The Red Green Machine

greenMachine · Postby **greenMachine** » Mon May 12, 2025 11:37 am

Almost certainly Bruce, they would have noticed it as they turned the shaft to adjust the toe.

Very curious about who/when, but the bent wheel was a few years back. I have just looked here, and no sign of a WTB, I remember Chris Gough had one (only) and parted with it as a replacement, I had the bent one repaired and kept as a spare in the event of a recurrence.

:mrgreen:

greenMachine · Postby **greenMachine** » Mon May 12, 2025 4:55 pm

Spoke to my suspension bloke - he had no answers, doesn't look like camber/toe, doesn't look like anything in particular.

I am going to replace the rack end, and then book it in for a double appointment for a new alignment and diagnosis. I will also give everything another workout with the pry bar to see if I can find any issues while doing the new rack end.

:mrgreen:

greenMachine · Postby **greenMachine** » Sat May 24, 2025 8:13 pm

Big day in the workshop!

Replaced the tie rod. There is a bit of mucking around to free the lock washer, and then reset it, but other than that it was straightforward. Reset the toe by eye, it will be interesting to see how crooked my eye is!

Pulled the hubs off, installed the new Brofab BMW hubs. Piece of cake, nothing like a rattlegun when the going gets tough!

You can see the increased thickness of the BMW hub, the spacer is needed to position the rotor in the OEM place.

Installed new(er) rorors, from the 2003 I dismantled years ago - I knew they would come in handy one day! :lol:

I had them machined locally, and they said that was it for them, but when I put them on the piston had to be push back a couple of mm at least, so the old ones were well under spec oops! :shock:

I think I can feel a BBK coming on ...

Tomorrow I tweak the ride height up a few mm. Can't put the new wheels on yet as I found a wheel weight on the floor of the load space, one of them has only one weight so I will take that back and hope that is the one. I would take them all back, except I have to pick up the separated tyres and wheels - I need to clean and sell my Storm S1s, so I am having the tyres removed to make cleaning easier.

:mrgreen:

93_Clubman · Postby **93_Clubman** » Mon May 26, 2025 11:35 pm

Sounds like a very satisfying day GM!

greenMachine · Postby **greenMachine** » Wed Jun 11, 2025 8:38 pm

Front end currently dangling, all disconnected. Upper wishbones off to have a new BJ pressed in, hopefully tomorrow.

I have new tierod ends to reduce bump steer and new swaybar mounts from Mania, but that installation is going to require the radiator coming out, looks like the cooling work is going to be brought forward, with other work done while all that is out.

The suspension guru said one of the FUCA-I poly-bronze bushes were showing play, and I am waiting a on a reply from SADfab about availability of replacements, but I haven't yet had a close look at them to see how bad they are.

Also trying to source new bushes for the lower shock mounts, the poor things are totally stuffed on the front, and I expect that the rears are not much better! No longer available from Bilstein, this may be quite a task but Heasman's said they would do some digging for me.

:mrgreen:

93_Clubman · Postby **93_Clubman** » Thu Jun 12, 2025 12:40 am

greenMachine wrote:Also trying to source new bushes for the lower shock mounts, the poor things are totally stuffed on the front, and I expect that the rears are not much better! No longer available from Bilstein, this may be quite a task but Heasman's said they would do some digging for me.

A UK business was reproducing the Bilstein bushes and selling them on ebay amongst other places - let me see if I can find anything current - this is the ebay seller: https://www.ebay.com.au/str/Autolink-UK-Ltd and this is their ebay shop:
https://www.ebay.com.au/sch/i.html?_nkw ... boundville

This appears to be what you're looking for:
https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/16197126038 ... XQYwFRhcvA

These also appear to be what you're looking for but shipping is much higher - pls check thoroughly yourself:
https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/40104208542 ... XQYwFRhcvA

Search of this seller's bushes:
https://www.ebay.com.au/sch/i.html?_dkr ... &_nkw=bush

jonosx on here: memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=7587 may also be able to assist but it's been a while so he might have moved on from Heasmans: jonathon.mckinnon@bilstein.com.au

greenMachine · Postby **greenMachine** » Thu Jun 12, 2025 9:35 am

You're a miracle worker Clubman :beer:

Especially as my email bounced last night ... :frown:

I have messaged them with the dimensions, my fingers are crossed that it is a standard size, at least within Bilstein at that period.

I was expecting that it would be something from one of the poly suppliers, and they were my next step - but that has been short-circuited now. I will probably try the locals Whiteline(?) and Superpro, postage is expensive from the UK, and maybe the locals have something that can be delivered cheaper in my hands.

:mrgreen:

93_Clubman · Postby **93_Clubman** » Thu Jun 12, 2025 11:52 am

Indeed, UK & US postage costs have gone crazy! To the best of my knowledge the UK supplier has been the only available source of MX5 Bilstein bushes for some time, although things may have changed more recently, and as you say it may be a standard-ish size.
Btw, I note MX5 Mania appear to have some original NA Bilstein bushes:
https://mx5mania.com.au/products/bilste ... -1989-1997

greenMachine · Postby **greenMachine** » Fri Jun 13, 2025 11:48 pm

Well, it has been quite a journey. Thank you Clubmkan, but those holes are dry, unfortunately.

