www.imoc.co.uk

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\\Replacing ARB bushes
by Geoff Dixon\\

My car is a MK 2 GT T-Bar registered in Jan 1992 so a version one.

I had noticed a clonking sound coming from the underneath and on examination discovered that there was slight movement on the drivers side roll bar and significant movement on the drivers side rear in the region of 1/4\".

I ordered the replacement bushes from Mr T at Gallows corner in Romford. They needed the chassis number and they advised there was only one set of bushed listed for my car. Different cars have different thickness of roll bar. The parts took about three days to get.
REPLACEMENT

The previous week I put plus-gas on all the bolts I could reach but in practice this did not seem to make a lot of difference. I started with the front bushes and drove the car onto two bricks which gave me an increase in ground clearance of about 4”. This was quite adequate to gain access. All the bolts came undone quite easily but it should be noted the front bolts were twice as long as the rear bolts. When I removed the bushes I could see they had 17mm stamped on the side walls together with the part number which corresponded exactly with the replacement parts.

I greased the roll bar to avoid squeaks and replaced the bush on one side. The bush is split so its quite easy. The front bolt went in easily but it was difficult to get the rear bolt to engage without using a wooden wedge between the bracket and the ground as there was some tension in the roll bar.

The other side was more difficult as there seemed to be more tension in the roll bar but again this was solved with a wooden wedge between the bracket and the ground.

The rear bushes were more difficult as the ant-roll bar rests on a ledge at the rear of the rear sub-frame with one bolt being easily accessible but the other is between the sub frame and the car proper so the only access is to lower the sub frame. I undid the four sub frame retaining bolts one at a time (took about 130 foot pounds) and removed and replaced them then undid them each about 3/4\". prior to this I put a wheel ramp under the sub frame just in case it dropped. Safety first. In the event the sub frame did not drop.

The rearmost bracket bolts were easy to access but the top bolts were difficult. In the end I removed each road wheel in turn to get access from the side. Access being obtained with a 12mm ring spanner.

Curiously the bushes showed 16.5mm even though I had measured the roll bar with a calliper which showed 18mm - must be corrosion etc giving a false reading. The replacement bushes were market at 17.5mm which gave me cause for concern however careful examination showed they had been sleeved to reduce the diameter. Either way a dry fit showed they would be tight.

Fitting the rear bushes was quite difficult as there is a slight lip on the sub frame which meant it kept getting caught and causing the bush to open and rotate. Eventually this was solved by using a flat piece of steel greased which was used as a lever to slide the bush into position over the lip and then withdrawn. Once in place the bracket was refitted but this was fiddly.

The other side was even worse as access was further restricted by the exhaust and the tension in the roll bar was more. Two people would have made this a lot easier. (there not being room to use a steel plate as before).

Once in place it was just a question of doing up the bolts. Curiously no matter how I raised or lowered the car I found it impossible to remove the tension within the anti roll bar. The difficulty here is that brute strength is needed to lift the roll bar into position but a delicate touch needed to ensure the bush did not twist.

Once in place the remaining bolts were easy to do up albeit the top bolts were very difficult to access.
THINGS THAT WENT WRONG

The very first bolt at the rear sheared with hardly any effort, however this was quite easy to drill out as there was plenty of access. I used a centre drill in a Black and Decker drill and then opened the hole in stages to 8mm.

It should be noted the rear bolts are welded to the bracket.

The corresponding bolt the other side was rocked backwards and forwards using plus gas and cleaning the thread as I went with a knife blade and a wire brush. In hindsight I would recommend this bolt be cut off and drilled out as with the bolt an integral part of the bracket it is very difficult to get the bush in the right place and the bracket over the top and lift the roll bar up onto the sub frame ledge.
DETAILS

Total time was about 3 1/2 hours but the car was ready before closing time lunchtime!!
Parts

T48815-17060 cost £5.62 each + VAT - Front bushes

T48818-17082 cost £4.68 each + VAT - Rear bushes

I hope this may prove of use for those looking to replace their bushes. In general none of the work was technically difficult but was quite fiddly.

Prices correct as at October 2003.

\\Changing the anti-rollbar bushes
by Jay Ng
\\
The front bushes are a sinch to do, the rears are a little bit fiddly but by no means impossible for anyone that has a bit of patience

You\'ll have to loosen the 4 main bolts that hold the subframe to the chassis. You don\'t have to remove the four bolts, best method is to remove one bolt all the way and screw back in a few turns. Repeat with the other bolts. This method makes life a lot easier just incase the subframe is out of alignment when all four bolts have been removed. BTW I haven\'t tried removing all four bolts to see whether the subframe moves sideways but why give myself more work.

You\'ll find that the even if you remove the bolts, the subframe will only naturally drop about 10-15mm, you\'ll have to get something to lever the subframe to open the gap a bit and I found the best way is to stick a wheel nut sideways between the subframe and chassis once you get a big enough gap.

Once you\'ve got this far, have a beer or cup of tea as the next step can take a while due to the restricted space. You\'ll need a 12mm spanner to undo the inner bolt on the bracket that holds the bush. Undoing this bolt will take a fair bit of time with a standard spanner... Go down to Halfords and get yourself a set of rachet type spanners and get the job done quicker. Worth investing as they always come in handy.

The outside bolt on the bracket is easy to get to but be warned.... Spray some \"Plus gas\" or something similiar the night before as these bolts have been known to be seized on due to rust. I\'ve broken a few of these bolts before, I have all the tools and spare bits to repair so it isn\'t a big issue but could be a nightmare for you. I\'m not trying to scare you, just giving you some warning so you can prepare

Obviously you\'ll have to have the car on axle stands to do this job safely.