Basically the tie rods have become majorly loose, to the extent I can move the (poly) bushes 1/4" inch along the shaft! It appears the nuts havent moved even though there arnt any split pins . The nuts wont do up any further than they are.
What should I be looking for? The car is in daily use and it obviously not safe as it is!
How long have the poly bushes been on? Were they tightened up after the weight was back on the hub?
Have been advised thats certainly what you need to do with the rubber ones to prevent premature wear.
Strange - maybe poor poly bushes that have compressed ? I assume the brackets aren't tearing away from the chassis ? Can only suggest undo the nuts - and add some large diameter washers - and tighten right up. I have heard that 2 x poly bushes are too much - and that one poly (on the back) and one rubber (on front) is a better combination. My own car just has 2 x rubber - and it's fine.
They be goosed Matt !
Dont know why it didn't get spotted on the MOT.
Did mine with rubber a little while ago, they were really tight going on to the point had to use a g gramp just to get the thread started.
Even then though the nuts tightened to the end of the thread onc the nut had started.
From your photographs, it appears that the rear bush has been compressed during braking. I would suspect this is due to kingpin bush wear, allowing the kingpin to move fore and aft too much. You will also need to check the Armstrong damper bolts are tight, and that the eyebolt is secure in the chassis leg. Also check for elongated holes in the tie rod forks on the lower wishbone, and that the distance piece washers are fitted, between the tie rod forks and the wishbone.
Matt wrote:Joy... suspension overhaul! But surefly the front bush should compress under braking as the wheel tries to move rearward in relation to the body?
Now that's got me thinking Indeed the majority of the inertia is the weight of the car, which will transfer load through the tie plate front fixing bracket to the tie rod bushes. So yes, I would have thought the front bush would take most of the compression forces. So unless your doing 0 to 60 in under 5 seconds, it is kind of wierd that the back bush has compressed the most.
You could remove the tie bars, and check for any excessive fore and aft swing of the kingpin with the car jacked up. It may just be a simple case of defective poly bushes.
Well I do have a hot engine but I have only been running it in! Even with massive accelleration, it would still push the front wheels back due to the resistave forces of the wheel. I cant really see a use for the rear bush ;)
You're right Matt - the rear bush in a Minor doesn't do a lot - different state of affairs of course with a Mini. It won't b anything to do with the kingpin - and the eyebolt really has very little fore/aft influence or strength. No - I think it's just poor bushes - and only a few minute job to fit some others.
The one between the fork the rod fits into and the suspension arm. It'll all go back together without it, and it's easily mislaid - and I guess they're sometimes left off to ease the fitting of the bushes
Last edited by bigginger on Sat Feb 09, 2008 8:25 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Ahh I dont think thats there because I have tele front shocks, and part of the mount for that replaces that spacer, if I understand what you are refering too
. The nuts wont do up any further than they are.
Indeed the majority of the inertia is the weight of the car, which will transfer load through the tie plate front fixing bracket to the tie rod bushes. So yes, I would have thought the front bush would take most of the compression forces. So unless your doing 0 to 60 in under 5 seconds, it is kind of wierd that the back bush has compressed the most.