Classic Alfa Forums

Now that I have captivated your attention with a catchy thread title, the problem is altogether more prosaic . . . . Although lube will likely still be involved in the solution :rolleyes:

I purchased - from 2 separate sources just in case - replacement rear trailing arm bushes as the ones that came off the car had the texture of a digestive biscuit. However despite checking, double checking and triple checking they are too big by some 2.5mm. The part number appears to be the same for these across Sud, Sprint and up to 907b series 33.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/400110040634? ... 1497.l2649

The inner diameter on the arm is 42mm, the outer diameter of the bushes I have is 44.2mm. They simply won't fit as they are. So far I have tried

1- Compressing in on a 6 tonne press. Result - one burst bushing . . .
2- Putting bushing on to a bolt to act as a spindle, and with a bench grinder trying to take some excess material off. They seem to get wider the more I grind them . . . . . . heat presumably.
3- Again using a bolt as a spindle, clamp a drill into a vice with the bolt held in the chuck. Try to grind off while spinning with a file or a wood chisel. Again not making any visible or measurable impact.

I am sure I am not the only one to have encountered this, so am I doing something stupid and missing the obvious? What did anyone else do on their projects? Would heating the arm and freezing the bushes perhaps help?

Any advice appreciated.

are they p4?

a few of the rear arm bushes are approximately that amount larger on the p4, so you could have those by accident?

Yep, I came here expecting something entirely different!

Anyhow. Could you cut a small piece out lengthways through the bush case so then it would 'fold' over to fit the arm recess?

the new bushes have a nylon outer skin, not a metal one. so they need to be larger so when installed they grip to the arm.
a pig to fit, i know. i've done a few by chamfering the edge to help get it started but it's still a pig.

there are special thin sleeved tools that are designed for the job aparently, mentioned the struggle i have with them to tom a while back and he wasn't surprised!

Not P4 ones in so far as I am aware. I purchased from Alfa Service and the same part number was listed for Sud, Sprint and 33 up to & inc. 905 series. The only different one was the 907 series 33.

The other ones I bought from Italy and they are listed as being for the Sprint and Sud. They are identical to the Alfa Service items so I am confident they are all the correct items.

They have one edge chamfered already but they only go in so far. I initially thought the 2.5mm would be just allow for the compression to install, but the one I burst only went in half way. By my reckoning if I were to take 0.8mm off the outer nylon then it should go in, but it's how to do that that is causing me some head scratching moments. Pig of a job indeed

StescoG66 wrote:Not P4 ones in so far as I am aware. I purchased from Alfa Service and the same part number was listed for Sud, Sprint and 33 up to & inc. 905 series. The only different one was the 907 series 33.

The other ones I bought from Italy and they are listed as being for the Sprint and Sud. They are identical to the Alfa Service items so I am confident they are all the correct items.

They have one edge chamfered already but they only go in so far. I initially thought the 2.5mm would be just allow for the compression to install, but the one I burst only went in half way. By my reckoning if I were to take 0.8mm off the outer nylon then it should go in, but it's how to do that that is causing me some head scratching moments. Pig of a job indeed

if you take material from the whole of the outer layer then they wont grip properly and will most likely shift when fitted to the car, causing all sorts of banging noises.

the chamfered edge they come with is tiny, i've had to take the material off at a much shallower angle and a good 10mm along the bush to get them started.

they can still split while trying to get them in though.


powerflex bushes are the easiest solution.

Hi the only way to fit the bushes without damaging them if to press them through a taper straight into the eye of the suspention link , a machine shop could turn up a tube with an internal taper, the outlet end the same diameter as the internal diameter of the link, or an old A.R. dealer may still have the official tool.

Ive got to agree with both Kev and Tom.

Toms method of fitting is very likely the ONLY way you'll get the standard items in, out the packet and intact.

