Skip to ContentSkip to Footer
  • Reviews
  • News
  • Accessories & Tyres
  • Best Cars
  • Advice
  • Vans
  • Car Deals
  • Valuations
Subscribe

Find a car review

Make
  • Abarth
  • Alfa Romeo
  • Alpina
  • Alpine
  • Ascari
  • Aston Martin
  • Audi
  • Bentley
  • BMW
  • Bristol
  • Cadillac
  • Caterham
  • Chevrolet
  • Chrysler
  • Citroen
  • Corvette
  • Cupra
  • Dacia
  • Daihatsu
  • DFSK
  • Dodge
  • DS
  • Ferrari
  • Fiat
  • Ford
  • Great Wall
  • Honda
  • Hyundai
  • Ineos
  • Infiniti
  • Invicta
  • Isuzu
  • Iveco
  • Jaguar
  • Jeep
  • Kia
  • Koenigsegg
  • Lamborghini
  • Land Rover
  • LDV
  • LEVC
  • Lexus
  • Lotus
  • MAN
  • Marcos
  • Maserati
  • Maybach
  • Mazda
  • McLaren
  • Mercedes
  • MG
  • MINI
  • Mitsubishi
  • Morgan
  • Nissan
  • Noble
  • Perodua
  • Peugeot
  • Polestar
  • Porsche
  • Proton
  • Renault
  • Rolls-Royce
  • Saab
  • SEAT
  • Skoda
  • Smart
  • SsangYong
  • Subaru
  • Suzuki
  • Tesla
  • Toyota
  • Vauxhall
  • Volkswagen
  • Volvo
  • Westfield
Model
Features
  • Home
  • Land Rover

How to fit polybushes - pictures

by: Auto Express team
27 Sep 2017
Go to: How to fit Polybushes: Disco 1 and 2, Defender, and Range Rover classic and P38A
  • Fitting polybushes - 1

    <span>&nbsp;</span>

  • Fitting polybushes - 1
  • Fitting polybushes -2
  • Step 1

    <span>Radius arms - All bolt heads, nuts and threads are wire brushed and soaked with easing fluid. These two hold the rear radius arm to the rear axle.</span>

  • Step 2

    <span>The rear radius arm’s chassis attachment bolt is treated similarly. This work is done first to allow the fluid to penetrate all threads.</span>

  • Step 3

    <span>Each of the radius arm to axle bolts are released using a 22 mm AF spanner on the bolt, and a 24 mm on the nut.</span>

  • Step 4

    <span>The rearmost bolt is drifted out using a small diameter steel punch (small enough to avoid distorting the end of the bolt and its thread).</span>

  • Step 5

    <span>The forward bolt attaching the radius arm to the axle won’t slide out because it contacts the anti-roll bar link bracket on the axle casing.</span>

  • Step 6

    <span>So Andy removes the bolt (22 &amp; 24 mm AF again) holding the forward end of the radius arm to allow the arm to twist.</span>

  • Step 7

    <span>The radius arm can now be tilted inward slightly to allow that rear bolt to be extracted. The arm is then removed to the bench.</span>

  • Step 8

    <span>To see exactly what is being dealt with, the joints between the old bushes and the radius arms are wire brushed clean.</span>

  • Step 9

    <span>The axle end bushes are easily pushed out on the press, their nylon outer sleeves sliding easily through the bore of the radius arm.</span>

  • Step 10

    <span>The bush in the chassis end of the arm is bonded to an external steel sleeve which is an interference fit in the arm.</span>

  • Step 11

    <span>The steel sleeve of the chassis end bush is difficult to press out. The press pushes out just the rubber part, leaving the sleeve behind.</span>

  • Step 12

    <span>This hollow (51 mm O/D x 8 mm thick) mandrel has sheared the rubber from its outer sleeve as the press pushed it down.</span>

  • Step 13

    <span>The steel sleeve is removed by first cutting along its inner length with a hacksaw, keeping the blade level, and avoiding cutting into the arm.</span>

  • Step 14

    <span>The hammer and chisel is used to distort and finally cut the sleeve, until it folds inwards sufficiently to be driven out.</span>

  • Step 15

    <span>With the old bush sleeve removed. The arm’s bore is cleaned, any tool marks removed, then lubricated to help the new bush slide in.</span>

  • Step 16

    <span>The new Polybush is positioned on the radius arm, and a spacer (drilled to clear the bush’s inner steel tube) is placed over the bush.</span>

  • Step 17

    <span>The hydraulic press gently forces the bush into the arm, with alignment being checked all the way down, until the spacer contacts the arm.</span>

  • Step 18

    <span>The bush still needs to be further in, so the spacer is replaced by a socket of the correct O/D to push on the bush’s outer sleeve.</span>

  • Step 19

    <span>Each of the twin bushes at the axle end comprises a three piece set: the orange bush in two halves, and the centre steel tube.</span>

  • Step 20

    <span>The new axle end bushes can be easily pressed in by hand, after first cleaning and lubricating the bores in the radius arm.</span>

  • Step 21

    <span>With the arm turned over, the other halves of the bushes are pushed into place, and the central steel tube is pushed through.</span>

  • Step 22

    <span>Before refitting the arm, all bolts are treated with anti-seize grease, and this forward axle end bolt (see caption 5) is set in position.</span>

  • Step 23

    <span>Here, Kevin lifts the re-bushed radius arm into position and fits the restricted forward axle bolt first to secure the arm.</span>

