P38A Radius arm bush play

I have noticed on my p38 that the front radius arm bushes, which can clearly be seen from front under car, are sliding left or right, whichever the cars weight has last been.

So my question is this normal? Seems to be quite a gap either side of bush, usually on bushes on other makes of vehicle have no gaps.

I'm looking at buying new bushes but wondered if side to side play is normal.

Also no notice that drivers wheel sits further back into wheel well than the passenger side. This is when i noticed the radius arm bushes had moved over to the left. Which would mean driver wheel sticks out alittle and passenger wheel sunken back in to wheel well. Possibly 1/2" to 3/4".

No, that is not normal. Getting the new bushes in can be a PITA. Clean as can be, some washing up liquid, squeeze with jubilee clips, press a little, leave, press some more ... and so forth. Think @tomcatalan cut the front edge off to help it in.

So are the bushes glued to the inner bar that the bolt goes through.

I've done bushes before, majority a pain in.backside to get out. Usually i have replaced with easy slip in poly bushes.

I have been experiencing front end wobble whilst driving. First i replaced passenger wheel bearing as was play. Now struggling to see where this wobbly coming from until now with he possibility of these radius arm bushes sliding side to side on the central shaft.

I assume meant to be gap either side of rubber also?

Btw I'm trying to bring an old p38 back to life.

Just another item on the list!

The bolt tube is bonded to the rubber core. There should be equal gap either side of the radius arm, as the bolt tube us longer than the bush.

Getting the new bushes in requires a tapered tool as the bush is larger than the bore, as Grrrrr mentions, some have had luck with squeezing the bush with jubilee clips and etc, two piece poly bushes are easier, but reports are they are not as good as oem bushes.

+1

we used the proper tool doing ours, needed about 4 tons on the press to break the old ones out and about same pushing new ones in.
follow rave instructions and it doesnt take that long really, we just got new bolts for everything, we had to cut one side as the bush inner sleeve had corroded to the bolt shaft.
If your using the LR bush tool, push the bush into the tapered can first then position on the arm and push in.

Grrrrrr said:

No, that is not normal. Getting the new bushes in can be a PITA. Clean as can be, some washing up liquid, squeeze with jubilee clips, press a little, leave, press some more ... and so forth. Think @tomcatalan cut the front edge off to help it in.

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Just a little chamfer mate.

I made a removal and fitting tool in the lathe out of Micarta. Pretty simple job with that and my 20 ton press. Fit proper bushes not bloody poly bushes. The front bushes are to stop the axle winding up the rear ones align the axle.

I got the tool from a well known supplier and it only fitted the rear bushes

I will bear that in mind. Not done my rears!

oakey said:

I got the tool from a well known supplier and it only fitted the rear bushes

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Most Land Rover garages will press these in cheaply as there also on the defender.last ones I had done were £20 Inc bush.