Heasmans have been very helpful - shoutout to Jamie

- and between reading the faded stickers on the shocks and his info we have

Bilstein PSS9
Front: F4-BM5-6415-H0
Rear: F4-BM5-6416-H1
Bottom bush (F&R): E4-GV2-Z018A00

An interesting and possibly troublesome feature is that not only is the rubber bonded to the central tube for the mounting bolt, there is an outer metal sleeve as well, sitting immediately inside the eye. Removal of the old bushes (only 20+ years old) might get interesting

I also have the tech drawing with measurements which Jamie supplied, and the end result is that none of the bushes current found on the interwebs, none of the poly bush people here, in the USA, UK or Europe make a replacement, or stock a bush which is immediately useable or even nearly. As I sourced a set (No2, now on-sold) from Shox.com in the US, I decided to roll the dice one more time and sent a query to Bilstein USA around lunchtime today.

About 7pm I get a response - from the Mothership no less, a helpful email from Katrin K who tells me, yes, they are not in the catalogue, not in the database accessible to distributors, but hey, I think someone here has some in their bottom drawer, and if your distributor asks nicely, well who knows what good things may happen ... or something along those lines. An email will be waiting for Jamie on Monday morning asking Heasmans to followup and get back to me. Hopefully the pricetag will not be too exorbitant ...

If it is, I have one more roll of the dice up my sleeve. I think that bushes for leaf springs may be useable, but not as found, and I really don't want to start cutting poly, and machining adapters, unless absolutely necessary.

:mrgreen:

93_Clubman · Postby **93_Clubman** » Sat Jun 14, 2025 11:22 pm

Of course, remember now you upgraded to Bilstein PSS9 - recall now that you put your second set up for sale as was interested until research revealed only suitable for NB not NA. Obviously my thinking was you were still running the MX5 SE Bilsteins!
Fingers crossed that Bilstein USA can assist via Heasmans, & good on Heasmans for being so helpful. Surprising to realise that a popular damper Bilstein PSS9 bush is now longer available except in someone's bottom draw!

greenMachine · Postby **greenMachine** » Mon Jun 16, 2025 11:56 am

Sorry Clubman, I should have been more explicit.

For the record, this is the culprit, if sighted persons should not approach but inform the proper authorities immediately - namely me.

Hopefully between them the factory and Heasmans can deliver the goods.

Currently wrestling with some AWR swaybar mounts, today's job is setting up the oil cooler and remote filter, and while the radiator is out plumbing in a low pressure sensor for the coolant. Still waiting on the shop pressing in the BJ on the front arms, new tierod ends are in.

The LH tierod BJ was proper so and so to get out, RHS dropped out just looking at it (by comparison). Penetrating oil, heat, hammers, leaving it in the clamp overnight, nothing worked. So yesterday I got out the looong 19mm ring spanner and figured I either bust the clamp or the ring spanner and went to town with the torch as well. It came out before anything broke, but it was a struggle and in the process the nut got mutilated and wouldn't unscrew, so it got cut off :shock:

.

greenMachine · Postby **greenMachine** » Sun Jun 29, 2025 1:03 am

Been a little banging-head-on-brick-wall over the last week or so.

Leaving aside problems with my PV array, a major distraction, the main issue was the non-fitment of the AWR swaybar mounts.

Long story short, LHS went on just like the store-bought ones. RHS no way. the 'wings which project from the actual mount were narrower than the box section chassis member, and no amount of encouragement would get it anywhere near being able to bolt it up. Much toing and froing with Mania, and serious non-responsiveness of AWR, Mania sent another set and this time the RHS one was near enough. While the LHS slid on nice and snug, these have the reputation of needing force to get them into position and the RHS followed that script.

Seems there are two sizes (NA and NB?), or else a batch were incorrectly made. My rail was ~80mm, the width of the first mount was ~76mm, yet Mania tell me I am the only/first one to have this problem.

Not sure how this has arisen, but a heads up if ordering these, make sure you get the right one. Thing is, I only discovered it after I had removed the stock mounts, and the car was immobilised awaiting resolution. If this happens to someone's DD, major problem!

Car is now coming back together. Oil cooler with remote filter is going back in, new FUCA-O balljoints, new tierod ends (R-spec), and new splitter mounts. It will need a wheel alignment, and then rego inspection. Hopefully back in business in a week or two.

:mrgreen:

ManiacLachy · Postby **ManiacLachy** » Sun Jun 29, 2025 12:06 pm

I had a bear of a time getting mine on as well. Unfortunately, there's no way back once you get to that point as the stock mounts get destroyed in removal.

greenMachine · Postby **greenMachine** » Sun Jun 29, 2025 7:53 pm

Exactly.

In other news today, I have asked Sean to package up a full set of the FUCA bearings (less the poly), good to get support with spares from small suppliers like SADfab.

I also spoke to Ed from Supermiata/949. If you are looking to install poly bushes he says the Whiteline poly bushes are superior to Superpro poly in their 'stiction' behaviour, and longer term functioning, where the Superpros get noisy and will seize onto the shaft. That behaviour, seizing at least, was my experience with Superpros in the original GM :frown:

.