Rear suspension bushes

[iMacThere4iAm]

Some tips for dealing with rear suspension bushes that I learnt the hard way:

If possible, always cut the bushes with an angle grinder rather than drilling or melting the rubber. Drilling is more likely to break all your bits than the rubber, and melting turns it into shoe polish like substance that never sets again and is impossible to wash off!

Check the order in which they have to be pressed on - inner bush into inner mounting THEN into swing arm, THEN outer mounting.
My mechanic unfortunately messed up the order and pressed the inner bush into the swingarm first, making it impossible to properly push the mounting on (the rubber just flexes instead). I've just spent the entire day trying to wrangle the mounting on.

Long after a sane person would have given up and bought a new bush, I built this contraption. The long rod goes through the swingarm from the outer end, and is pushed to one side to hook the thick washer under the back of the inner bush. The little piece of rod goes in the inner bushing to wedge the contraption to one side and make it stay hooked. The steel tube sleeves over the long section to stop it bucking. When the whole kaboodle is fitted in the swingarm it goes in a 100 tonne hydraulic press and if you say the right prayers to God, Allah, Thor and the Flying Spaghetti Monster then the bushing can be pushed down to the right position.

The other mishap was my fault – when ALewis came round to trade some parts recently we somehow ended up with both left hand outer bushes and both right hand bushes instead of two pairs. I went and fitted a left-hand one on the right before I noticed it was wrong, what an idiot!

Renault 4, some assembly required.

Anyway I'm pleased to say that the rear suspension is now assembled and ready to fit!

 

[angel]

Did you pay attention to the angular position of the outer bushing in relationship to the suspension arm? Both the factory manual and the RTA have a detailed description of doing this, and it must be done correctly otherwise you may have trouble setting the ride height and/or rapid bush deterioration.

What is equally important-and no manual covers (!!)- is pressing the inner bush/mounting in the right position in relationship to the already pressed in outer mounting. Having to do this some years earlier, I had to figure out a way to line both mountings. I fitted the inner mounting on the chassis then marked the protrusion of the lower bolt hole of the outer mounting as shown on the photo.
I pressed the inner mounting after fitting the outer one in the correct position. The result was very good, both mountings aligned perfectly on reassembly.

 

[iMacThere4iAm]

I copied the alignment of the old axle, no guarantees that that was correct but it's the best reference I had.
That's a good trick with the threaded bar.

 

[Geoff in the Gully]

You surprise me Angel - my MR 175 manual has a procedure for aligning the rear bushes. Surely your manuals have the attached diagrams?

Mind you, the diagrams are bloody hard to read and follow, so your way looks to be probably more practical.

Also, on the early models with the roll pin through the outer bush you have to be sure to align that correctly. The book says nothing about that.

 

[angel]

I didn't make clear I was talking about the later cast inner mountings (rear axle without adjusting cams). They are completely different in design and do not have the flat section of the earlier ones, to have a point for measurement.

 

[Geoff in the Gully]

I didn't make clear I was talking about the later cast inner mountings (rear axle without adjusting cams). They are completely different in design and do not have the flat section of the earlier ones, to have a point for measurement.

Ahh, it all makes sense now. I hadn't picked up on that part of it.

 

[iMacThere4iAm]

Suspect my angle might have been very wrong two years ago, because the outer bush is now completely ruined with the rubber detached from the metal and breaking up. Either that, or it was a bad part from the manufacturer, but my incompetence is more likely!