Calling alignment and set-up gurus

Magpie · Postby **Magpie** » Fri Jun 03, 2016 10:07 am

No general practice is done on the National. However T1/T2, T4-T6 are all the same as the clubman. T3 only moves further down the track.

Bushes can be done yourself, prepare well for it and give yourself the whole weekend, or could be done on a dodgy day (none planned at the moment). If doing it yourself consider installing grease nipples as well.

Ned Loh · Postby **Ned Loh** » Fri Jun 03, 2016 10:25 am

smy0003 wrote:Second hand control arms are dirt cheap if they do need replacing, but if they don't looked warped and bushes will get you the alignment you want then who cares.

Without a test jig it is extremely difficult to tell if the arm is bent. Last year we swapped in a new arm on car that had a similar issue to OP. Your couldn't pick the different between the arms by eye but it fixed the problem.

Offset bush or extended ball joint are the easier and cheaper options.

Magpie · Postby **Magpie** » Fri Jun 03, 2016 11:39 am

Attached is a file for the measurements of the front control arms

RileyR · Postby **RileyR** » Fri Jun 03, 2016 11:44 am

Awesome. Thanks heaps for all the helpful replies. I have next week off and will try to get it done. Maybe I can do the inner eccentric bushes without having to completely remove the lower control arms?

greenMachine · Postby **greenMachine** » Fri Jun 03, 2016 12:04 pm

RileyR wrote:Back on topic - I will do some research and see if I think I can do the bushes my self with some patience - It would save me a lot of money as ive been told id probably be charged 3hrs labour.

That is low. I would think that removing the arms, removing/replacing bushes, reinstalling arms, and wheel aligning would be double that. If you deliver the arms, and just get a workshop to do the swap, 3 hours is still probably on the low side - maybe someone can get you a better figure from their recent experience, mine is too long ago for me to remember the details.

The hard work is in removing/replacing the bushes. If that workshop has done this before to MX5s, and has the right fittings, that quote might be relied on. Otherwise ...

DIY is certainly possible, but do a lot of research into the tips and tricks. A press would be nice, but a big vice will work. You will also have to think about what bushes to use - stock, uprated rubber or poly are the main choices unless you are going serious competition in the future.

RileyR wrote:Awesome. Thanks heaps for all the helpful replies. I have next week off and will try to get it done. Maybe I can do the inner eccentric bushes without having to completely remove the lower control arms?

No, all the arms have to come off the car if they are rubber bushes. I think that some poly bushes may be replaceable on the car (the two-part bushes), but if they are one piece they will have to come off too.

:mrgreen:

greenMachine · Postby **greenMachine** » Fri Jun 03, 2016 1:12 pm

On reflection, my post was talking about a full bushing job. If you are only doing a couple (one arm) it would obviously be less. But in that case, replacing the arm with a second hand one would be the way to go, and is much easier DIY than bushes. You will need to check with the seller that the arm did not come off a car that hit the wall that side, which is about all that you can do to avoid a frying pan/fire situation.

Save the new bushes for when you decide to do all of them as a performance upgrade.

My 2c.

:mrgreen:

RileyR · Postby **RileyR** » Sun Jun 05, 2016 9:54 am

Thanks green machine. I think my options are to either get all 4 inner eccentric bushes (so the inner bushes of both the front arms) for $200 and struggle hard with a diy or pay a fortune in labour. Or get a good 2nd hand complete lower control arm for $100-150 and have a much faster and easier time with the job. Automotive plus looks like they sell 2nd hand arms which are probably straight...

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RileyR · Postby **RileyR** » Tue Jul 05, 2016 10:01 am

The eccentric bushes have been on back order but should be here in the next few days.

Just to clarify - For my alignment goal of 2.0 deg front and 1.5 deg rear do they mean 2 degrees 0 minutes front and 1 degree 50 minutes rear? Or do they mean 2 deg front and 1 deg 30 minutes rear (being 1.5)?