Rover 200 & 400 Owners Club

Pre-empting a possible MOT failure, but even if she passes the trailing arm bushes are going to need doing asap.

I've read elsewhere that its possible to replace them without removing the whole arm from the car, can anyone talk me through the process a little? Or point me in the direction of a decent write up (with pics if possible!)

Your going to need to burn them out anyway so pull em from the car as it will only take 15-20 mins.

Burn them out? Really? Some threads on mg-rover.org seem to suggest its easy enough to beat them out in situ.

Main concern with taking the whole arm off is losing tracking settings...

You only need to burn them out if you are fitting polybushes instead.

You only lose the tracking settings if you undo the wrong end of the front tie bar (i.e. the adjustable end). If you undo the other then you can drop the arm next to the car (without removing hte handbrake cable and beat the bushes out on the floor next to the car.

Having a bash at the weekend, along with a CV boot and a new cat (MOT fails) - If things go smoothly i might even get round to fitting my new shocks and springs too. (famous last words!)

to get you by, I find mot will more likely pass if you give them a spray over with black Dinitrol wax or waxoil.

Obviously this isn't a long term solution for knackered rubber but if they're ok but edges a little cracked or perished this seems to work for me.

There a quick guide in this months Car Mechanics magazine it shows a Honda Civic but it still applies.

I find that they are real pigs to remove i spent two days tying to get them off and failed.

That is the only job i get a garage to do as they have bench pressed to remove them and fit the new ones.

Let me know how you get on with any tips you get.

You can use a hacksaw to cut through the metal part of the bush to relive the pressure then knock them out then it's a case of bracing the rear arm to knock the new bush in.
Undo the front mounting bolts for the bush and I think there is another holding it to the body then you can lower the arm down below the body that saves removing the arm completely.

I wimped out after encountering more problems whilst replacing the cv boot (uncovered a hole in the front beam and a faulty all joint, so need a new tracking rod control arm), plus then couldn't get the damn cat off.

Anyway garage cut rusty bolts off the cat (and fitted new) and replaced trailing arm bush in an hour and a half.