Rear Beam Bush Type Help

[MTi]

Hi again, moved on to the rear beam bushes now after getting everything stripped down and painted.

Not sure about the fitment of the bushes I got - all the 69mm diameter ones availible seem to be like the ones I bought, but info/videos I've seen seem to all be 72mm which look a bit different, I'm assuming 69mm are the correct ones as even these have been a bugger to get in:

This bit with the red dot is not on the bushes I've seen installed. So as I am compressing the bush in, it bottoms out and this is what I end up with - ~5mm gap:

This is the info for the bushes I got:

They came as a set but are both identical. If I line up the nib (1) with the bottom weld for both sides, the orientation the rubber bit (red dot) will be different position, is this correct?

I can get a bit of 70mm ID pipe and push the bush in all the way but now wondering if its meant to be like this with a gap.

Wanted to get some help before I go any further as getting the bush back out will be fun if I need different bushes.

Thanks for any Ideas.
M

 

[MTi]

Just an update in case it helps anyone in the future, I bought a sample piece of 76mm OD 2mm wall pipe off ebay and it worked a treat to get the bushes in the last 5mm.

The beam went back in far easier than i was expecting, lined up perfect.

 

[iammooks]

Something I found when I did mine was that there's a narrower section that sticks out the other end that can sometimes get squashed if you're putting bushes in yourself and you don't have a proper press. More than one person here experienced that I think.

Size wise though, I used ones that were advertised as being bigger than my rear beam was listed as being, and they fitted fine. I think they're all the same size, given the rear beam is the same, I think.

Makes a big difference to the handling - especially if you've been driving on ones that are buggered.


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[MTi]

Something I found when I did mine was that there's a narrower section that sticks out the other end that can sometimes get squashed if you're putting bushes in yourself and you don't have a proper press. More than one person here experienced that I think.

Size wise though, I used ones that were advertised as being bigger than my rear beam was listed as being, and they fitted fine. I think they're all the same size, given the rear beam is the same, I think.

Makes a big difference to the handling - especially if you've been driving on ones that are buggered.


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Good to know they are probably the same diameter whether is says 69mm or 72mm but glad that jobs out the way. Having the right tool proved to be key again as i was scratting around initially for washers/hole saws/washers and such which where just bending with the pressure. My bushes had advisory for 2 years and they failed on the 3rd year so looking forward to better handling for sure, especially as by the time ive finished all the suspension/steering bits will be new.

 

[iammooks]

Good to know they are probably the same diameter whether is says 69mm or 72mm but glad that jobs out the way. Having the right tool proved to be key again as i was scratting around initially for washers/hole saws/washers and such which where just bending with the pressure. My bushes had advisory for 2 years and they failed on the 3rd year so looking forward to better handling for sure, especially as by the time ive finished all the suspension/steering bits will be new.

It's weird - I never got an advisory for mine, but they were so bad it was like the rear wasn't attached to the car - I had to take real care in the rain and when the road wasn't perfectly level because the shimmy made it feel like I was going to lose control. Given it's on British roads, it wasn't fun.

When I put the new ones in, it felt like a touring car. Took it round some roads where there are two long sweeping bends one after the other, right then left. I pushed and pushed to the point I was screaming, and it was just so planted.

I've got an ARB on the rear now too and you'd have no idea it's a FWD car. No understeer but no oversteer either - it's just right where I need it to be.

A few months after I fitted the new bushes, it had its MoT. Tester comes out for a word, so thought I was really in trouble. "Those rear bushes - did you fit those?" Ah crap and on something I fitted too. "I'll bet they were a pig to put in, weren't they?"

I think that's an understatement. I really don't enjoy any job that means getting under the car, but that one's one of the worst of them all.

Fair play to you.


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[MTi]

I would agree it was the worst job ive done in recent years, I always hit my head when under the car so keeping calm is always a struggle haha. Is the ARB just a bolt on type afair? I haven't looked into doing anything that isn't stock so far. When the car failed the MoT a garage quoted £650 just to do the rear bushes, thats about what I will have spent on all the parts so well worth doing.

I did quite a bit of work on my fiesta and also had the MoT guy have a chat about it, like you said when he started talking I was ready for him to say what was wrong, he just said I'd done a good job with everything.

I did the brake lines tonight and cant quite decide whether to paint the calipers of not.

Will have a look into the ARB and what it involves

 

[andylong]

ARB s are always worth it, esp if you don't have one at all. Fewer downsides for you than on the multilink since your wheels are connected already