Rear Wishbone Bushes...

[Bassfiend229hp]

One of my advisories on my MOT last year was the rear bushes starting to separate so - as I've spent this afternoon beavering away at my desk (OK - sat in the bath with my laptop) with a spreadsheet trying to budget for this years "repairs"...

Anyway - can someone tell me whether the following *THREE* sets of bushes are everything I need?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/400378687870?ssPageName=...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/300840984027?ssPageName=...

...and ...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/400378687909?ssPageName=...

(It seems like there are three sets of bushes required.)

Also - has anyone actually done this themselves at home or is it something I am going to have to get a garage to do? (I do have access to a 10 ton press which I used previously to press out the old bearing in the "fake" PAS idler when that collapsed.)

How much of a ball-ache is it to do?

Phil

[al 350i]

will be doing this job soon myself so any tips you happen to come across will be handy

you'd think they'd package them and sell as one complete kit for the rear!!

[Bassfiend229hp]

There appears to be quite a disparity in what's charged for the kits - this...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TVR-Chimaera-All-Models-...

...appears to be nearly £100 dearer than the link I listed above but for the same kit!

[Jonny cobra]

I replaced the whole front end bushes last year . Its doable at home . I know your after doing the back end bushes cant be a lot different . You will have to get it Geo set up after.. Good luck .

JC..

[Andav469]

The bushes are fairly easy to remove, just a bit time consuming, I heated the bushes up with a blowtorch and quickly the rubber melts and releases the inner steel core, leaving the outer core in place.
To remove the outer core, I fed a hacksaw blade through the core, refitted to the hacksaw handle and cut a groove right through the outer core being careful not to damage the wishbone, the outer core is then easily tapped out with a flat bladed screwdriver and mallet

Edited by Andav469 on Sunday 28th April 22:05

[Jonny cobra]

Thats how i did mine ...

JC

[Bassfiend229hp]

How easily do the Powerflex bushes go in?

Geo I don't have a problem with - if I can get all the figures my mate has kit for doing geo setups...

[roseytvr]

Phil
The diagram in the second advert is correct in terms of what you need. Very doable at home with a vice, a press will be a do dale. Power flex bushes slide in very easily, much easier than getting the ld ones out.
Ian

[Bassfiend229hp]

Anyone know what diameter and length the bolts are for the rear wishbones?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TVR-Griffith-and-Chimera...

£70 seems a tad excessive when I just need to do the rears.

[Russell Mc]

I just finished doing all the bushes on my car on Sunday. I used those bolts listed on ebay too. Unfortunately the rear bolts aren't all the same size. The front lowers are significantly longer then the others.

Like stated getting the old bushes out takes a lot longer then putting the new ones in. Also depends if you have your arms blasted, painted or powder coated etc as the time soon adds up!

[Bassfiend229hp]

Hmmm ... hadn't thought about getting them blasted and coated while I'm doing them ...

[Russell Mc]

Tis the perfect time. Depends on the condition. The rear lower tubular arms seem to hold up well, its the others with all the mud traps that seem to suffer. See how they are when you strip them down

[Andav469]

The rears tend to last quite well, it's the fronts that rust away as you look at them.

The seller on eBay will set you up a package of bolts to your requirement

[Alun450]

Mud traps allright, they do get abit thin if left for any time, is this a stupid question but
Could you have all wishbones galvanised?

Might look dire but would last two sets of bushes worth!

I've spoke with someone this evening who said get the old ones pressed out if needs be then the new ones just drop in. Can't wait to do mine. Goodluck

[pearly]

Just finished doing mine, there are 22 bushes in all, 4 on each front corner, 7 on each back corner.
On the back, 3 are in the hub itself, I used a 3mm drill to weaken the rubber so that I could press the centre out with a long bolt and old sockets, then cut outer sleeve with hacksaw and then pressed that out with yet more old sockets. Had to heat the hub on a couple and spray wd40 on the sleeve to cool that a little on 2 of them.
All the others were put in a vice and pressed out with old sockets.
Some of the original bushes look like they were pressed in to freshly powder coated wishbones, these definitely moved easier after heat applied.
I certainly wouldn't fancy doing it again for a while, very time consuming.

[Alun450]

How many hours in total would you say it took you, it's s balls ache but it's the joints, arthritis or no arthritis kind of thing. Those that have replaced all said bushes how does the car feel before/after? Is it worth the grime.

[Bassfiend229hp]

Mine's starting to clonk more frequently from the rear so I reckon for me it *NEEDS* to be done and isn't an option as it'll almost certainly fail the MOT in October...

Just having a look to see what a replacement set of wishbones would cost me...

[Andav469]

I replaced all my bushes front and back, the car feels much more solid, especially over bumps, I can't really tell the difference in handling as I replaced all my ball joints and fitted leven drop links at the same time.

[Bassfiend229hp]

Hmmm ... Seems that SC Power are doing a full set of wishbones for £625 inc VAT and delivery - this could get expensive.

[pearly]

Alun450 said:

How many hours in total would you say it took you, it's s balls ache but it's the joints, arthritis or no arthritis kind of thing. Those that have replaced all said bushes how does the car feel before/after? Is it worth the grime.

This depends if you are cleaning up painting or powder coating wishbones before you put them back.
Drilling the rubber, pushing out the centre, hacksaw outer and pressing the outer took me roughly half an hour per bush in the vice.
Doing the same but on the car (rear hubs) took one & half hours each roughly each, main because I didn't get the socket straight and bent the bolt or snapped the bolt/stripped the thread.
Car on axle stands and crawling around working on rear hubs made my knee's ache like hell, but could just be me
One other thing, I did to try and keep the camber as close to correct as possible until properly set up is;
Placed scissor jack under the brake disc (my jack has a slot in it,perfect for disc) raise it a tad, then fix with a small 8-10 inch long level to the hub next to the wheel stubs with a bungee. Use insulating tape to pack and get bubble in the middle, then I did the top wishbones first and replaced them before taking the bottom ones off.
Scissor jack was good for supporting hub and made it easier to line everything up to put bolts back in.
I did the fronts first then had to mot it, it felt a lot better, then did the rears after, but haven't driven it yet.
Remember to replace the anti roll bar bushes as well.
Hope this is of help.