How to replace wishbone bushes, Mx-5,Eunos,Miata,Mk 1,Mk 2

[flea]

I bought these for a bargain.

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Anyhow i looked around for ways of removing them. They all seamed a bit clumsy trying to make a bit of tube or socket stay on the lip of the wishbone & pull through the bit of tube. Well i got to thinking again & came up with this idea & tried it. I thought i would share it with you all.

All you need is:
One full length of M10 threaded bar, this one length will do all the wishbones.
two large washers with 11ml hole in the middle.
two M10 nuts
Two thin bits of tube or two old sockets. (amendment: after doing others i found it better to use larger tube or sockets than shown in the pictures).
two size 17 spanners.

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Thread the bar through one end of the wishbone & put a tube/socket on first followed by one washer & then one nut then the next nut then the last washer followed by the last tube/socket. Turn the nuts down the threaded bar until its passed through the other side of the wishbone.
Then just hold one nut still with one spanner & with the other spanner just turn the other nut so they are going apart from each other.

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As you do this you can see that the one that is weakest will start to push through. You may have to wiggle the end of the bar to aid the bush from the aperture. Just keep going & what ever one is weakest will come out first.

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Once this has come away just keep going & the washer on the side where the bush has come away will settle on the wishbone apature that side & will start to push the other side out like so.
Job done

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[Pincherrn]

Just an update on my experience on bushes . I found that when getting the old ones out using the threaded bar method a little bit of heat to the rubber bush makes it very easy. Doesn't have to be melting but just warm. It softens the rubber and they do sort of come out on their own. I used a heat gun and as soon as I smelled warm rubber I stopped.
I used cheap poly bushes bought off ebay, my advice don't buy really cheap ones. I used the threaded bar to put them in and it worked ok, put them in the freezer overnight and then smother them in washing up liquid. Mine were one piece bushes. Putting the metal insert in was another story. This was not particularly easy. I used red rubber grease on these. The poly part of the bush seemed softer than I expected and they deform when pushing the metal tube in. I think because mine were cheap this didn't help and the tube was not flush with the poly part.
There is a guy ("The freak" or "Freaky Roadsters") on the MEV forum (and Nutz) who gets good quality poly bushes cheap. I definitely think it is worth it.

Colin

[nedski]

After Flea's pic's and others tip's I have fitted some Polly bushes and taken photo's for others benefit and hopefully they will help others too.

Firstly the reason I am changing the bushes as you can see they are shot and have slipped to one side.


Here I am cutting the lip from the rubber bush with a stanley knife.


Drilling half a dozen times down the side to release a bit of pressure.


This is the 10mm bar through the middle, some sockets just smaller than the wishbone hole. Ive done it by pulling the bushes inwards, this way the 10mm bar won't bend. Turn the nuts and the bushes will pull inwards. They came out easy with no heat .


Here you can see they are out and also notice the drill holes through the rubber.


This is a new insert notice on the RIGHT I've curved and smoothed the end edge. The insert easily slides in with this done (good tip).


Push in the polly bush first and the push the insert in after. (easy to do)


Fitted in the Arm . Pretty eh

[nedski]

Same thing but pics of fitting a bush into the top of the hub.

Sockets again but notice the big one alows the old bush to pull inside.


this shows the smaller socket forcing the bush out and into the larger socket.


A good pic of the drill holes along the bush. Once again it pulled out easy and no heat (lucky me).


The one piece bush getting pulled in.


Pulling the metal inset into the bush.


Fitted

[nedski]

This bent little piggy wasn't so easy. Took as long as the bushes to get out.
New one from Autolink on the way.

[nedski]

I love the way u guys just have a go and figure it out. I hope I get there someday.... Two questions how do u get the wishbones off in the first place and what is that in the pic above?

That is the long bolt that holds your rear lower wishbone to your wheel hub. It is probably the most awkward to remove if its stuck. All your wishbones on the rear are nut and bolted in place, you also have ball joints on the fronts so your steering can pivot. Simples...

MM's tip about the rust in the middle is right. Once I got the bolt to turn I filed the rust off and turned a bit more and filled again until it was clean. Luckily I have a blue nose spanner to help things along .

Bolt before cleaning the middle


Bolt ready to remove.

[nedski]

This video is posted on nutz forum but might be of interest. If only i'd known before buying my cheap set. duh. It goes into the design of polly bushes. Bit of an advert really but interesting.
I've spent another 8 hours today getting mine to move fairly freely.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_z6OEohnPKw[/youtube]