Which bush?

Swanny_UK · April 12, 2008, 01:01:32 AM

Guys,

Im getting some clunking from my nearside rear suspension. Its when I go over particularly bumpy roads. The rear rubber bushes have been replaced with PowerFlex bushes as shown here recently, so I presume that just leaves the pillowball ones. Ive had a look at the post here, and the results from this search, but i\'d like some advice.

Im having a little trouble diaglosing which one it is though! While sat in the car, if I jiggle backwards and forwards i can get it to clunk, but then I jacked it up, secured it on axle stands and gave the components a good jiggle - nothing. Even when I put it down it\'d stopped, and ive had to take the car for a little drive before it started again.

I think my slight 65kg build doesnt help when it comes to brute force! Anyone any suggestions of how to check the pillowballs that might be causing the clunking on a forward/backward motion?

cyman · April 12, 2008, 01:17:58 AM

the best way to tell which bush is gone is to jack the car up so the wheel where the clunking is comin from is off the ground. grab the bottom of the wheel and see if you have movement in and out if you do with the car properly supported you can look at the 2 pillow ball bushes on the lower arm (the ones closest the wheel as the inner one is poly/rubber) and normally see the movement if you can you now know which to change. if you grab the bottom of the wheel and there is no movement grab the top of the wheel and see if the movement is there, if it is then the pillow ball bush in the top arm is gone. as there is only 1 pillow ball in the top its easy to find :chat

hope this helps

si

AtomicRex · April 12, 2008, 08:30:37 AM

It could be one of the spherical bearings that joins the wishbones to the uprights.

You would really need to pop that off and wiggle it to see how much play are in them

Swanny_UK · April 12, 2008, 05:06:52 PM

Quote from: cymanthe best way to tell which bush is gone is to jack the car up so the wheel where the clunking is comin from is off the ground. grab the bottom of the wheel and see if you have movement in and out if you do with the car properly supported you can look at the 2 pillow ball bushes on the lower arm (the ones closest the wheel as the inner one is poly/rubber) and normally see the movement if you can you now know which to change. if you grab the bottom of the wheel and there is no movement grab the top of the wheel and see if the movement is there, if it is then the pillow ball bush in the top arm is gone. as there is only 1 pillow ball in the top its easy to find :chat

Thats great - thanks cyman. What if its not moving at all as described above, but wigling when you grab the \'front (of the car)\' and \'back (of the car)\' of the wheel and you get movement? In fact I\'m fairly certain that the slight clucnkign I get when doing that is the same as in my \'shuffle bottom\' test fromt he drivers seat. What bush/pillowball could that be?

Quote from: AtomicRexIt could be one of the spherical bearings that joins the wishbones to the uprights. You would really need to pop that off and wiggle it to see how much play are in them

If the wiggling doesnt help - then it looks like it\'ll have to be. On the bluss side while ive got it apart it\'d be rude not to give the supension/wheel arch a right good clean :Hammer

Swanny_UK · April 12, 2008, 05:18:56 PM

Further to my last post - it appears that it doesnt move that way on the offside - so i think ive narrowed down the bush! Now... which one would that be? :mmmm

cyman · April 12, 2008, 11:57:06 PM

Quote from: Swanny_UKFurther to my last post - it appears that it doesnt move that way on the offside - so i think ive narrowed down the bush! Now... which one would that be? :mmmm

if you have that kind of movement it could be the toe control arm which has 2 pillow ball bushes in it, take a look on your bush link and you will see where it is on your car so you can have a propper look.if it is this then after you have new ones pressed in make sure you get a 4 wheel alignment done as this arm controls your toe in and out of the rear wheel.

si

Swanny_UK · April 13, 2008, 03:58:17 AM

Quote from: cymanif you have that kind of movement it could be the toe control arm which has 2 pillow ball bushes in it, take a look on your bush link and you will see where it is on your car so you can have a propper look.

Ah good point - makes sense when you think about it! lol. Aye i\'ll get them aligned, the tracking at the front is slightly out anyway. Seeing as i\'m having it done I might as well get my Tein\'s ordered and fitted before hand

No more: :wiggle

Draco · April 13, 2008, 03:54:06 PM

after having a knocking on my car in the same place as your . I have now taken all the rear arms off and it looks like my bushes are ok but.... all my pillowballs are poo! but hey how gonna change everything

weejimmy · April 14, 2008, 01:11:20 PM

its worth geting in contact with Nitronige on this forum he recond my spherical bearings and its a lot easyr than replacing them.

Swanny_UK · April 15, 2008, 06:54:05 PM

Ive been looking, and I had my wires crossed. With regards to pillowball bushes - \'the six\' that usually go are in the upper and lower wishbones. There are pillowballs in the toe control arm, and Attain sell replacements, but I have no idea how difficult they are to swap on the to control arm.

The wishbone ones seem faily straightforward - having a circlip etc, but these dont. Has anyone swapped these out? Am I going to need a really big press?

Which bush?

AtomicRex

weejimmy