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MG MGF Technical - Rear Tie Bar

Have been stripping down the back end to replace all rubber bushes with PU. Tie bars have nasty gaps after the cupped large washers before the rubber bush, as if the rubber has shrunk less than the length of the metal insert. I guess compliance washers would be a work around remedy, but PU bushes measure up to the full insert length and seem to be the longer term solution.

Having already done the front end and been astonished at the difference, I was keen to do the rear and be doubly pleased. Mechanically, the job looks a cinche. Oh no it isn't!

Much bad language and grazed skin trying to get the tie bar retaining bolt out of the sub frame. Everything else came apart relatively easily.

At the sub frame end of the tie bar, there's restricted access from underneath and a bent flange in the way. The bolt head is slight askew and 1/2" drive and socket won't fit the available gap. Through the wheel arch, the only option is to use a stepped 13mm ring spanner. Using 1/4" or 3/8" drives with sockets from underneath is useless - they are all girls tools for a man's job in this case. The bolt should be 43nm tight so a decent leverage is required to loosen it.

Solution was to use a long 1/2" bar with a short nuckle end and 13mm standard socket - approach the bolt from underneath.

Jeff
J Lennon

Ah yes, I remember those bolts well ;o)

If you've replaced the ARB drop link bushes, check the flat end of the ARB isn't smaller than the surface of the bush, if so it will chew into the bush and destroy it. Likewise at the other end of the bush - a large washer there too may well be a good safeguard.

When fully re-bushed, my track F developed the ability to brake very very hard with none of the vagueness inherent to the standard setup. That alone was worth all the swearing ;o)
bandit

Thanks Bandit for your warning and advice.

Jeff
J Lennon

This thread was discussed between 25/07/2009 and 28/07/2009

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