Help with rear axle bushes UPDATE: Axle off

[Jim Bowen 1]

got the old bushes out today, and the news ones in. Cut a little bit too far with the hacksaw, through the bush housing and into the axle, not much i can do about that now, am sure it will be fine (its an easy area to keep an eye on)

[Toad 0]

I was under the impression that it was only the early cars that needed pretensioning? Anyway, as long as you only carefully loosen one bracket to do this, you shouldn't affect the alignment.

[Riley 0]

Won't it be for aligning/tensioning the 'built in' rear wheel steer?

 

Neil.

[12 DEG BEN 0]

Just putting mine back on after powder coating and new bushes. In fact new everything. Dont want to do this task again for a very very long time. Powder coating was only 20 quid.

[pete_griff 0]

I was under the impression that it was only the early cars that needed pretensioning? Anyway, as long as you only carefully loosen one bracket to do this, you shouldn't affect the alignment.

 

i didn't take the brackets off the car when i did mine - i didn't see the need to....

as long as your brackets aren't horribly rusty, i would leave them where they are so you don't have any alignment issues afterwards...

 

 

Won't it be for aligning/tensioning the 'built in' rear wheel steer?

 

Neil.

 

corrados don't have rear wheel steer - they only have a small amount of flex that comes as a result of the design of the beam and where the pivot/bushes are. yes you can feel this when going round corners, but (as far a i'm aware) there wasn't any specific engineering to give the corrado passive rear steer (unlike what performance car magazine said- some tosh about unique bearings...)

 

i need to get home and have a look and my bentley manual and see what they're on about as i can't see the pics here at work

[pete_griff 0]

just quickly got onto a computer that will allow me to see stuff - it looks like the standard oem bushes leave a gap either side - the poly powerflex jobs fitted in the gap snugly (IIRC), so there would be no need to pre-tension them as you apparently need to do with the oem items

[VRTrickster 0]

I didnt pre-tension mine, is that gonna make much difference, anyone?!

[Jim Bowen 1]

just got inside as its got dark and i've done all i can until tomorrow.

 

ordered new top mounts all round from VW, the rears are lots of little bits, not sure what to get so bought all of it.

 

done the front to rear brake lines today, (long ones) actually pretty easy, rear axle is ready to go back on. Not fully refurbed but its all solid and decent.

 

crappy pics

[joinerboy 0]

i have got powerflex bushes like you. how do you remove this bit of the old bushes?

 

do you just cut it off?

[davidwort 0]

i have got powerflex bushes like you. how do you remove this bit of the old bushes?

 

 

do you just cut it off?

unclip a hacksaw blade from it's handle, pass through the middle of the bush, then reconnect to handle,

carefully cut a slot in the bush outer metal sleeve until you're not quite down to the beam metal itself, then cut another parallel slot a few mm away from the first, remove the hacksaw blade and prise the section between the slots/grooves you've cut out with a screwdriver, you'll then find it easy to tap the rest out with a hammer and punch.

just take it carefully and you won't damage the beam end.

[joinerboy 0]

cheers david

that is what i was going to do but i thought i'd check first

[Jim Bowen 1]

yeah i just sawed through it with a hacksaw in two place about 2cm apart, then used a hammer and chisel to whack it out.