suspension, bushes and related doobries
Discussion
Afternoon all
Well, I've finally got round to having a decent look at my 1983 280i(2+2) bottom! I've not had her long and been fixing her electrical 'features' and adding an interior, always nice to have one of those :-) Now for the mechanicals......don't worry, I knew she needed TLC :-)
The handling is best described as scary atm, crossing cats eyes makes the rear lurch sideways! Now I see why! The various bits of the trailing arm should ideally have bushes still attached to them and not allow one inch (no joke) of play shouldn't they :-0
Anyways, onto the question, recommendations for replacements? I'm after all (poly) bushes, springs+dampers for rear initially. Looked at Wedge, little pricey it seemed? Any other good places? I'm not after posh adjustable thingies, just decent ones.......
cheers
Dave
Well, I've finally got round to having a decent look at my 1983 280i(2+2) bottom! I've not had her long and been fixing her electrical 'features' and adding an interior, always nice to have one of those :-) Now for the mechanicals......don't worry, I knew she needed TLC :-)
The handling is best described as scary atm, crossing cats eyes makes the rear lurch sideways! Now I see why! The various bits of the trailing arm should ideally have bushes still attached to them and not allow one inch (no joke) of play shouldn't they :-0
Anyways, onto the question, recommendations for replacements? I'm after all (poly) bushes, springs+dampers for rear initially. Looked at Wedge, little pricey it seemed? Any other good places? I'm not after posh adjustable thingies, just decent ones.......
cheers
Dave
Check out Superflex - www.racecar.co.uk/superflex/t.html I have fitted them to my car and found them to work very well. Be carefull with the housings when you fit them; push the old ones out with a 5 ton vice and on no account have a hack saw blade anywhere near.
Ahh, didn't realise Superflex were producing them. I've used them before on another car and found them to be really good so may well go with them.
Removing the old ones shouldn't be a prob, most of them seem to have parted company from the car! Do the poly bushes go in without giving too much grief?
cheers
Dave
Removing the old ones shouldn't be a prob, most of them seem to have parted company from the car! Do the poly bushes go in without giving too much grief?
cheers
Dave
I found that washing liquid and a vice, jaws protected. For the bits that will fit the jaws anyway. Just used the vice to tease them in.
On the trailing arm there is a large "doughnut" type bush as well. The pin that goes through it needs to be free to rotate so copper ease with abandon so to speak. If it seizes, it slowly rips the rubber apart.
Might be shot down here but its what I was told to do when renewing mine a while ago, a 350 but assuming its simular.
PS
Got my bits from Wedge, didn't mind the price as its a good move to nylon (?)
>> Edited by jmorgan on Sunday 20th October 18:54
On the trailing arm there is a large "doughnut" type bush as well. The pin that goes through it needs to be free to rotate so copper ease with abandon so to speak. If it seizes, it slowly rips the rubber apart.
Might be shot down here but its what I was told to do when renewing mine a while ago, a 350 but assuming its simular.
PS
Got my bits from Wedge, didn't mind the price as its a good move to nylon (?)
>> Edited by jmorgan on Sunday 20th October 18:54
Thinking back, I remember a load of packing washers as well. Had to make sure that they went back in the same place. They had been cut so they were horse shoe shaped for slotting in. Imagine that was the apprentice job, "here you go lad, cut the corners off" lad probably thought next they will to me to the stores for glass 'ammers or sky hooks next.
I have to confess that the only time I replaced the big trailing arm bushes on my Tasmin, I got them from Wedge 'cos I couldn't find anyone else with them. I'd look a bit harder these days... ;-)
The Wedge ones looked like they were a remanufactured job, not as crisp as the originals would have been.
I looked into whether the pivot should be free to rotate, and if I recall, the idea is that you have to do final tightening with the weight of the car on its wheels. The pivot cannot actually turn in the bush anyway due to the washers and nuts used; what happens is that the arm distorts the bush as it moves, this compliance was allegedly designed in... never seemed like a good idea to me, though I've discussed it with better heads than mine. If you tighten the pivot and then lower the car, it's distorted the bush before you even open the door to drive off.
I think maybe the time has come for a 'properly-designed' pivot at that point. Joolz, myself and others mooted a U-shaped mount a few years back that would better hold the arm, then a more substantial bush could be used, but that would mean chassis rework.
One of the Tasmin race car prep companies came up with a trailing arm brace that limits sideways movement of the t/arm, probably not a fix for the road though.
