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 Trailing arm bushes
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RhysN
V4 Fanatic

United Kingdom
411 Posts

Posted - 30 Oct 2018 :  14:16:09 Show Profile Reply with Quote
Before I put myself in a position of difficulty, can these be sourced?

RhysN
V4 Fanatic

United Kingdom
411 Posts

Posted - 30 Oct 2018 :  15:31:00 Show Profile Reply with Quote
Right, found an answer for those! Not too difficult to extract either!
What about the centre bush?As in availability. Costly from some suppliers.
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greg124
V4 Fan

United Kingdom
173 Posts

Posted - 30 Oct 2018 :  16:40:01 Show Profile Reply with Quote
When I replaced the centre bush on my 96 it came from Malbrad, about £60 from memory. Couldn't find any other supplier in the UK.
I used a mate's hydraulic press to insert the new trailing arm bushes, but it was not possible to get the bit where the centre bush lives into the press. Also, used wd40 as a lubricant when inserting the new bushes.

Sounds like your car will be back on the road again before mine...
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RhysN
V4 Fanatic

United Kingdom
411 Posts

Posted - 30 Oct 2018 :  18:57:09 Show Profile Reply with Quote
Greg, at my age I probably have a bit more time than you!
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andydeans3
V4 Guru

United Kingdom
1994 Posts

Posted - 31 Oct 2018 :  21:15:48 Show Profile Reply with Quote
Centre bush is £70 from Malbrad.

Tell me Greg, how did you get that centre bush out? I plan to drop my back axle some time this winter to clean and paint everything in the axle tunnel, and fit new bushes.
Unless you have some sort of special tool of exactly the right diameter, I could see it being a bit of a pig getting that old centre bush out.
Andy

1978 LHD SAAB 96
1978 MGB Roadster
2008 LHD "Classic" Renault Twingo
1991 Nissan Figaro
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RhysN
V4 Fanatic

United Kingdom
411 Posts

Posted - 01 Nov 2018 :  07:43:51 Show Profile Reply with Quote
Andy, exactly the same reason I haven't attempted that one yet!
I'm cleaning the beam up (blasting) and hammerite as it can't go in a powdercoating oven with the bush in.
As the beam will now be easy to drop out in the future with all the new nuts, drop strap bolts, copper grease on all bolts etc, I can do the centre one when it's needed rather than just because I have it out.
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Derek
V4 Guru

United Kingdom
2187 Posts

Posted - 01 Nov 2018 :  12:00:09 Show Profile Reply with Quote
I guess you could cobble up an extractor our of a length of threaded rod and some spacers plus washers and that's probably what the official tool is like. Do I remember that is shown in the WS manual? Or, you could go crude and burn or drill out the rubber and then use a triangular file to cut a groove in the outer sleeve followed by a hammer and chisel. Maybe a Dremel, if you have one, for the groove.
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greg124
V4 Fan

United Kingdom
173 Posts

Posted - 01 Nov 2018 :  17:45:13 Show Profile Reply with Quote
Just pulled out the invoice for the centre bush, Andy. Turns out I'd remembered the ex. VAT price.

To get the old bush out I found a socket with an o/d just slightly smaller than that of the bush to use as a drift, put the axle in a vice attached to a heavy bench, then proceeded with a big hammer and a lot of grunting. Took a lot of effort to get it moving, but once it started to go it came out easily.

My refurbished rear axle went back in the Custardwagon this afternoon. Still got to fit the new springs,shocks,check straps & brakes

Clive
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Dirtbiker
V4 Guru

United Kingdom
1060 Posts

Posted - 01 Nov 2018 :  19:45:01 Show Profile Reply with Quote
Hi guys,
I used a hacksaw. Take the blade out, thread through the hole and refit to the saw. Then cut through the centre sleeve, the rubber and the outer sleeve and stop there. The whole lot then pushes out painlessly.
Greg, I’ll look for your bits when I get 5 minutes, not forgotten!
Cheers
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greg124
V4 Fan

United Kingdom
173 Posts

Posted - 02 Nov 2018 :  00:21:40 Show Profile Reply with Quote
Just goes to show there's more than one way to skin an eel. I guess the limitations are what 'tools' you have at hand and your imagination...

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greg124
V4 Fan

United Kingdom
173 Posts

Posted - 03 Nov 2018 :  16:53:38 Show Profile Reply with Quote
Rhys & Andy,

it's a good idea to refit the big grommets for the handbrake cables before refitting the rear axle. Ask me how I know...
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RhysN
V4 Fanatic

United Kingdom
411 Posts

Posted - 03 Nov 2018 :  17:38:13 Show Profile Reply with Quote
Thanks Greg.
I was tempted to do the big cut with the hacksaw as I've done before. The only reason I need to take it out is if I have the axle powder coated it must be out for the oven. I'm still debating.
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Gavinc
V4 Fan

United Kingdom
103 Posts

Posted - 03 Nov 2018 :  20:39:12 Show Profile Reply with Quote
If you have the axle off the car then the easiest method is just to burn it out with a hot torch, you'll just be left with the bush outer sleeve which can then be attacked fairly easily. Sometimes you will be lucky using a tool to extract, but more often than not the sleeve will be stuck pretty solid with rust. Personally I would not powdercoat an axle, it does tend to chip off and once compromised water gets on and the whole thing ends up flaky. On my rally cars I use rustbuster's epoxy mastic paint. It's two part, dries fairly quickly and is as indestructible as anything I've found, really strong stuff and I would highly recommend it to you.

96V4 stage rally car
99 stage rally car.
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andydeans3
V4 Guru

United Kingdom
1994 Posts

Posted - 04 Nov 2018 :  18:25:40 Show Profile Reply with Quote
Thanks for all the tips guys.
I was planning to paint the axle tunnel and axle itself with POR 15. A suit of armour in a tin!!
Brush paint one coat, and top coat with an aerosol tin.
Not cheap, and nasty if you get it on your skin, and let it dry. (DON'T- wear two pairs of gloves). Once it's dried it does not come off. You have to wait till your skin wears off!

You also have to meticulously clean the lid when you first open it, and NEVER get it around the inner edge of the tin, before you close it. I also put cling around the top of the tin before closing it.

Great coating though.



1978 LHD SAAB 96
1978 MGB Roadster
2008 LHD "Classic" Renault Twingo
1991 Nissan Figaro
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greg124
V4 Fan

United Kingdom
173 Posts

Posted - 05 Nov 2018 :  00:00:59 Show Profile Reply with Quote
POR-15 is really nasty to use. Throw the brush away after use. If you get it on your skin it takes about 3 weeks to slough off.
But, I used it on the Alvis chassis, and after 12 years the only area where it has been compromised was due to a fuel leak.
As you say Andy, don't get any round the rim...

cheers
Clive

Edited by - greg124 on 05 Nov 2018 00:02:36
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RhysN
V4 Fanatic

United Kingdom
411 Posts

Posted - 05 Nov 2018 :  17:24:41 Show Profile Reply with Quote
I used to do shows ith my product at the time, in conjunction with the NZ distributor of POR. (great stuff, read the instructions Greg :) about gloves) anyway, one show Murray was promoting and saying to be wary of getting it on your hands, when a bloke at the back of the gathering yelled out, "Yes he's right, great stuff, but I needed to take a pee and had some on my hands, and it's still on the old fella", at which point he unzipped and wanted to prove the point.
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