Live axle radius arm wear

[polainm]

Hi

Giving C7 LDA some TLC and found RHS radius arm had been rubbing on body work and through it! The rose jointed A frame bush spacers are worn, but does anyone think all bushes need replacing on age if mileage just 3k since last TLC done? Spacer washers on inside to move arm outboard? Can't feel any movement by hand. Picture to follow....once I can work out how to upload.

Thanks for any comments. 

[Jonathan Kay]

... but does anyone think all bushes need replacing on age if mileage just 3k since last TLC done?

Edd China always does both sides at the same time. If you're dismantling anyway and the cost of the replacement is low it might be cost-effective to go beyond that. Ditto if you have to travel to use a press etc.

... how to upload.

Forum User Guide.

Jonathan

[philwaters]

I'd have to check, but I'm pretty sure I've got a washer between the arm and the chassis - I've got about 2-3mm clearance to the skin of the car.

[polainm]

Thanks for your comments. Found out that loading image via mobile phone doesn't show size limit warning, just load failed. Now I know!

The wear isn't on the LHS, so my worry was the chassis is knocked left at the rear or inwards on the left twisting the live axle right (from above). I'll do some axle centre measurements at some point and ask James Whiting who rebuilt it in 2006 and who will have the car once again this weekend.

In the meantime I'll bond a piece of sacrificial steel  in place, and add a 3mm washer at each end of the bush mounting to space it out. Whilst removed, I can also check the radius arm is actually straight!

[OliverSedlacek]

???? looks like the axle isn't centralised, so the A frame needs looking at.

[Matthew Willoughby]

I agree with Oliver.  I have similar marks on both sides of my car from when the A frame bush disintegrated very quickly due an overheating diff.  This allowed the axle to move from side to side, causing rub marks identical to those in the photo.

[polainm]

Thanks for comments and I agree, and will address this. The A-frame bush is rose jointed and the spacers are worn, so I will be shimming this correct. Weird thing is, nothing on the RHS. Given the rotation of UK roundabouts, I would have thought more wear on the LHS as the body shell shifts into the LHS, unless this is dragging the bodyshell INTO the radius arm....need to think about that for a bit...

[OliverSedlacek]

I think you're overthinking the LHS-RHS wear differences.