Bush installation - driving me crazy!

[Slugoid]

Cool. I found the rear ones much easier as the suspension components are easier to get to and the bushes were easier to install. Have fun.

J

That's reassuring to hear. The fronts took me around 10-12 hours over 3 days to do (70% of the work by myself), of which a lot of them were wasted trying to push some of the bushes in . I'm expecting to get the rears done in half the time or at least within 2 days.

[Matty]

I had a Dodgy Steve on hand to push mine in. Lots of grease also helps.

[Hot Rodders]

I had a Dodgy Steve on hand to push mine in. Lots of grease also helps.

[Slugoid]

Well, after 6 days and 24 hours or so, I can finally say I've finished installing my bushes

Rears also took me 3 days, but actual work done was around 8-9 hours. Rear suspension components were easier to get to but then there was more work to do as I had to replace 14 bushes as opposed to 8 for the front, not including the sway links. The lower arm bushes were also a bit of a challenge, and similar in difficulty to the front bushes. Overall, I reckon the rears were harder than the fronts, simply because there were more bushes.

Big thanks to MX5 club for lending me the big G clamp, as it would have been impossible for me to pop and push the bushes in with the limited tools I have available.

Edit: Pics of the old bushes - front 14, rear 8 .

[MXkal]

ive just finished putting in my super pros, Full kit took me around 6 hours all up. I pressed the old bushes out with a socket and my car hoist (with the mx5 on it lol) and then to get new ones in all u need to do is too stand the new bush up and lean on control arm, One side is pushed in first then use ur hand to push in the other side whilst still pushing down, Easy..

[jules]

Have any of you guys experienced squeaking with all these Nolothane bushes?

Jules

[MXkal]

absalutely none at all. Rubber would tend to squeek moreso than urathane, Rubber ones squeek when pushing them out

[Fatty]

Have any of you guys experienced squeaking with all these Nolothane bushes?

Jules

the bushes are supplied with some "lube". then you're meant to re-apply lube after a couple of years.

[MXkal]

the main reason for this lube is to aid pressing the new bushes in, The inside of my bushes was cross-hatched/textured so the crush sleeve would be able to move with minimal friction, Also the crosshatch holds the grease inbetween the crush sleeve and the bush so you dont squeeze it all out when pushing the sleeve inside the bush.

[jules]

absalutely none at all. Rubber would tend to squeek moreso than urathane, Rubber ones squeek when pushing them out

Can't agree with this unfortunately. If the poly gets dry it should squeak worse than a field of mice.

Jules

[ampz]

Yeah they squeak.

Ky lasts a while in my experience, 7 months so far (i didn't have anything else at hand and didn't want to use petroleum jelly for fear of degradation to the poly).

As for the front Bushes removal and installation, i found it easier to separate the tie rod end from the steering arm (push it out with a steering wheel puller) then remove the two arms (upper and lower) attached to the ball joints as one assembly and work on them outside the car.

Total removal/Assembly time about 1 1/2 hours.

[bruce]

KY !!!

[MXkal]

when i did mine i took off upper control arm, put new bushes in that then bolted it back on and did lower. That way i didnt have to take off the hub

[ampz]

I never said the hub came off.
I removed the brake caliper and pulled all of it out at once.

So to remove brake caliper bracket 5 minutes.
Remove steering arm tie rod end with puller 10 minutes.
Remove 2 lower arm bolts 10 minutes.
Remove upper arm bolt 5 minutes.

So 1/2 hour to remove the whole assembly.

and about an hour to reinstall (including heating and massaging the arm back straight after a brain explosion on the press)

[MXkal]

ahh i see. I think im very lucky i didnt bend an arm. I used my car hoist and lowerd the hoist down on the arm with a socket on the bush, the mx5 was still on the hoist so it gave it some extra help lol.