Struggling with polybushes

[Spathodus77]

Hi,

Having taken all eight bushes out of the front wishbones using just a vice and a couple of old sockets in less 1 hour I thought fitting the new polybushes would be easy...but 2 hours later I've only managed to fit two. The two halves of the polybush slip into the wishbone easily using just the supplied lubricant and hard finger pressure, but inserting the metal tube insert leads to one of the halves popping back out by a few mm. After multiple attempts the second half only popped out by 1mm. At present I'm think this will be OK to put on the car. Is it normal to struggle this much? Anyone got any tips for making the fitting easier?

Thanks,

Ralph

[phillpot]

I found the metal tube went in a lot easier if I cut a very small chamfer on the inside edge of the second bush, where the tube is trying to go from the first half into the second. Make sense?

Used a very sharp knife and only cut the tinniest amount off.

[Elfit]

Yes it's normal.
I found some to be easy but others were particularly difficult.( Can't remember which ones now).

[Andy Lynch]

I will let you know how mine goes back together, I have a set on order, should be delivered tomorrow, along with steering rack bushes, anti roll bar bushes and drop links. Oh wishbones and anti roll bar being powder coated, hopefully ready Monday.

If you find an easy way or have any tips please do let me know.

Andy

[philbrooker]

I know it doesn't help with fitting but mine kept on popping out too , just got them fitted in ASAP, when I removed them still attached to the wishbones 6 months later all was well !!

[Barkychoc]

I put my polybushes in boiling water to help get them in the wishbones, and as suggested above cut a tiny sliver from the circumference of the bush on the inner diameter.

[ketvrin]

Which did you get? Powerflex or Superflex ?

The Superflex ones I got went in no problem (with grease of course)

K

[shoab]

I used Superflex and they went in OK. I used lots of the supplied grease and a vice. My problem was keeping them in long enough to fit the wishbones. I fitted the bushes and used a bolt in each side to hold them in for a few hours and then they stayed put while I fitted the swing arms.

[Spathodus77]

Hi, thanks for all the advice. I'm going to have a crack at fitting the other ones tonight. My sharp knife is primed and ready!

The bushes I've gone for are superflex. I have n't had any issues with them popping out over time - they just pop out when I insert the metal tube (i.e. immediately I unwind the vice).

As I say, I'll give the thin sliver trick a go and also try warming the bushes up with warm water.

Thanks,

Ralph.

[PompeyTim]

It was a few years ago now, but if I remember rightly I think I effectively pressed them in using the bench vice. I can't recall struggling particularly...

[mep12345]

This is how I did it

[Spathodus77]

Thanks Mark - I am using your method. Managed to get the offside lower wishbone bolted to the car today. Lots of hammering required! Shock absorber went on easily...

My next opportunity to attack the job will be sunday night so we'll see how it goes...

Ralph

[mep12345]

Spathodus77 said:

Managed to get the offside lower wishbone bolted to the car today. lot of hammering....

If they are very tight just file a little off the end of the metal liners until they are a tight but snug fit in the chassis brackets rather than hammer them in

[davidh2905]

Hi, where is best supplier(Best price!) in UK for full set of front and rear uprated bushes? Would also like to replace rack mounting rubbers and antiroll bar mountings.

Thanks, David
P.S photo was taken this morning, engine nearly ready to be lifted out.

[mep12345]

If you are a TVRCC member then TVR Car Parts is the best place as you get a discount by quoting your membership number and all suppliers seem to supply the same powerflex parts for the front. For the rear I think Steve Heath is the only option for Polybushes and TVR Car Parts for original semi-bonded rubber, although I bought mine from a bearing place in Guildford (but they need orders of 100 before they make a batch of them and they had run out).

[phillpot]

mep12345 said:

all suppliers seem to supply the same powerflex parts for the front.

Apart from those that supply "Superflex" bushes

Bought mine from MotorSport World, at the time they were offering a discount which made them cheaper than buying from Superflex directly.

www.superflex.co.uk

www.motorsportworld.co.uk

www.powerflex.co.uk

Edited by phillpot on Sunday 4th December 20:25

[shpub]

There is a lot of confusion here....

I sell the Powerflex poly bushes. I developed the S series Powerflex poly bushes with Powerflex in response to request from S owners for a better bush design.

The Powerflex polybush has a built in metal to metal glacier bearing.

This is different from the Superflex design which has a poly to metal bearing.

The Powerflex kit uses Powerflex bushes for front and back. It does not use Superflex for the front wishbones.

I bundle the kits with bolt sets because the replacement process typically will encounter bolts that need replacing as they have been cut or ground off.
Bear this in mind as most of the bolts are notoriously hard to get. I actually bought up the last boxes of the rear bush bolts as after they were gone, that was it.

Unlike most other Powerflex suppliers, I actually keep stock as Powerflex lead times can be several weeks.

[Spathodus77]

The cutting a sliver/chamfer into the inside edge of one half of the bush worked well. As did Marks tip RE filling down the metal inserts. The former made fitting the bushes easy...however the lower wishbones still required bashing and swearing to get into position.

Thanks to all for your advice.

Ralph