I badly need bushes for the front suspension upper links, or a pair of good links with reusable bushes

mrtask

Well-Known Member
I need a set of proper bushes for the front suspension top links, or a pair of good links with serviceable bushings in them. I fitted purple poly, they haven't lasted, and now creak and groan awfully loudly. Can anybody help?
 
Al I recently (finally) got a length of green Nylatron material for machining mine, there should be enough to do another set but depends how soon you need them.
Otherwise Wadhams sells them
Jim
 
I was given to understand the Wadhams items are repros. @corazon, when would you be able to turn up some Nylatron ones? I can't bear the noises, it is making a proper cacophony of creaks and squeaks and groans, very tiresome and embarassing.
 
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To get you by why not fit some grease nipples and just pump the things full of grease ? It might get you through the summer. Of course the grease wont get everywhere, it's just a thought.
I used 1/4" UNF nipples and a 5.5mm tapping drill, half an hour and they were all in, can now even grease them with the car on the ground and wheel on.
Has not eradicated squeaky chirp, but seems to have helped.
 
@cobraboy, do you have a helpful photo of exactly where you drilled? The inner bush looks harder to reach than the outer. You used a power drill and did it while the car was on axle stands at the front? Edit – just found your photos in your thread on the subject. Thanks!
 
Al
I put them at the centre of the bush pointing down at 45 degrees, now by turning a wheel on full lock I can fit a grease gun easily.
I used a cordless drill and drilled until I felt the drill touch the spindle, then tapped the outer casting and screwed in the nipple. I had the wheel off to do this yes.
 
Just a thought. Do your poly bushes have a s/s sleeve going over the pin ? If so it is going to be difficult to know when you are through. On the other hand a s/s sleeve should not squeak ? Unless the sleeve gets nipped and the bush rotates around it.
 
Hi mrtask,
I have bought new bushes from Wadhams and they seem to be just like the originals. I have the m installed in my 3500s and they do not squeek so far at least.
regards, Barten
 
Thanks for the helpful hints Mark. I can't remember if the poly bushes has stainless sleeves or not. I have been meaning to trawl through old computers and find all the photos that vanished off my build thread. I think I took pics of them before I installed them.
Barten, I haven't seen the Wadhams items. Good to hear they are doing their job properly in your car.
 
I need a set of proper bushes for the front suspension top links, or a pair of good links with serviceable bushings in them. I fitted purple poly, they haven't lasted, and now creak and groan awfully loudly. Can anybody help?

I fitted a set of the Wadhams top link outer cone bushes back in 2017 along with a pair of NOS inner bushes. The Wadhams bushes are very good quality, and I am pretty hard to please. Since then my Rover has covered around 50,000 miles (80,000km) so not all that far, but the bushes have given no issues at all and from what I can see appear to be working perfectly. If you buy some, I am sure you will be pleased.

Ron.
 
around 50,000 miles (80,000km) so not all that far,
Hello Ron. In three years you've driven your Rover further than I have managed in almost 20 years with mine! Granted, for a lot of that time it was in pieces, more of a notion than an actual thing. Where did you get your NOS inner bushes? I note your endorsement of the repro outer bushes from JRW. High praise backed up with what I would describe as high mileage!
 
Hello Ron. In three years you've driven your Rover further than I have managed in almost 20 years with mine! Granted, for a lot of that time it was in pieces, more of a notion than an actual thing. Where did you get your NOS inner bushes? I note your endorsement of the repro outer bushes from JRW. High praise backed up with what I would describe as high mileage!

Hello Alisdair,

I have replaced the top link bushes twice since my Rover was manufactured in 1974. First time with all NOS items at 91,000 miles (146,500km) in October 1990. Those bushes I subsequently replaced during June 2017 with some 357,600 miles (575,750km) covered all up, so the initial distance less for the bushes. I purchased all my top link NOS bushes from a Rover parts supplier (T. R. Spares) circa 1988.

The crucial part in terms of obtaining longevity from the top link bushes is to ensure correct placement of the inner bracket over the bush. There needs to be a 90 degree angle subtended between the mountings faces of the sway bar and bracket. If this is correct, they have the potential to last a very long time as indicated above.

Ron.
 
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