Fitting new polybush????????

[88mph]

I bought new polybushes from Super Flex.
Sold as Delorean bushes, but they don't fit.
Miss selling or am I doing something wrong?

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[88mph]

Sorry lower front control arm.
Advice please.

[Chris Williams]

Rissy, has just fitted these so he can let you know the best route! :wink:
You need to cut a small notch in them with a sharp knife to get past the frame mounts. To fit there seems to be two schools of thought. Either press the bushes into the LCA fit an secure and allow the bushes to 'pop' out or force them in levering the LCA to one side or the other.
Easier to explain than do!
Chris

[jwrayth]

Stolen from a DMCTalk thread, you can cut a notch out the bushing like in the following image so it fits back on the car nicely


Ed provides his pre-cut like this.

Then you need to use a press to squeeze the bushings into the LCA per the following;


Press the bushing in so the lip becomes concave towards the LCA slightly, then fit on the car straight away with the washers you should have received in the kit. Provided you didn't over-do it on the press the bushing halves will return to their normal shape in place for a tight fit.

This was the procedure I used back in March

[88mph]

Cheers for that.
Had abit of ago with a G-clamp. F'k its awkward! No luck. :x
Just double checking you do install with the washers? Not just to compress.

[andyd]

88mph Wrote:Just double checking you do install with the washers? Not just to compress.

In the car, yes, install with the washers.

However, even with the notches (as per Ed's) it is not an awful lot of fun to get the polybushed arms back in the chassis. (Well, they go in fine, getting those washers in is the trick!)

When I did it, I seem to remember I had to get the arm (ie the bush) half in the chassis. Then squeeze the washers in either side, still sticking out, with just the edges in... Then gently tap the whole lot in, but probably one bit at a time. Again, this is not that easy to explain! But you will find a way. Like most things, it can be a bit of a ballache!!

Quite a bit of chat about this on both this and the Eurotec forum.

Cheers

a

[Rissy]

I used a crowbar.

Cut a notch in the back end of the bushing lip. Just enough (same width) for the horizontal bolt stanchions to fit through to align with the bolt hole in the bush.

Once it's home, use a crowbar (I used a short one, maybe about 30cm long?) and push the whole arm forward towards the front of the car. This should push the forward most bush inside the LCA a bit (collapse inside) as per James' post. This is to give you that 1mm of space you need to squeeze one of those washers in. This one shouldn't be *too* difficult, but it ain't easy. It helps if you have 16 hands, but it IS possible with 2. Once that first washer is in place, grab your bolt, make sure your washers etc are all on etc ready to go, and thread it in through that first washer and about 2/3 of the way through the LCA. This stops it all falling apart on you again. Once secure, do the same thing with the crowbar again to now push the LCA backwards towards the rear of the car, again, to make a 1mm space enough to start pushing that second washer into place. This is tighter than the first one (naturally), because the poly bush on the first side can't collapse now due to the first washer. You may have to tap the washer in with a drift and a small hammer. Again, 16 hands is useful, but not absolutely necessary. I did it with only me and my two hands. Once the second washer is in, get that bolt pushed through the rest of the way and away you go.

It's all a lot easier to talk about than do. I just went through all this about 3 weeks ago. I would have tried James' method, but I didn't have access to a press by this point of the rebuild.

Good luck. Let us know if you invent any new swear words. :lol:

[88mph]

Hallelujah!! Praise the lord, I have one in. God-damn that was hard work on a concrete floor.
Was at the stage of saying "What the hell have I started this for?".... "I knew I should of sold this bloody thing!" :lol:
But now I'm halfway I'm feeling all positive again.
The lower arm already feels so much more secure. There is only about a quarter of the front to back movement it had on the old rubber bushes.
And I've still to fit the DPNW anti-roll bar kit yet. Exciting!
Thanks for everyone's input.