Drives like brand new

After fitting some new bushes to Panhard rod and rebuilding the drop arm ball joint it's like a new truck and all the horrible play has gone! Couldn't believe that a simple thing like that could make the drive so bad!
Dan

Dannyboy444 said:

After fitting some new bushes to Panhard rod and rebuilding the drop arm ball joint it's like a new truck and all the horrible play has gone! Couldn't believe that a simple thing like that could make the drive so bad!
Dan

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That's reassuring as I'll be replacing mine on the weekend along with all the radius arm bushes and swivel bearings on the near side, already replaced the bearings and track rod ends and swivel bearings on the off side so hopefully mine will handle like new to

Very good hope yours is as successful as mine!
Dan

I think people learn to live with poor handling especially when it comes on slowly, it is only when you actually get around to replacing things like bushes that you realise how bad it has got.

I am the other way, I tend to err on the side of caution and replace things before it is really necessary.
A few years ago I noticed the otherwise excellent steering going "off" slightly on my 90 and on inspection found a front radius-arm bush had split. I used this as an excuse to replace the whole set with some BM polyurethane items but never really liked them (too firm) and recently replaced them all for OE (nothing wrong with the BM items but I just didn't like them). The vehcile still handles as well as nothing had failed on the BM items but the ride is massively improved and is much softer again, still taught but no shakes or vibrations which I suffered with the hard bushes.

Ye I understand this is a lot of peoples thought on the poly bushes! I don't really understand why they where made for the landrovers but hey each to there own I suppose lol!
I know a few people who had them and said they just wore out within weeks because there was no movement within them!
I prefer the OE specs myself aswell and will stay with I think!
Dan

Dannyboy444 said:

Ye I understand this is a lot of peoples thought on the poly bushes! I don't really understand why they where made for the landrovers but hey each to there own I suppose lol!
I know a few people who had them and said they just wore out within weeks because there was no movement within them!
I prefer the OE specs myself aswell and will stay with I think!
Dan

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They sell because you dont need a press to install them. Most peeps go for the HD poly bushes and then suffer the harsh ride. The secret is to get the softest poly bushes you can or stick with OEM and make friends with your local mechanic who can press them in for a beer or three.

"or stick with OEM and make friends with your local mechanic who can press them in for a beer or three"

We've been here many times before.
Of course it is a lot easier to have them (OEM) fitted with a press but it is also quite straight forward to replace them at home DIY. I did mine (again) last weekend with nothing more than a hole-cutter, hacksaw, spacers (of various diameters), lump hammer and vice.
Cut through the rubber with the holesaw and use the hacksaw to cut through the outer sleeve. Clean up & lubricate the hole that the bush is to be fitted into and then using the correct sized spacer tap and/or use the vice to push the bush into the hole.
Takes between 15-30 minutes a bush start to finish, handy if it is your only mode of transport and getting to a press is out of the question.

I just undertook some rebushing on my estate car, the wishbone was going to be about £100 for a decent quality one (Lemforder) however I was able to buy OE bushes for £32 quid and re-bush it back to like new.

Everyone told me to get poly bushes for it, using words like "upgrade" and "performance" what it really boiled down to is DIY car mechanics are just not used to having to huge huge big hammers and brute force like us Landy lot.

I stripped the two bushes out the arm and then pushed them in with a big vice and some bits of scaff bar in about an hour, it would have been even quicker had I not been holding it upside down and started to drive it in from the wrong side which would meant driving it right through the arm and partially back out the other side again. Had to start again.

I even paid my local garage to fit it which was £40 so for £72 quid I have a good as new, and technically better than just new because it's still the original genuine part.

I found the easiest way to Change them was to get a 32mm socket and place it over the bush put a threaded bar with a washer an nut on through the middle of the socket and bush then turn it over find a socket that fits the metal lip of the bush (needs to be just small enough to not catch the housing)put another washer then a nut and tighten it up, in affect it pulls the little socket through and the bush goes into the 32mm socket then the same again to pull the new one in!
Regards Dan