Rear suspension transverse link bush?

Headtester · Jan 23, 2011

On my Discovery 2 fitted with ACE and coils I get a clunking noise which seems to be as the weight of my Disco moves from left to right, I'm fairly sure it's coming from the rear of the vehicle but it's difficult to be certain.

I've jacked it up and tried to see if there's any movement in any of the many bushes but can't find any movement or see anything obviously wrong, although with the jack on the chassis as opposed to the radius arm I can't jack the car up high enough to get all the weight of the wheel off the ground. (If I jack it up on the radius arms the wheels can be lifted off the floor but they then the radius arms still have weight on them.) I've also checked the wheels don't knock from side to side to try and eliminate dodgy wheel bearings.

The only thing that seems wrong is signs of grease / oil on the bushes of both the rear suspension transverse link. Are these bushes solid or do they have grease in them? Do you think they could be the cause of the problem? - I'm inclined to think the bushes have failed??

See the diagram from Rave with the suspect bush circled.

Any advice how to diagnose the problem more accurately would be welcome, I'm struggling to work out how to check which bushes are knackered.

Cheers

jamesmartin · Jan 23, 2011

could be try a lever bar and try and move them ,could also be anti roll bar links

Headtester · Jan 23, 2011

Thanks James, do you know if the bushes are solid rubber or do they have grease inside them?

jamesmartin · Jan 23, 2011

no just rubber bushes

Headtester · Jan 23, 2011

Thanks, I'll have to try jacking the car up again next weekend - or is it better to try and check the various bushes whilst the car is on the ground?

jamesmartin · Jan 24, 2011

if you can tak wieght of each bush in turn it is easier

thebiglad · Jan 24, 2011

Clunking, as you describe, is more often caused by worn anti-rollbar links as seen here:

Discovery 2 anti roll bar links items - Get great deals on Vehicle Parts Accessories items on eBay UK!

Cheers
Dave

Headtester · Jan 27, 2011

thebiglad said:
Clunking, as you describe, is more often caused by worn anti-rollbar links as seen here:

Discovery 2 anti roll bar links items - Get great deals on Vehicle Parts Accessories items on eBay UK!
Cheers
Dave

Thanks Dave, any tips on how I check them?

Landybandy · Jan 27, 2011

Headtester I have the same problem as you, with the weight of the disco from left to right movement thing etc......I replaced the rear anti roll bar bushes, the clunking was still there. I then replaced the rear link arms, to no avail clunking noise still there. So next job is the rear transverse link bushes.

thebiglad · Jan 27, 2011

Headtester said:
Thanks Dave, any tips on how I check them?

Get underneath the car and get hold of them and try to move up and down - any play at all means they're bûggered.

Headtester · Jan 27, 2011

Thanks guys, I'll try and have a look at the weekend and let you know what I find

Mr Noisy · Jan 28, 2011

This is very common on d2.

It's called the watts linkage.

2 man job, you lie under rear axle and get someone to grab gutter rail and side to side the car.

You will visibly see either bushes no 15 or bush no 10 is worn and is moving about.

To repair you have to remove both panhard rods and then remove the centre link, the see-saw thingy.

The bushes are the same on the ends of it but the centre one is different.

I have a vague memory that they have pillow balls in the bush, but I might be wrong.

Anyway that's what it is mate

Headtester · Jan 28, 2011

Mr Noisy said:
This is very common on d2.

It's called the watts linkage.

2 man job, you lie under rear axle and get someone to grab gutter rail and side to side the car.

You will visibly see either bushes no 15 or bush no 10 is worn and is moving about.

To repair you have to remove both panhard rods and then remove the centre link, the see-saw thingy.

The bushes are the same on the ends of it but the centre one is different.

I have a vague memory that they have pillow balls in the bush, but I might be wrong.

Anyway that's what it is mate

Nice one, thanks for the help, I'll let you know how I get on.

Landybandy · Jan 28, 2011

Has anybody done the rear transverse bushes themselves? Do the bushes come out easy viceversa. + any idea of cost? I was towing my caravan today and the disco felt quite wobbley on the rear not nice.

Landybandy · Jan 29, 2011

Headtester · Jan 30, 2011

An update on this - thanks to Mr Noisy's tips on how to check the linkage bushes:

I need to replace the three bushes on the watts linkage and the bushes at the end of the rear suspension transverse links. On the watts linkage only the bottom bush is showing signs of movement but I see little point in only doing that one. The transverse link bushes are showing signs of grease having leaked out of them so I'll do those too.

I will also need to get some big ring spanners too - as far as I can work out I will need 20, 21, 22 & 23 mm - can't get sockets on all of the bolts - why fit four different sized nuts and bolts to one component!!

Next question; can anyone help out with part numbers for the bushes and a good place to get OEM or genuine ones from?

Cheers

David Pye · Jan 30, 2011

I am going to have to do the same job at some point - the bottom bush has way too much play in it and is causing a clunk. I'm going to replace the lot, including the centre bush, but suspect I will end up taking the linkage to a garage and getting them to press the bushes out, as frankly I can't be arsed with smashing up a decent socket and/or trying to saw/dremel/burn them out like I did with the panhard rod.

Try this thread:

http://www.landyzone.co.uk/lz/f8/watts-linkage-bushes-rgx100960-109719-2.html

Headtester · Jan 30, 2011

David Pye said:
I am going to have to do the same job at some point - the bottom bush has way too much play in it and is causing a clunk. I'm going to replace the lot, including the centre bush, but suspect I will end up taking the linkage to a garage and getting them to press the bushes out, as frankly I can't be arsed with smashing up a decent socket and/or trying to saw/dremel/burn them out like I did with the panhard rod.

Try this thread:

http://www.landyzone.co.uk/lz/f8/watts-linkage-bushes-rgx100960-109719-2.html

Thanks David, I'll have a ring around tomorrow and see how much I can get the parts for (and the additional spanners I'll need).
I'm going to have a go at doing it myself first of all, if I get stuck (or the bushes do) I'll try to find someone that press the old ones out if needs be.

Mr Noisy · Jan 31, 2011

I had to buy big spanners for this job.

I bought 20 21 22 24, and needed them!

And yeah I reckon it's hydraulic press only - when I did the watts bushes on 99 d2 they where an absolute **** to press out - the 12 ton unit only just managed!

Defo not a socket job!

omg · Jan 31, 2011

l did mine yesterday.

if you drift out the centre core of the watts bushes yoy can saw through the outer steel part of the bushand knock them out with a socket as a drift.
fitting the new bushes is possible using the same socket as removing. you need a large socket to support the link.
the chassis end bushes have a plastic outer, if you run a drill bit 8mm ish thrugh the bush as close to the outside as you can it will knock out very easy. i got all the bushes ( 5 ) as a set from britishparts.co.uk £96.00 plus postage.

i did all three on the link and the two link to chassis bushes in two and a half hours on my own. definatly worth doing.

hope this helps martin

Rear suspension transverse link bush?

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