Ian
The Wedge ones looked like they were a remanufactured job, not as crisp as the originals would have been.
I looked into whether the pivot should be free to rotate, and if I recall, the idea is that you have to do final tightening with the weight of the car on its wheels. The pivot cannot actually turn in the bush anyway due to the washers and nuts used; what happens is that the arm distorts the bush as it moves, this compliance was allegedly designed in... never seemed like a good idea to me, though I've discussed it with better heads than mine. If you tighten the pivot and then lower the car, it's distorted the bush before you even open the door to drive off.
I think maybe the time has come for a 'properly-designed' pivot at that point. Joolz, myself and others mooted a U-shaped mount a few years back that would better hold the arm, then a more substantial bush could be used, but that would mean chassis rework.
One of the Tasmin race car prep companies came up with a trailing arm brace that limits sideways movement of the t/arm, probably not a fix for the road though.
Ian
I had the rear suspension completely rebushed and the (brace that wedg1e mentioned?) - "antitramp bars" fitted on my 350i (with trailing arm suspension).
Completely transformed the handling which was battleship like before the work and "proper sporty"
after.
Superflex Bushes, shims and the Antitramp bars cost me about £200 from Tower View.
>> Edited by skyrocketship on Monday 21st October 13:40
Completely transformed the handling which was battleship like before the work and "proper sporty"
after. Superflex Bushes, shims and the Antitramp bars cost me about £200 from Tower View.
>> Edited by skyrocketship on Monday 21st October 13:40
Having just rebuilt the suspension on my Tasmin here is what I learnt.
Moore Racing do a replacement for the trailing arm pivot which is basically a 'C' or 'u' shapped bracket that supports the trailing arm from both sides cost is about £500 I believe and requires the trailing arms to be modified.
The original pivot is 'metallastic' and the original should have a number on it. I couldn't find anyone to supply these but they are standard so it should be possible. Moore supplied me with a support bracket that fits around the bush and stops the bush from flexing to much. These are only about £15 each. Can't comment on how well they work yet as it's not on the road.
You do need to note the position and number of washers as this will affect the angle of the trailing arm.
Wedge were the only people I could find to supply the trailing arm pin.
There is a large washer in the middle of the pin which has a whole with two flats. I could not get hold of these and ended up getting them made. I also struggled getting hold of new washers and some of these I had to modify to suit.
Hope this helps.
Moore Racing do a replacement for the trailing arm pivot which is basically a 'C' or 'u' shapped bracket that supports the trailing arm from both sides cost is about £500 I believe and requires the trailing arms to be modified.
The original pivot is 'metallastic' and the original should have a number on it. I couldn't find anyone to supply these but they are standard so it should be possible. Moore supplied me with a support bracket that fits around the bush and stops the bush from flexing to much. These are only about £15 each. Can't comment on how well they work yet as it's not on the road.
You do need to note the position and number of washers as this will affect the angle of the trailing arm.
Wedge were the only people I could find to supply the trailing arm pin.
There is a large washer in the middle of the pin which has a whole with two flats. I could not get hold of these and ended up getting them made. I also struggled getting hold of new washers and some of these I had to modify to suit.
Hope this helps.
I got replacement rear Konis for my Tasmin, they were from a performance shop (ahem) in Middlesbrough. I gather the rear Konis are getting like gold dust now; my 390 has them and I was planning on getting a rebuild kit and, well, rebuilding them... maybe you could go down the same route?
I have heard of people being supplied with the wrong springs, so I haven't any recommendations as to where to get them.
Ian
I have heard of people being supplied with the wrong springs, so I haven't any recommendations as to where to get them.
Ian
Have just fitted new 4 new Spax adjustable shocks and 4 new springs to my 350i. Huge difference to the handling and thouroughly recommended.
Although I fitted standard rear springs I fitted the stiffer 390 springs to the front. £497 the lot from David Gerald TVR in Inkberrow, Worcestershire. (They will post stuff to you as well)
Sniffer
Although I fitted standard rear springs I fitted the stiffer 390 springs to the front. £497 the lot from David Gerald TVR in Inkberrow, Worcestershire. (They will post stuff to you as well)
Sniffer
I'd ahve to say Wedge are pretty reasonable for the springs and I use the AVO shocks on mine which seem to work well but don't seem to last too long in terms of needing rebuilding (one started leaking after 10K miles), fortunatly I'm based in Northampton same as AVO and they rebuild them for about 15 quid/shock. You might want ot try contacting directly as they may well be cheaper than wedge.
Matt
Matt
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