search sleeve or tube for wishbone bushes!

[brittanytvr]

Hi,
I try to complete my rear suspension on an Elva, have found
polybush(jag xk150!!) that fit correctly in the wishbones but the sleeve holes aren't correct !
The sleeve is 3/4" OD and 5/8 ID and my holes on the chassis bracket are
3/8" !
I search some tube with 3/4" OD and 3/8" ID, eventually 1/2" or 12MM ID in stainless or something good ( tube around 14" lenght, 8 bushes to do!), an idea where I can found this tube in Gb, here in France it is 18MM or 20MM OD but not 19 and the internal diameter aren't good!!
Thanks in advance
Chris

[oakdale]

Could you use this to space your existing sleeves?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ALUMINIUM-TUBE-5-8-OD-3-8-ID...

[brittanytvr]

thanks Oakdale for the link, why not?
Also seen http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/3-4-SEAMLESS-STEEL-TUBE-x-61...
could perhaps be ok when drilled to 3/8",or 10mm?
seamless is correct for this suspension part? or is it a standard steel that corrode?
Chris

[oakdale]

It's standard steel that will corrode.

[oakdale]

These people list a 3/4 OD seamless stainless steel tube with a wall thickness of 10 swg = 3.521mm (so would need drilling out slightly for a 12mm bolt), click general tubes to view.
http://www.united-stainless.com/stocklist.html

[brittanytvr]

Thanks,
I have just mailed them to know if they can send to France!
Chris

[phillpot]

Ever tried drilling stainless ? Its not easy with normal diy tools ! !

[GreenV8S]

How many decades does it need to last? You shouldn't need stainless, and if you're going to end up machining it yourself you'd be far better off going for mild steel bar / tube. You can always paint it if you're concerned about corrosion.

[Mr2Mike]

GreenV8S said:

How many decades does it need to last? You shouldn't need stainless, and if you're going to end up machining it yourself you'd be far better off going for mild steel bar / tube. You can always paint it if you're concerned about corrosion.

Stainless is always a good idea for polyurethane bush crush tubes; when mild steel ones go rusty it can tighten the joint up so much that the bush can no longer rotate around the tube. This appears to have been a cause of at least a couple of suspension failures on 7 type cars; the forces involved in the polybush material deforming to accept all the suspension movement was enough to fatigue and ultimately fracture the join between the bush tube and the wishbone.

[PhillipM]

phillpot said:

Ever tried drilling stainless ? Its not easy with normal diy tools ! !

It is, slow the drill down, stick some oil on the bit to draw the heat, and feed hard so you cut under the work hardening, sorted.

Edited by PhillipM on Monday 19th October 00:43

[brittanytvr]

hi, thanks all
I have made them at a local machining workshop in stainless steel with the correct size.
Chris