Classic Alfa Forums

Just passed the MoT.......but got an advisory on spongy bushes in the four rear arms.

Daft prices from Powerflex on Ebay!

Is there anything sensibly priced out there?

Prefer original rubber.

This was a common discussion I had to have with MOT stations. The bushes in the 2 forward arms are quite soft and spongy as std. (which is why Alfa had to fit sponge rubber disc washers) obviously if the steel
Bush has come away from the rubber then yes it’s Foobarred. Poly is a viable alternative but if always prefer new rubber ones if possible

As Lou says, they are designed to flex and be twisted by hand. Many an MoT tester doesn't know of this and in the past noted on them, common issue with testers rather than the bushes. If you fitted new OE ones they'd still twist, they're designed to. With the solid rear axle if they didn't allow twist then that wouldn't allow any body roll.
I don't like the polybush idea for that very reason, aside from having a personal dislike of them...the movement in them seems to be just in the sleeve being a push fit in the bush, rather than the bush itself having any flex.

I don't think the car feels right with poly bushes either. Also, as the poly bush itself doesn't twist, the securing bolts tend to work loose.

I'll educate the MoT guy next time I'm there.

He is a child of 45 so still has a lot to learn.

Powerflex bushes prices are through the roof!

Alfashop have rubber ones, but say for 33 only.......I thought Sud/ Sprint/ S1 33 were all the same

The Sud passed its MoT.

But the guy told me the brake effort was a bit down on the OSR.

He must have good hearing.......told me he could hear a noise there.

Turns out the OSR wheel cylinder had a leak.

It had started to contaminate the shoes.

I've stripped/cleaned it and replaced shoes/cylinders on both sides.

A good advert for exempt cars being MoT'd. !!

Well done Dave, a good result and reassuring that the leak is fixed.
Like you say, just because they become exempt a proper check is not a bad thing.