How to remove bushes

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Stempy
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How to remove bushes

Post by Stempy »

Today I set out to replace the four rear subframe bushes.

I started with the rear ones which was pretty straight forward other than having to remove the boot carpet to get to the retaining nuts, but having removed the bolt on the front ones I couldn't seem to extract them from the subframe. Are they welded in place or is it just 11 years of rust stopping them from budging?

A big hammer wouldn't shift them, am I missing something? The BOL seems not to mention them at all. Any advice gratefully received.
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Post by citronut »

i have never done any XANT front rear sub frame bush's,

but looking at the V6 sub frame on service citroen i would say they are an interference fit,

so they will require pressing or cutting out,

do you have play in them if not i would leave the old ones in,


regards malcolm
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Post by Stempy »

Well Malcolm, I've noticed a rear end shimmy that seems to be getting worse when on a bumpy corner, the rear arms and hubs are solid so these were my best guess as to a cause, seeing as how most of the other rubber bits on the car are falling to pieces.
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Post by Xantidote »

At one time, I was convinced that the knocking problem I had with the my Xantia's rear suspension was to do with the sub-frame's bushes, and several times I scrutinised the bushes, including easing the bolts to lower the sub-frame slightly. I concluded, as Malcolm says, that the front ones were pressed in, and was glad to subsequently discover my rear end problem lay elsewhere! ( :D )

It seemed to me the only way to replace these front bushes would be to drop the sub-frame right out - probably a right PITA.

I'm unsure which models had the "rear wheel steering", but I did wonder if this was by means of the design of the front bush in question. If you do strip it all down, then I'd be photographing and recording the orientation of the original bush, in case it's not obvious after removal.

As you say, the BoL says nothing - hope the problem lies elsewhere!
Last edited by Xantidote on 30 Aug 2011, 11:22, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by DickieG »

As a slight aside I got stuck in a jam on the M25 on Sunday evening near Staines due to a prang involving a Peugeot 306 where the complete rear axle had fallen out probably due to knackered bushes. When the original XJ6 was a common sight on the road I attended quite a few collisions where axles and engines had departed from the car body, these rear subframe bushes are worth keeping an eye on.
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Post by CitroJim »

In looking at a subframe I can confirm the bush is pressed in and given ciorrosion it will be an absolute PITA to get it out and a new one in.

It would definitely need the subframe dropping and a specil press tool made up.

On the plus-side the subframe will drop sufficiently far to do the job without disconnecting anything...
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Post by Stempy »

Knickers :evil:
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Post by Dommo »

Xantidote wrote:I concluded, as Malcolm says, that the front ones were pressed in, and was glad to subsequently discover my rear end problem lay elsewhere! ( :D )
What did your problem turn out to be?
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Post by citronut »

DickieG wrote:As a slight aside I got stuck in a jam on the M25 on Sunday evening near Staines due to a prang involving a Peugeot 306 where the complete rear axle had fallen out probably due to knackered bushes.

the 306 front and rear rear sub frame bush's are bonded block type, so i can see why they could completly part company with the car body,

but the XANT front rear rear sub frame bush's have a bolt going right up through into the body, so less likely to come right away,


regards malcolm
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Post by Xantidote »

Dommo - rear end problem turned out to be twofold.

Firstly, it hadn't dawned on me that the rear (normal) ride height had changed of it's own accord, so that rear of car was something like 1.5 inches too high. I was getting horrible bang whenever I hit a pothole, but I can't explain why it only happened with the nearside. I assume the clamp on to the anti-roll bar wasn't tight enough, and had crept a little, because I reset this (still a fraction high), and the noise vanished. Without the noise, it then felt like driving a new car!

Second problem only happened on right hand bends, when a small nearside bump would give a rattle from rear end. Turned out to be nothing more than the tailgate (hatchback) vibrating/rattling slightly in it's catch whenever car was in motion. Leaning on the tailgate when stationary wouldn't reproduce the noise - it seemed quite firm. Wrapping the striker with tape proved this was the problem, and subsequently I lowered the lock mechanism fractionally, and the rattle disappeared - maybe a bit of wear had developed in the striker mechanism? I think the body twists slightly on bends, encouraging movement of the tailgate within the confines of the surrounding body.

Car drove like magic once the problem(s) were solved :D
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