Mystery Rubber Objects

[billwill]

Does any one recognise these mystery rubber objects.?

I bought them a long time ago, but never fitted them. Now I don't remember what they were for but I thought I might check if the existing ones needed replacing, If only I knew what they are?

Rubber Thingy

[benymazz]

Looks like the sway bar link bushings for where the link connects to the bar.

Item 39 in the attached picture.

[billwill]

Ah yes, that's probably what they are.

Quite a sod to slide on getting around the bend, which is probably why I didn't do it before.

[benymazz]

Ah yes, that's probably what they are.

Quite a sod to slide on getting around the bend, which is probably why I didn't do it before.

Indeed. Can't remember exactly how I did it (even though it was about 10 months ago, my memory sucks) but I know I used polyurethane ones instead of the original rubber. My engine is rope seal and thus is eternally damned to leak oil which eats the rubber. I'm pretty sure I slid the bushes on and then slid the links over the bushings once it was "around the bend" but I may have used a boxcutter to shave 1/16" or so off of the OD of the bushing so I could get the link on. I would expect rubber to be a little more compliant. I've also heard using dish soap helps things slide together.

My old rubber bushings were in a bad way. On one side (pictured below, off the car) the bushing had split all the way through so I got a nice metallic clank whenever I hit a bump. Note that I didn't cut it to get it off - this was the condition I found it in on the car.

-Ben

[SENC]

Fresh gloss paint on the sway bar and a bit of liquid detergent and water on the bushing and the job isn't nearly as hard as it seems. I inserted the bushings into the arms first, then with them held in a vice pushed the sway bar into the bushing. As I recall, I did file very slightly the corners of the end of the sway bar before painting to remove sharp angles and give a slight radius.

[JonB]

+1 to that! I spray painted the (very pitted) roll (sway) bar with a shiny black paint, then soap and water to get the bush into place. I'm pretty sure I put the bush into the drop links first, but I recall it was much easier than I had feared, having read some of the stories on here. Once I'd washed the detergent and it had dried out, the bush seemed locked solidly onto the bar.

[RAJ2628]

I found that pre-soaking the rubber in boiling water for 10mins was useful, together with the previous tips. A substantial glove was worn when sliding on the rubber Bush. I also had a friend manufacture the assembly aid, identified in Brian Bucklands book. It worked a treat.

[nigelrbfurness]

Washing up liquid and ky jelly are very good for fitting ARB bushes. Both water soluble so sasy to clean off afterwards.