V8 top link bushes

devilsplaymate

devilsplaymate

Member
Hi.

The bushes in the front suspension top links (inner & outer) on my V8 S2 are in a pretty bad way, so i am looking to replace these with OE rubber metalastic items. Does anyone know where i can get a set that i can fit & forget for a few years??
Thanks
Glen.
 
As I understand it, OEM top link bushes are currently unobtanium for P6s, and pattern parts aren't currently remanufactured.
Poly bushes are available to the same pattern, but these are woefully unfit for purpose. Something to do with the direction or plane through which the force applied, which is entirely different to how load is normally applied to a bush. As such the poly material can't cope with it. They apparently squeak away and get eaten to shreds within a few thousand miles. A certain suspension expert I know may be along shortly to explain things in a bit more detail, but you essentially have to have no rubber left in there at all before polybushes could be considered a viable alternative.

Michael
 
Hi Glen,

NOS top link bushes have been next to impossible to source for many many years, but aftermarket rubber replacements are available from J.R Wadhams. According to their website of Sept 2012, the inner bushes 529789 are 14 Pounds each, the outer cone bushes 529808 are 16 pounds each. I do have four of their cone bushes and the quality looks to be very good, although not having used them I am unable to comment on their performance.

Ron.
 
I'm intrigued Ron. Do the Wadhams bushes have the steel inserts? These are actually quite difficult to do as one side has a flared end. Without the inserts I can't see them being any more successfull than the polybushes. So pending that, my advice would always be that the top link bushes have to be really really bad before a repro replacement is an improvement.

Chris
 
Hi Chris,

The Wadhams top link cone bushes do indeed have the steel inserts. The rubber is quite firm too which is what is required. There were some made in Australia back in the early 90s that sadly didn't cut the mustard as the rubber was too soft. Once they were used the rubber would chew out quite quickly. I have seen a number of local cars where this has happened.

I'll post some pics of the Wadhams bushes over the weekend.

Ron.
 
Ron is right Chris. I have fitted the replacement bushes from Wadhams for 3-4 years now, and i have never had any problems since.
They had the correct shape with the steel inserts.
 
Well, there you are! I've had theat mantra inserted into the memory banks for a few years now! That's what I like about this forum - when everyone pools what they know, you learn at an astonishing rate!

That news has practical importance for me, too. As you'll see elsewhere I've had yet another damper failure on Lucky, which has exposed just how unsatisfactory my current top link bushes are! I've been gritting my teeth and waiting for salvation in the form of some NOS Rover originals on Ebay, but now I can get on and restore peace and calm.

Chris
 
I also had mine replaced by Mark Gray and the P6 Club team around 6 years ago with the JRW top link bushes (and the bottoms at the same time). The front suspension is lovely and taught and continues to perform well.
 
SydneyRoverP6B said:
Hi Chris,

The Wadhams top link cone bushes do indeed have the steel inserts. The rubber is quite firm too which is what is required.
Ron.
Click to expand...

That is great news, I was under the same impression as you Chris, my top link bushes have been grunting for a few years now, dont seem to have got much worse since I first started to hear them after cornering round Silverstones` GP circuit on the 1998 Guardian RAC Classic Rally,
have a picture of the OSF tyre flapping in the breeze, so you can imagine the N/S was buried up in the wing - this un-P6 treatment obviously disturbed them and they have played a tune ever since (they go quiet in the rain though ! :D )

A job for those dark cold winter days to come ! :)
 
That is great to know Demetris and rp61973 that the bushes from Wadhams are proving to be very reliable... :)

Here are my Wadhams top link cone bushes.
P9290021.jpg


Ron.
 
hi,
the ones pictured are the outers and you need four per car, two either side as pictured. the inners are different and you need two per car, one either side.

ian
 
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