Roll Bar Bushes

Post by **morriswoodyman** » Fri Oct 05, 2012 11:40 am

I have a "Mr Grumpy" roll bar on my traveller but the bushes are worn out and I want to replace them. As far as I can see no one stocks the "Mr Grumpy" design any more so can anyone suggest a source of bushes? The internal diameter is 18mm, external diameter 28mm, length 26mm with a 5mm flange at one end. I have tried to show this in the diagram and picture below.
I'm going to try out the handling without the roll bar to see whether it was having any effect anyway.

Thanks for your help.
Mark

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Post by **chesney** » Fri Oct 05, 2012 1:52 pm

Do ESM not stock em?

Post by **morriswoodyman** » Fri Oct 05, 2012 2:23 pm

Do ESM not stock em?

Afraid not, I've looked at their bushes and anti-roll bar and the design is quite different.

I've just been on a test drive with the anti-roll bar removed and I can't detect any change in the handling. I suspect there was so much play in the bushes (the bar just fell out when I undid the bolts) that it wasn't doing anything. I'd like to try the bar with new bushes to see if it does make a difference but to be honest I'm happy with the handling at the moment anyway.
Mark

Post by **chesney** » Fri Oct 05, 2012 2:47 pm

As I understood it, ESM took over all grumpy products??
Give them a call, they may know who to go to if they don't stock them.

Post by **morriswoodyman** » Fri Oct 05, 2012 3:53 pm

chesney wrote:As I understood it, ESM took over all grumpy products??
Give them a call, they may know who to go to if they don't stock them.

I tried ESM but they didn't have the Grumpy fittings. I was hoping the bushes were a standard design or pinched from some other suspension component. It seems unlikely they would have been made specially for Mr Grumpy.
Mark

Post by **morriswoodyman** » Fri Oct 05, 2012 4:43 pm

Just emailed ESM some pictures of the bushes and they reckon they might be the spring bushes from a Minor van. At 60p each they're worth a shot.
Mark

Post by **chesney** » Fri Oct 05, 2012 6:03 pm

Let's hope so

Post by **Trickydicky** » Fri Oct 05, 2012 6:51 pm

Have you tried this site?

http://www.polybush.co.uk/

Heres the link to the PDF of various sizes. http://www.polybush.co.uk/shop/468_Acce ... ous_Bushes

Richard

Post by **Declan_Burns** » Sat Oct 06, 2012 10:24 am

Mark,
You can make them yourself but you'll have to make up a mold and use urethane. I use PVC for the molds as it easy to work with. In your case you basically need two tubes to start with 18mm OD and 28mm ID and some way of creating the step if you have no access to a lathe.
See here as an example
http://www.mmoc.org.uk/viewtopic.php?f= ... sh#p363295
These work perfectly.
Regards
Declan

Post by **morriswoodyman** » Tue Oct 09, 2012 5:37 pm

Thanks for the helpful replies, the bushes arrived from ESM today and they are an exact match. I guess it's no surprise a garage specialising in Morris Minors should use off the shelf bushes for its upgrade kit.
If anyone has a set of Practical Classics back issues my car is featured in the July 1996 issue having the anti-roll bar fitted!
All that remains is to re-fit the bar and bushes and see what, if any, difference it makes.
Mark

Post by **morriswoodyman** » Mon Oct 22, 2012 5:35 pm

I fitted the new bushes this weekend and it's made a big improvement on cornering stability. There's no doubt the anti-roll bar does reduce body roll into corners, whether you actually like that is another matter. My only concern now is whether I'll go into corners faster without the body lean to remind me I'm driving the Morris

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