However, all be it too late at the mo, but i would just buy the powerflex bushes instead anyway, and now that they offer multigrade stuff, you can tailor how much improvement or rigidity you want from that particular component.

the ease of fitment is incredible considering the nature of the product, i did the entire rear sud suspension in no time

I have finally figured out how to install these bushes. I will take some pics tonight and post.
44mm bush into a 42mm hole. Doesn't seem possible but it can be done.

Hi, I'm seriously curious about, it is a old question also here in Italy between people repairing Sud and 33,
someone says he managed to install these chamfering one edge, others suspected that there was an error
in spare code (slightly different diameters along the years/models), most choosed to buy the complet rear suspension
arms, so new bushes are already fitted by the manufacter

I bought this universal bush inserting and removal tool from e.bay. Not cheap but it works a treat.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/27-Universal- ... SwYmZXMqTR

I will take a pic when I do the other bushes over the weekend but basically if you pull the centre pin back as you push the bush in it makes the outer Nylon sleeve become conical in shape. So the bush already has a small chamfer on the edge of the nylon on one side plus an overall taper to assist the bush in getting started.

I will take a pic when I do the other bushes over the weekend but basically if you pull the centre pin back as you push the bush in it makes the outer Nylon sleeve become conical in shape. So the bush already has a small chamfer on the edge of the nylon on one side plus an overall taper to assist the bush in getting started

While a bit late for me now, that is brilliant!!!! It's so obvious - will remember for the next time if it occurs. I presume a tool needs to be devised to hold the outer edge in place while the centre is pulled upwards?

Not many tools required. Start with one of the short bolts that are used dto mount the arm to the car. Remove nut and all washers. Put it through the new bush with the long end out the same side as the chamfer.

See the pic.

Next get a big socket to push the bush in from behind and assemble into the vice or press as shown below. Note when the bolt just nips up in the vice there is about 5mm gap between the arm and the vice jaw.

See the pic and note the gap.

Next tighten the vice making sure everything stays lined up. As the tension increases the bolt pushes back on the centre pin deforming the bush and causing the outer Nylon shell to become slightly conical in shape. In the next pic the vice is just nipped up on the bush. It's important at this stage to have a close look and make sure the chamfer is on its way in.

See pic.

Next step is to push the bush in about 5mm. Important not to go too far or you may wreck the bush by pulling the centre pin too far through. So stop, undo the vice and remove the bolt.

It should then look like this.

Now remove the bolt and press home.

Finished result looks like this.

After you master this you can do a bush in just a minute or two.

This is the factory tool which as TomS said in his post is an internally tapered tube - the bush is put into the top of the tube and pressed down with the "driver" part of the tool.
The bottom taper is the same size as the inner diameter of the arm so once the bush is at the bottom of the tube you place the tube with the bush in it over the arm and the continue to press it with the driver.
When the tube the becomes "loose" around the driver you know that the bush is in the arm

I guess these could be made fairly easily with a lathe

There a a few different sizes of this tool for all the bushes on the whole car

Thanks, brilliant techniques and explanations.
I will no more dubts about an error in spare codes or spare construction about these bushes..

always have struggled with these bushes, factory tool looks great
method in vice makes perfect sense though too, very ingenious

On a different car,I removed the centre pin completely, pressed in the poly type bush,and then pressed the pin in last of all.
With the help of a little lubricant.
Interesting car......a Rochdale Olympic!
Dave

Vice method is excellent and the rest very interesting. Even the Rochdale Olympic.

Could you have a more English name?

My apologies, but i assumed you'd already deployed the vice and socket method once you'd spoke of a 6ton press etc

Thats my usual method once i'm happy the opening is clear of everything from the original bush and i occasionally put a slight leading edge into the arm too if there isn't any such assistance on the new bushes themselves.

As said previously, the poweflex ones for those that don't mind using an aftermarket part are a doddle in comparison as they come in two halves plus the pin, just grease up and push, voila! but i've just done the whole back end of an FZJ80 landcrusier, and if you thought that the sud stuff was difficult! Oh Boy!

But at least they're BIG, something to get your hands on, very nearly too big for my vice!