  • Step 24

    <span>With that bolt pushed through, the radius arm can now be pivoted to align the rearmost axle bolt and the forward chassis bolt holes.</span>

  • Step 25

    <span>Finally, Andy fully tightens the bolts, torquing them to 230 Nm for this vehicle (check the torque value for other vehicle types).</span>

  • Step 26

    <span>Watts linkage to chassis: The bolt at the chassis end of the left hand link is removed (21 mm AF bolt head, 22 mm nut). Axle pivot linkage seen at right.</span>

  • Step 27

    <span>The inboard bolt at the differential mounting is withdrawn (19 mm bolt head, 21 mm nut) and the link removed onto the bench.</span>

  • Step 28

    <span>As with the radius arm to axle bushes, this Watts link bush also has a nylon outer sleeve, so it should come out easily.</span>

  • Step 29

    <span>Again, the arm is supported accurately, and a correctly sized mandrel or socket is used with the press to push the bush out.</span>

  • Step 30

    <span>With the old bushes removed from each link, it’s obvious that they are past their best, with one nylon outer sleeve breaking up.</span>

  • Step 31

    <span>The bore in the arm is cleaned with emery cloth and lubricated ready to accept the new Polybush and its steel centre tube.</span>

  • Step 32

    <span>This Polybush also has a tapered leading edge (right of picture) which must be entered into the bore first to make fitting easier.</span>

  • Step 33

    <span>These Watts linkage bushes can be fitted using the hydraulic press as pictured, or simply squeezed in using a vice.</span>

  • Step 34

    <span>With the bush fully in, the link is turned over to check the lip of that leading edge has expanded over the face of the arm.</span>

  • Step 35

    <span>The central steel tube can now be pushed into the new bush, squeezing with a vice and protective wood packing if needed.</span>

  • Step 36

    <span>The link is now refitted with greased bolts, and tightened to a torque of 140 Nm (chassis) and 155 Nm (axle end) for this vehicle.</span>

  • Step 37

    <span>Panhard rod: Here is the Panhard rod (arrowed) bolted between the chassis bracket (left of pic), and the bracket on the axle (right).</span>

  • Step 38

    <span>The Panhard is held at each end by a bolt and nut (24 mm AF). The nuts may be tight, and the bolts may need levering out.</span>

  • Step 39

    <span>Removal of the old bushes is a similar procedure as seen above, here pressing the bush out into a hollow tube underneath.</span>

  • Step 40

    <span>In this case, the steel centre tube is fitted before pressing the new bush into the housing – the procedure works either way.</span>

  • Step 41

    <span>The tapered leading edge is entered first as the bush is pressed in, and then checked to confirm it has spread out over the housing.</span>

  • Step 42

    <span>The Panhard rod is refitted to the vehicle with bolts well greased, and torqued to 230 Nm. That’s it, the D2 is rebushed.</span>

Recommended

Jaguar Land Rover confirms plans to cut 2,000 jobs
Jaguar
Jaguar

Jaguar Land Rover confirms plans to cut 2,000 jobs

JLR will trim its workforce over the next year – but company executives have confirmed that the changes won’t affect factory workers
18 Feb 2021
New Jaguar Land Rover electric car offensive: full details
Land Rover EVs
Jaguar

New Jaguar Land Rover electric car offensive: full details

New JLR boss announces that Land Rover is to launch six new pure electric models in the next five years, but the all-electric Jaguar XJ project has be…
15 Feb 2021
Jaguar Land Rover returns to profit in Q3 despite pandemic
JLR front end
Land Rover

Jaguar Land Rover returns to profit in Q3 despite pandemic

12 per cent of JLR sales plug-in hybrid or fully electric in third quarter of 20/21
29 Jan 2021
The future of Jaguar Land Rover: JLR design boss reveals all 
Land Rover

The future of Jaguar Land Rover: JLR design boss reveals all 

Gerry McGovern’s new role is helping to define JLR brands, not just the look, while encouraging designers to think big and dream...
26 Dec 2020

Most Popular

New 2021 Volvo C40 joins brand’s electric car line-up
Volvo C40 - front
Volvo C40

New 2021 Volvo C40 joins brand’s electric car line-up

The new Volvo C40 Recharge will take on electric car rivals such as the Tesla Model 3 and forthcoming Audi Q4 e-tron
2 Mar 2021
'Genesis’s aim is to lure Jaguar Land Rover customers'
Genesis
Opinion

'Genesis’s aim is to lure Jaguar Land Rover customers'

Mike Rutherford thinks luxury brand Genesis could take sales away from Jaguar Land Rover when it lands in the UK
1 Mar 2021
Nissan Re-Leaf: the electric car with an emergency power bank
Nissan Re-Leaf - header
Nissan Leaf

Nissan Re-Leaf: the electric car with an emergency power bank

The Nissan Re-Leaf concept shows how a family EV could power disaster-relief operations
1 Mar 2021
Skip to HeaderSkip to Content
Logo
  • Valuations
  • Contact Us
  • About Us
  • Evo
  • Carbuyer
  • Buyacar
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Accessibility
  • Privacy Preferences

Subscribe to Auto Express magazine

Get the best of Auto Express
6 weeks for just £1 plus a free gift6 weeks for just £1 plus a free gift

Copyright © Dennis Publishing Limited 2021. All rights reserved.
Auto Express™ is a registered trade mark.

Follow us on FacebookFollow us on TwitterFollow us on YouTubeFollow us on Instagram