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[feeutfo]

as promised jb. first draft though, some pics and further notes to add, but in the mean time should be of help to the guy over the weekend. Oh and would like to suggest a 100 post reward for anyone posting a usable guide, as an incentive like .....No? ok...

[feeutfo]

ok as far as ican tell at this hour thats ready to go. night night.

[Jimbob]

Cheers Chris, looks good 

ready to move, or do you want another play 1st?

Ill wait on your nod to move both these guides 

TVM

[Lazydocker]

Looks good Chris... Very thorough

[feeutfo]

good pics from razzo

couple of things

really ought to quote correct torque settings for the bolts, anyone?

Mark dtm posted a pic of the special tool in relation to one of my  threads, would be nice to include but cant find the bugger...

and should we go into rear polly bushes? some members have them and seem quite happy....razzo?

cant think of much else at this stage.....

[MarkG]

Looks like I have enough inforomation to do the job now. I have ordered the parts from Vauxhall. About £90 for the pair inc VAT and Trade Club Discount. I'll post anything else worth adding after I've done the job. Should be within the next 4 weeks. Thanks Chris

[Jimbob]

huge thanks for this guide, looks a good one 

[MarkG]

Made a start tonight but had to put it all back. The bushes are shot to hell, literally crumbling but there is no way they are going to come out. So I'm going to have to make some sort of a tool

[Kevin Wood]

Hmm. Think this job is looming for me. Been creaking for a while. Back end felt a little wayward tonight. Will have to check tyre pressures, etc. but I rear the worst. :-/

Kevin

[feeutfo]

haynes also covers procedure, and shows a diag. of special tools for fitting and removal. May give further ideas, but i found the puller method as the guide, to work. Hope the pics are clear enough to give the idea.

Kevin, will be interesting to see your rear bush part numbers, your car being customer mv6, if they are the same as all other customer spec cars. From previous info they will be the same ie not stiffer....?

[Marks DTM Calib]

Ta da!

[Jimbob]

hmmm

now how many of these can we do at Newent   

[feeutfo]

Mark you have a pm re the guide, old bean.(now in maintenance)
And may need to pay you a visit if poss. re my still wayward back end, new tyres have improved things massively.... But still the rear wanders.
Its had,
Shocks, self level and mv6 now fitted
Springs, self level now and have mv6 to fit.
Bushes, you know that story.
Tyres, previously falken 912, now conti sc 3

 Both Kevin Wood and TB have driven the car and both very kindly swapped wheels with tyres with mine to eliminate the falkens from mine and try them on theirs.
I think its safe to say,( they found my car "not right"  and "horrible") they where not impressed with the falkens fitted which where def covering an issue with my car at the back. Question is, given the above spec. why is the back still wondering from side to side? I would expect differences with elite springs and mv6 shocks or combinations of, but only in the vertical plane, not the horizontal/side ways direction.

On the motor way, it feels like the car is in a cross wind at the back, but set off by the road surface.
Cornering, fine once in a bend, but getting into the corner from straight, you can feel the back move over.
 
My thoughts,
 what other bushes to change? The ones on rear suspension arms? Seemed to move more on mine that on The Boys car.

 Does the orientation on the donut bush make a differance?Void holes positioned pointing front and back and not side on, if you know what i mean.

When under the car changing the old broken springs to newer elite springs it was very easy to grab the diff and move from side to side, car was on stands. Looked like the rubber blocks holding the diff where very soft, but old donut bushes where fitted at that point. Not been under it since to check this movement since new donuts fitted but driving the car, its still there by the feel of things.


Sorry for long post but its dragging on ....

Ta.

[MarkG]

I managed one side tonight. Here are my notes for others comtemplating the job.

First point is ignore Mr Haynes. There is no need to drop the exhaust and do not support the car on the ribbed floorpan as it suggests. I really struggled to find a good place to support the car away from the suspension because you need the suspension to be hanging.  So jack the car on the trailing arm high enough to get the axle stand in here on a wood block. No need to remove the road wheel


Next remove the triangle shapped plate and the big bolt through the middle of the bush. Leveraging out the bush was totally impossible so I made this tool


using some bent steel, threaded rod and welded on some nuts. It pulled the rubber insert out no trouble but left the steel surround still in place. After much banging and leveraging it barely moved so I took an angle grinder to it to create a slot into which I could lever a crow bar. It finally came out.





This bush was dated 1999 so it was the original and had done the car for 185,000 miles.

Next job is to put the new bush in. Easier said than done. Again I had to make a tool using threaded rod and welded nuts on steel plates.



I turned the plate upside down as well to wind it in. This applies a more even pressure on the bush rather than just pulling the bush's core



It won't go all the way. When there is still 1/2 inch to go, remove the insersion tool, put the rubber sheald back on top of the arm and jack the arm back up. Then bolt the plate back up the correct way round. As you tighten you will hear the bush squeeze back in.

Took me the best part of 4 hours tonight. I'm hoping the other side will be easier!

If anyone wants to use the puller and insertion tools I made, PM me and I'd be happy to lend them to you.