Urgent help needed: Superflex track control arm bushes dimensions and fitting

[PsychomIKE]

Having an absolute nightmare!

Taking the MR2 to a laser alignment 'specialist' who were also going to fit a few superflex bushes that I hadn't gotten around to fitting myself. They've taken the original bush out and have spent 2 days trying to fit the new one to no avail and said it simple won't fit. The bush is 70mm long and the hole is 14mm wide. I believe my part number is SPF 1330 kss.

Can someone please confirm this is the correct bush or not and if there is a technique to fit these? I fitted the same kit to my old mk1 with only minimal problems and can't believe they'd have this much issue with it!

Any help appreciated guys.

[LimeyMk1]

These the puppies?

http://www.superflex.co.uk/proddetail.p ... 30%2F12KSS

The old bushes need to be pressed/burnt out and the new ones pressed in with plenty of the grease that comes with them. Is your Mr2 a Mk1a or Mk1b? It says in the description the bush is for Mk1a only.

[PsychomIKE]

Thanks Limey.

Yes, that seems to be them! I thought mk1 a and b had the same front suspension?

It might make sense in that the ones I previously fitted came from Fensport, where as these came direct from a dealer in Somerset.

Can anyone confirm there is a difference in the track control bush from a mk1 a and b??

Cheers

[kaiowas]

Can anyone confirm there is a difference in the track control bush from a mk1 a and b??

As far as I'm aware the only difference in front suspension is the number of bolts on the top mount.

Track control bushes are identical front and rear across all mk1 variants to the best of my knowledge. They're really not difficult to fit, given that you've fitted them before yourself I'm assuming you know what you're looking at and can tell whether they have got all of the old bush out or not?

How are the superflex bushes constructed? The poly bushes I've fitted before were just 2 pieces which pushed in easily, one on each side then the metal insert through the middle. From the picture Limey posted these look like the poly part is one piece which would make them much harder to fit although that could be a generic image.

[LimeyMk1]

They're one piece bushes Phil so need a fair bit of pressure to press back in.

[The Silver Fox]

I have recently done my mk1a with these bushes. Make sure you apply the supplied grease then press in the bush first and when thats in place insert the tube - again using the supplied grease. I used a simple bench vice to squeeze the bush into the tca with a large flat blade screwdriver to ease the lip into the opening.

Hope this helps

Douglas

[PsychomIKE]

Thanks guys.

Yeah, they are a one piece insert and I lubed them up and then inserted without the steel tube inside on my first car. I've spoken to the guys at the garage and they've insisted that they've tried all methods but they simply can't get it to go in. Even so far as taking the arm to a nearby engineering workshop to squeeze it in but, no luck.

Hoping for some sort of answer as they charge a hefty hourly figure and I'm skint right now

[Jiveman]

sorry to state the obvious but cut them into two pieces and push them in from both sides. Then push the metal tube in to lock it together. The ones I had where two piece anyway. We just used a six inch vice to wind them in. I did spend some time to clean out the socket of rust first and gave it a coat of Hamerite then greased the socket.

[The Silver Fox]

Did you get this sorted?

[PsychomIKE]

Hi Silver Fox, sorry for the late reply.

Yes, they fit the bushes after I said to try cutting them in half. They claimed they'd tried several garages and a machine shop trying to squeeze them in!

If I'm happy with the outcome is a different question. After the full laser alignment the car still pulls to the left, and doesn't feel so different to how it was - and I haven't had an alignment since fitting -30mm springs and Koni shocks. Mysteriously they couldn't produce before and after results but said I can come back in 1 month for a free check up; so I'm going to see what that results in.