Front suspension

[Bert68]

Hi all, some advice would be helpful. I bought an S 2 a couple of years back and had bought some new coil overs and a complete set of powerflex bushes. I had stripped the front suspension down and cleaned up the wish bones then had not had a chance to put them back on until this last week. Got the old rubber bushes out and the new poly ones in which is not the easiest of jobs until you find a way that works. Any how when I went to fit the lower wishbone back onto the chassis it will does not want to fit, offering it into place there is 5mm difference in the wishbone and the brackets. The inner 2 mounting brackets measure 375 mm and between the bushes there is 370mm. The bushes have 5mm flanges, now do I send 2.5mm off each bushing and pack the outer side of the bush or do I cut the mounting off the chassis and weld it back on in the right place. Nothing like precision build work. Any advice would be appreciated. Rob

[88S1]

Silly question. But You’ve not mixed the wishbones up have you. Not sure the info below helps any, but it’s here anyway.

My rubber bushes are 44mm long face to face

In between brackets 45mm (hard to be dead accurate due to rust)

Bracket to bracket, one side 371mm, other side 373mm.

Edited by 88S1 on Monday 20th April 21:13

[TVRees]

Bert68 said:

Any how when I went to fit the lower wishbone back onto the chassis it will does not want to fit, offering it into place there is 5mm difference in the wishbone and the brackets. The inner 2 mounting brackets measure 375 mm and between the bushes there is 370mm. The bushes have 5mm flanges.

The lower bushes should be approx. 45mm total width and the wishbone tube is 35mm wide where the bush fits.

Can you check that this was OK ?

It should look like this .....

[Bert68]

In response to 88S1, I did have to look twice to make sure I had the correct wish bone and after looking in the book it is the correct one as the locating out for the drop link to the ARB is to the rear of the wish bone . The only thing I can think is that perhaps the old bushings were placed off centre in the wish bone but did not take to much notice when I was pressing them out.
I will take some pictures on Wednesday as not around tomorrow, I do remember when I took them off they were very tight and had to be levered out. Thought things were going to well

[88S1]

Why not get a length of 12mm threaded rod with nuts on, adjust the gap on the wishbone to make it the right dim, slide the start of the wishbone in so the powerflex bushes are just inside the brackets then remove rod and tap the wishbone home. Got to be worth a shot at least to save ruining your bushes or re-welding the bracket.

[GreenV8S]

Those flanges are relatively soft sideways. I think you'll find somebody was a bit too enthusiastic levering the old wishbones out and they are both a couple of mil out of true. It shouldn't take much to tap them straight again.