New Powerflex arb bushes spilt.

[DaveDreads]

I've got a set of inner powerflex arb bushes and they're not solid,
there's a seam where they open up.

Is this normal, I mean are they meant to be solid and you slide them on the arb from the end,
or are they designed to be pushed on using the seam that opens up?

 

[Mr R.]

I have just bought the same and yes they are ment to be split, they are the same as the Renault OE ones.

 

[DaveDreads]

Thank f*ck for that, I took them out the box and gave them a little squeeze and they split across the whole length,
I f*cking shat myself. lol

 

[Fred@BTM]

what size do you have? One company is selling the WRONG size but claiming "they fit fine" had 3 or 4 cars turn up with the wrong size bushes and we've refused to touch them

 

[DaveDreads]

At the moment i've only got the 25mm inners, i've got the 23mm outers showing up on Monday,
I got the sizes off the Kam Racing website, and varified them with endless thread searches on here.

Clio Ph1 2.0 16v RS-172: Outer mount - 22mm, Inner mount - 25mm
Clio Ph2 2.0 16v RS-172: Outer mount - 23mm, Inner mount - 25mm
Clio Ph2 2.0 16v RS-182: Outer mount - 22mm, Inner mount - 25mm
Clio 2.0 16v RS (172 & 182) Cup / Cup pack models: Outer mount - 23mm, Inner mount - 25mm

 

[stokie4ker]

Dave, do yourself a massive favour and get some longer bolts to replace the standard ones and you'll save yer sen a lot of myther.

 

[DaveDreads]

Ok mate will do, the subframe's coming off on Wed because i'm getting my steering rack replaced,
i'll get my mate to drive my down a hardware store to get longer ones once i've got the old ones off as reference.

 

[MartinR]

Dave, do yourself a massive favour and get some longer bolts to replace the standard ones and you'll save yer sen a lot of myther.

What length do the longer bolts need to be and what thread M8??

 

[stokie4ker]

Ok mate will do, the subframe's coming off on Wed because i'm getting my steering rack replaced,
i'll get my mate to drive my down a hardware store to get longer ones once i've got the old ones off as reference.

The dog hair clogged the rack up too?

I assumed you were going to fit them with the subframe in the car in which case it's a pain of a job as there's so little room to work.
If the subframe coming off you shouldn't have a problem then, just use a G-clamp to close up the bracket. Fit the bush with the seam facing the engine so that when you tighten the bracket it pushes the seam tightly closed. Do it the other way and they try to open up. Some of the lube on the outside of the bush helps the bracket slide over it too.

What length do the longer bolts need to be and what thread M8??

I think it was a M8 bolt but can't remember for sure. A couple of M8X40 should be longer enough to take up the gap and allow you to get the thread started. If they are to long then once the brackets are close enough to get mole grips on use them to hold it in place and then use the original bolts.

 

[Fred@BTM]

why are you having the rack replaced? that'd be the 2nd one i've heard of in 12years!

 

[DaveDreads]

It's absolutely f*cked it clunks when turning both ways,
I thought it was wishbone related but when we jacked it up and wiggled the wheels the amount of movement was scary.

It wanders all over the road and i've got massive tyre wear on the inner and outer edge of both my front tyres,
in fact they're almost bald, but the centre has a fair bit of tread, they're only 6 month old tyres aswel.

It wasn't noticeable until a few weeks ago, but it's got alot worse since then.

Probably explains the constant SERV/ABS/TC I get all the time,
steering angle sensor obviously knows something's wrong.

 

[MartinR]

Dave could the inner tie rods not be excessively worn?? they would also cause the problems you arre.. getting

 

[Dr HMS Derv Destroyer]

dave , the car needs to be up andys in the morning lol so we can find out if its rack or not.
if its what im thinking now, inner tie rods could be fucked and not the rack. then no need for rack replacement, will just have to get choppa to send us out a pair of inner tie rods instead.

but that was a f**k load of play on the wheels.

 

[crombie1]

+1 on using longer bolts. You will see how when it comes to fitting

 

[DaveDreads]

The tie rods are only a couple of months old as are the track rod ends,
but that doesn't mean they aren't f*cked I guess.

Ball joints are less than a year old aswel.

 

[MartinR]

Could also be the the rackk bushes

 

[DaveDreads]

That was my first thought tbh.

 

[Dr HMS Derv Destroyer]

without investigating thurther , anything is a guess, but with steering lock on , theres noway you play with the wheels that much.