focus rear trailing arm bush

[airzfocus]

need to replace my upper rear trailing arm bushes, dunno wetha to go with poly ones or genuine? how easy would it be to replace these? cheers

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[fiestamk2]

do you mean anti roll bar bushes

[studabear]

trailing arm bushes can be a bit of a pain, as all the bolts to remove the trailing arm are normally seized to the bushes making it hard work

[Gaz 88]

i would uprate them to polly ones while your doing them, and order new bolts and nuts and shims from fords because you will prob have to cut them off, very lucky if you dont!

[airzfocus]

its the upper trailing arm bushes, done anti roll bar ones, prob go for poly ones, as ive done the fronts and a few on the back

[airzfocus]

also is there anyway of getting the arm down without having to undo everything?

[fiestamk2]

where is that part on your car lol i carnt make it out in the picture.i must be looking at it all wrong.

[airzfocus]

Originally Posted by fiestamk2

where is that part on your car lol i carnt make it out in the picture.i must be looking at it all wrong.

its right underneth the car. its where the arm bolts up to the body

[fiestamk2]

on the back?

[airzfocus]

Originally Posted by fiestamk2

on the back?

yeah just in front of the back wheel

[fiestamk2]

from my experience with the bushes i got some off ebay for 7quid came with the grease etc and ive never had a problem.would love polys though but you feel more of the road

[johnson_rs]

Originally Posted by airzfocus

its the upper trailing arm bushes, done anti roll bar ones, prob go for poly ones, as ive done the fronts and a few on the back

bit of advice mate, its far easier to remove the whole rear suframe to change these, if you try to remove the trailing arms on there own its alot more work. i worked in a ford garage for 4years and did these all the time! haha!

[Lami]

You mean this bush......




Then its either std ford ones or Vibratecnics, the important part is that you press
them in at the correct static setting.




Why do they need replacing??? as its not usually a bush that wears???

[johnson_rs]

i worked in a ford garage and these were always getting replaced, the rubber of the bush separates from the metal attachment bar in the middle.

where can you buy the vibratech items?

[pdfbt40]

I used Energy Suspension (#4-7124) ones from USA. Like any Polybush they're not bonded so alignment isn't an issue.

I had no problem dropping the arm/knuckle, but knowing the problem of Focus siezing bolts, they'd all come out and been greased when I first got any Focus.

And yes,that bush does regularly get pulled up on MOT. Ford, like other bushes at the rear, didn't initially supply it separately.....had to change their minds.

Martin

[johnson_rs]

Originally Posted by pdfbt40

I used Energy Suspension (#4-7124) ones from USA. Like any Polybush they're not bonded so alignment isn't an issue.

I had no problem dropping the arm/knuckle, but knowing the problem of Focus siezing bolts, they'd all come out and been greased when I first got any Focus.

And yes,that bush does regularly get pulled up on MOT. Ford, like other bushes at the rear, didn't initially supply it separately.....had to change their minds.

Martin

Were the bushes from energy suspention bushes any good?
do you have to re-use the metal casing and centre pin from the old bush?

Cheers

[pdfbt40]

I've had no issues with them. Can't comment on noise as the whole vehicle is polybushed. Mixture of Deflex (now FloFlex) and Powerflex.

Yes the Energy Suspension bush reuses the outer metal casing and inner pin.

This is the same as Deflex bushes, but what I learnt with those was to be sure to remove ALL sharp edges on the outer case. Other wise the polybush shoulder shreds and upsets MOT testers.

At the time Powerflex didn't make rear bushes (except ARB), however I've used some since. The problem I've had with those is that the interference fit of the outer casing they supply is unreliable in the pressed steel arm. When I queried this with PF Design & Development Manager, did they use a larger OD to allow for 'stretch' from the original bush, they didn't know or have any knowledge of standards of limits & fits used.

I tack welded the outercase into the arm !!

I bought my bushes from McNews in the USA as part of a larger order, along with their torque link bushes. The'y're a better design than the Powerflex ones which I find are best lubricated with Evostick !

Martin