Lower wishbone poly pivot bush issue

[Silent78]

The other day i noticed my steering started to feel like the car was wandering at speed. When i took wheel off today i realised the new poly wishbone bushes have popped out. Devasted is an understatement because im now going to have to strip the whole suspensio down again. I will be getting bushes pressed in this time, heres a couple of photos, has anyone had this happen to them?
http://photobucket.com/share/links?u=ht ... D1%26o%3D1

[AndyC]

In the pics, I cannot see the penny washers, do they have any signs of how the bushes manage to deform the washers so much as to make a 1/2 inch home become 3/4 inch?

When you say you're going to get the bushes pressed in, do you mean original style? I cannot see how you'd need a press to fit the poly version into the lower link. For me the hardest part was fitting those big washers between the poly and the tubes of the subframe.

[Pete Boole]

Andy's right - without the "penny" washers there is nothing to stop the poly bushes moving outwards. They are sometimes a bugger to fit though - I had to reduce the length of my stainless inserts to get them in.

Pete

[Rmc123]

The very same thing happened to me because i could'nt get the washers in so left them out.

Had to take the suspension out again and do the same as Pete and file down the length of the stainless inserts to get them in.

[Silent78]

The washers must be whats causing the issue, i take it there are tube parts attached to the frame and washers stop the bush from sliding out. Ive put the washers on the outside like an idiot. I cant remember what it looked like and just thought the bush had slid over the bolt. Would make sense that there is a peice of tube attached to the frame. Im looking at it and im thinking that the arms going to slide back and forth on the bolt. Cant see any way to sort this without taking the whole suspension apart again. Would it be to risky to try and sort it with and an axle stand under the bush and using trolley jack. Really dont fancy the spring flying out. Think i need to strip it all down again, at least its all new parts this time and isnt the original 27 year old stuff i had to deal with last time. Thanks guys i know what i need to do to sort my mistake now.

[AndyC]

If it helps, I shaved my washers to give tapered edge, so that they weren't quite as difficult to get in. Please note I didn't use the word "easy", even in the relative-to-Lotus sense. Maybe the suggestion to trim the inner tube (the bit that comes with the bush) would have been better for me.

[Pete Boole]

If you remove the lower arms again you can trial-fit the large washers and bush inner tubes (without bushes) in their correct positions to assess whether they will fit properly (note this may be slightly different near and offside); if any material needs to be removed from the poly-bush tube you can do it at this stage to ensure a perfect fit on reassembly. If you live anywhere near Nottingham I'd be happy to modify your bush inner tubes on the lathe if needed.

Cheers

Pete

[Silent78]

Thanks for the responses guys,
Never got much sleep thinking about this last night, now i know whats happened i have to set about putting it right. Thanks for the offer Pete but im wee bit out the way, im up in Scotland about 25 miles outside of Glasgow lol. Ill be able to trim the inner bush sleeve if its to tight a fit. Im maybe going to try and get it back in to place with out taking the arm off. If it doesnt look like it will work ill pop the bolt back in it and remove the spring and shock. If it does work then it will maybe help someone in the future should anyone else do it.

[Silent78]

Well i got one side sorted yesterday,
The minute i removed the hub it started raining which just added to an already miserable job, i was very lucky to have one of my good friends helping me as probably would still be there now trying to get them washers in. The gap is practically non existent, wee did manage to do it without taking the anti roll bar off but it would have went a lot quicker i reckon if we had. Had to compress the spring and remove the lower wish bone to get the bushes off the chassis tubes. It never dropped enough just removing the bolt, on the plus side though that last time it was all in bits everything was 27 years old and seized. This time everything came apart with ease and once the washers where in and bolt back through the whole lot went back together in about 15 minutes or so. It was getting them washers in that took about 2 hours, that was the hardest part. Got it all to look forward to again.
Thanks for the responses though if helped me out a lot, i nearly ordered new bushes again when all i needed was two washers.