi Clay,

Thats a really great idea, I've never seen a press like that and like you say, it would be so usefull for loads of jobs, obviously for the bushes plus bearings, even ball joints. And it actually looks like its makeable as well, you've got me thinking now (my vigour is returning!)

Cheers, Dave

[Wayne S]

That is fantastic! especially for ball joints!!

<b>Red 4.0 Litre V8 DHC Grinnall (with huuuuuge arches...!)</b>