The most common symptom I've read, and what proved true on my car, was a "wobble" through the steering wheel when moving from 45 MPH through 55 MPH or coasting (Not braking) from 55 MPH down through 45 MPH. No wobble above or below that MPH window.

In my case, it felt much like the wobble accompanying a bad wheel bearing or warped rotors. New Walrod bushings eliminated the problem after I had chased theories related to faulty tire construction, warped wheels and wheel balance for 6 months.

 

Do you have a work bench or anything sizable with weight to clamp it to? It wasn't THAT big of a deal, just a few hours of cursing. If you do it yourself, make sure you really heat up the old bushings before trying to twist the metal innards out, makes the job a lot easier.

 

This is exactly correct. The prior owner of my car chased the "shimmy" as he called it via multiple tire balances, no luck. New bushings cured it.

 

Give Autothority (Wayne or Glyn) in Christchurch a call and they will sort it out for you!!

 

Yeah I've definitely thought of that. Might be worth the money if they can get the old fittings out with a hydraulic press or something while I'm doing the shocks.

 

TMc993, thanks for the info. So for someone who is not really that mechanically inclined, are the controll arms hard to take off? It lookd like 2 or three bolt that weren't too hard to get to. Does the alignment have to be redone after? Thanks.

 

It's not too difficult to remove/replace the control arms. There's a decent DIY somewhere. I don't think the alignment has to be redone if you mark the eccentric bolts correctly although when I did it, I also replaced the springs and needed to have the car aligned anyway. Removing the old bushings is a pain, I ended up bringing it to a shop to have them pressed out.

 

Removing the old bushings is a piece of cake (now that I have done at least six sets....). There are a few tricks though.

Removal is straight forward, no tricks. Remove the eccentric and holder nut on the strut side first, remove the two pivot bolts (one with a nut, the other longer one without), and use a rubber hammer and some persuasion to pull it out. Installation is a bit tighter, makes sure the notch on the forward pivot mount receives the tab from the front bushing, and tap the arm in, swinging in the lower ball joint of the strut roughly in place.

As for the arm:

1 - I use an acetylene torch to heat them up to pull out the insides - works like a charm - you need good heat. A plumbers torch will work too.
2 - I use a reciprocating saw with a metal blade to carve out the remaining rubber, and to notch the metal sleeve. Takes 10 seconds.
3 - I use two chisels (small and large) and a hammer to peel the metal sleeves out. The big one is done by peeling along the notch, and the smaller ones by breaking the seam between the arm and the bushing, effectively prying. Sometimes they come out in seconds, sometimes it takes a few minute of pounding.
4 - I clean up the metal bushings with a 8" wire wheel, the arms with emery cloth.
5 - You can hand press the small ones in, and the larger one will take a small C clamp or vice to get started. I use the vise to make sure they are all seated correctly.
6 - I use one to two sets of disposable rubber gloves per installation

I can pull both sides out, do the bushings, and have them back in torqued up in about 2 hrs and that is not rushing. This is not a hard DIY, but you do have to be a bit willing to pound on those sleeves to get them out (within reason of course). Good anger management.

The alignment has to be redone since, even with markings, you have to remove the bottom bolts. I think there is enough slack in the bolts that an alignment is called for.

Cheers,

Mike

 

Another way to determine if you need to do the work is the following: Take a pry bar and gently flex the bushing (the large one). You are looking for any cracks in the rubber.

In my case both of the bigger front ones were cracked from the center all the way to the outside. That's why I did the replacement. I also find these projects fun and am in the cheap b%@stard category. Incidentally, I do remember cursing quite a bit. I did not use the high heat method and had to pound away at them with a drift and chisel for a few hours - without a vise. Eventually, they come out

I just remembered a tip. When you put them back together remember to point the notch to its proper direction. Note where the notches are when you take them out. I think it was 3 o'clock on the left and 9 o'clock on the right IIRC.

 

Jackal's Forge has a video of a pry bar moving the control arm - hopefully this link will work for you.

http://www.jackals-forge.com/lotus/9...shbone_pry.wmv

 

Yup, that's it. Of course you will want to remove the under-tray so you can see the bushing.

 

Thanks, that video helped. It is now on my list of winter projects.

 

Wow - That video is pretty persuasive. Should help the sales of Walrod bushings no end!

 

With no bench available, either drill three holes in the dining table to mount the new vise or buy a black and decker workmate which will easily hold the arm whist you are working away with the hammer and chisels. If the going gets too tough, put the bench against a wall and use the wall for support on the opposite end of the arm. Always more ways than one ......

 

A Black and Decker Workmate! That's a great idea!