Front lower arm suspension bushes - normal or not?

raven68 · Post by **raven68** » Wed Jul 16, 14 9:16 pm

Fitted new suspension bushes into the lower arms over the winter as part of a total front end rebuild kit. Last couple of weekends there has been horrendous squeaking noises from the front suspension when cruising around - enough cause people to wonder WTF is that noise !

So we jacked up the car and had a look. New roll bar bushes were definitely squeaking badly so they were cleaned and lightly greased (originally fitted with no grease) and then we noticed the rubber in the lower suspension arm bushes seems to be getting squeezed out as per pics below? I'm guessing this shouldn't happen - any thoughts as to why ? Anyway we temporarily cured the squeaks by liberal amounts of WD40.... but we're now thinking of replacing these bushes again after just a few hundred miles......

John · Post by **John** » Wed Jul 16, 14 9:21 pm

Yeah they look cream crackered. Were they a tight fit when you installed them as there looks to be a huge gap particulaly in the 1st pic?

JohnR · Post by **JohnR** » Wed Jul 16, 14 9:25 pm

Did you tighten them up with the cars weight on it ?? if not they are tearing out ,

raven68 · Post by **raven68** » Wed Jul 16, 14 9:47 pm

JohnR wrote:Did you tighten them up with the cars weight on it ?? if not they are tearing out ,

JohnS : yes the new bushes were pressed in with a 10t press so they are firmly in place, BUT I suspect that JohnR you are right. My son rebuilt the front end and I suspect he didn't have the car loaded up at ride height when he tightened it all up......

Blue · Post by **Blue** » Thu Jul 17, 14 7:19 am

Yep, bushes definatly shot. Not trying to be an arse but were they installed in the correct order? You press the pin into the bush first and then use a tube longer than the pin to press the whole assembly into the arm using the metal lip of the bush. Then fully tighten at ride height. doing it by any other method will destroy the bush.

Dave999 · Post by **Dave999** » Thu Jul 17, 14 8:39 am

if he did that on the bottom he may well have done it at the top as well

Dave

raven68 · Post by **raven68** » Thu Jul 17, 14 9:25 pm

Blue wrote:Yep, bushes definatly shot. Not trying to be an arse but were they installed in the correct order? You press the pin into the bush first and then use a tube longer than the pin to press the whole assembly into the arm using the metal lip of the bush. Then fully tighten at ride height. doing it by any other method will destroy the bush.

That's not being an arse Blue! Its being honest

To be frank I don't recall what we did, but I don't think that method would have been the obvious way to do it to us 'novices', so I'll have a word with the lad when he's back at the weekend and see what he remembers. I'll go have a look at the pictures we took as well.............

Fact is they are shot so we'll replace them as per your advice, cheers !