Suspension bushes

[AtWork]

Hi,

Mine haven't been changed for a lo-ong time and the ride has become a bit 'crashy'. New bushes are a decent starting point en route to changing dampers (mine have been on ten yrs so shouldn't be shot at yet - should they?) but CC are out of stock. Anyone know of alternative suppliers?

 

Incidentally - £90 a set?! Blimey.

 

Car's an S3 Live axle. Road use rather than hardcore track use, so I'm not planning on anything fancy (read: expensive).

 

Thanks very much,

AtWork

[Stationary M25 Traveller]

Try Redline Components in Caterham Valley 01883 346515

[Terry Field]

What are you buying for £90? I changed the lower wishbone bushes and the anti roll bar bushes for much less than that. Mine's a '96 live axle and although the old bushes looked a bit knackered, they were not disintegrating, probably just a bit hard.

 

Terry

[AtWork]

Thanks SM25

 

Terry, it was this here. Seemed a bit pricey. Bit annoying too as I already have a bag of A-frame bushes and swapped them quite recently.

[Terry Field]

Can't open the link

[Stationary M25 Traveller]

Too many http ... try here

[Terry Field]

Thanks Ian, I didn't realise I had so many bushes . I think that must include the whole of the A Frame as well?

 

[AtWork]

Ah, thanks - bloomin phone...

[Terry Field]

TADTS

[bluenose]

I changed all mine last winter and there are quite a few and they cost more than £90. Very good service from Redline.

 

Nick

[Paul McKenzie]

Quoting bluenose: 

I changed all mine last winter and there are quite a few and they cost more than £90. Very good service from Redline.

 

Nick

 

How did you get 'em out/in?

[Jason Plato]

try pressing them out with a good industrial 30 ton press or cut them out . then same 30 ton press slips them in nicely with little pressure

[AtWork]

30-tonne press?!

 

Think I'll get a man in...

[Nigel Riches]

I've replaced various bushes on my car and never needed a 30 ton press, some deft thinking and a collection of long bolts, nuts and washers, with some suitably sized socket spanners and a bench vice is what you need, it's not a moon rocket, it's a Caterham 7, simple.

[oldbutnotslow]

ok what is shown on the cc site is the suspension bush set complete but NOT the damper bushes

The cost is in the metalastic bushes.

The others are Y9 and Y16 bushes and these dont need to be pressed out and they are pairs and are held in by a bolt or part of the ARB

The Y9 go in the A frame where it bolts to the axle. These wear because of oil contamination and should be replaced as part of a routine 24k service or every 2 years come what may

The others are for the front wishbone suspension. If you look you will see where they fit.

The matalastic bushes don't really wear and even after 10 years they "should still be in good condition so don't bother with these to start with but once you have the suspension apart try moving them about. There should be no play that you will feel by hand.

 

The damper bushes do take a deal of stick and they do wear. ie the lower part of the rubber bush becomes distorted meaning that you can get play which can be the cause of all sorts of clonks and strange handling.

It is probable that these are the suspension bushes that you will have top and bottom in the front dampers here however you may just have these You won't know until you remove them here but I think it unlikely. Dont forget to order new bottom damper to lower wishbone cap head bolts. The existing ones on a car of your age will probably be 7/32 hex

The rear damper lower bushes are the same as the front.

The top rear damper mounts will be of the pin type and the bushes look like large rubber polo mints. Cant see them on the CC site so here is a picture of the whole damper. hereThey fit in-between a pair of cup washers

 

You will need a vice in order to press out the damper bushes Use washing up liquid when removing (the rubber becomes "rusted" to the damper eylet so forcing a thin screwdriver all round will help to release them. Remember to press out the centre metal bush first otherwise you wont get the rubber bush out and ideally use some rubber grease to put them back in with.

 

Speak to Mick at Redline. Tell him the suspension type and he will sort them all out for you.

 

 

Edited by - oldbutnotslow on 12 Nov 2013 13:00:40

[Guy Lowe]

Quoting Nigel Riches: 

I've replaced various bushes on my car and never needed a 30 ton press, some deft thinking and a collection of long bolts, nuts and washers, with some suitably sized socket spanners and a bench vice is what you need, it's not a moon rocket, it's a Caterham 7, simple.

Not as simple as a 30 TON press (IMO)

Guy

[AtWork]

Thanks very much for the very detailed info

 

I have a small confession though - while doing another little job I noticed the rubber washers on the cycle wing had perished away and that the wing had been clattering up and down the screw between wing stay and screw head, to the extent that it's now cracked from hole-to-hole. Now I've made a new pair of rubber washers, the noise I thought had been coming from the FR shock magically appears to have stopped and the ride seems not quite as bad as I thought Obviously I was paying more attention to what I was hearing than to what I was feeling.

 

Still think the bushes could do with a refresh as the bits I can see look pretty tired, but I'll hold off on large scale expenditure for a bit - other than replacing the front wing!