Hello All
Not been here again for a while, but I have a quandry and I thought one of you may have had and solved the same problem.
I have a S2 V6 XM that had worn the bush on the end of the power steering ram (the end that connects to the steering rack itself). I (tediously) removed the ram yesterday and was summarily drenched in LHM (as expected).
I had sourced what I thought was a replacement bush from the nearest dealer and was dismayed to find that it is obviously too small in the outer diameter. That being the part of the bush that actually pushes into the round end of the arm.
Current advice from the dealer (who now has the ram) is that the bushes are not available and cannot be sourced. It looks at this stage like I have to buy a whole new ram or have the ends re engineered with some third party method.
I have also been advised that the bushes on the S1 XMs were replaceable - this is the part the dealer had supplied.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I will also pass this info on to the dealer if it works![:I]
XM - Power Steering Ram Bush Question - Solved!
Moderator: RichardW
ufo -
These bushes are not available as spares - best thing to do is to find a specialist machinery workshop that do all sorts of various bits to order. Usually not as expensive as one may think.
Usually automotive electrics specialists do axle bushes to various special starter motors - they should have the know-how.
I take it your XM V6 is an export RHD model.
These XM models do not have the advanced DIRAVI servosteering as known from the CX'es. Only LHD pre '96 V6 XM's were fitted with DIRAVI.
Note that your XM in many aspects, especially the rear suspension & brakes fits spareparts common with the late CX.
These bushes are not available as spares - best thing to do is to find a specialist machinery workshop that do all sorts of various bits to order. Usually not as expensive as one may think.
Usually automotive electrics specialists do axle bushes to various special starter motors - they should have the know-how.
I take it your XM V6 is an export RHD model.
These XM models do not have the advanced DIRAVI servosteering as known from the CX'es. Only LHD pre '96 V6 XM's were fitted with DIRAVI.
Note that your XM in many aspects, especially the rear suspension & brakes fits spareparts common with the late CX.
There is a craze amongst 4 wheel drive people to replace any rubber bush with plastic on the assumption I think that if its non-original and hasn't been tested by the manufacturer it must be better. I suggest that you have a search amongst 4 wheel drives for the manufacturers (polybush may be one)and stockists and see if they have anything similar. If you can match the outside diameter you may be able to carefully enlarge the centre on a pillar drill.
jeremy
jeremy
<font face="Arial">Just to bring you all up to date on this -
Last night I put the ram back in. The obliging dealer ended up
putting BX bushes in, inside the outer cases of the old original XM
bushes. They fit like a glove.
Had a devil of a time getting the ram back in (of course). Had to
fiddle around and move various bits some so that I could reconnect
the now tight end bush over the rack bolt. Then it was onto getting
the pipes reconnected. During removal, I had to take the "lower"
pipe out, which is also fortunately the "outer" pipe on the PS feed
off the steering column (descriptions may be a bit dodgy here) So I
could reach the outer end through the right wheel arch.
The biggest prob was getting the upper pipe to run on its thread.
Of course unless everything is dead set straight, you've got no
hope. Add to that I was lying on my back on a creeper trolley and
had about 20 cms between my chest and the work area. Then I had
fingers covered in LHM and other grot, so getting a decent grip on
the pipenut was a challenge.
Anyway, I finally got it all back in under 2 hours - 1 hour of which
was getting three pipe nuts connected!(grrrrrrr).
Drove 260km today for a club event and the steering was SO precise
it was amazing. I realised on the freeway that I had been
compensating for the slack in the steering for some time and was
still sub conciously doing it now. I had to concentrate for an hour
or so to get back to "normal" road feel of the steering and not
wander across the lane from time to time. Spooky eh?
Time will tell how the BX bushes hold out. But the dealer and I
have an arrangement that if it has to come out again I will do it in
their workshop on a hoist. I am the guinea pig for this test. They
also generously did not charge me for the fitting of the new bushes,
their time taking trying to source a 2nd hand ram or for the freight
back home. They only charged for the bushes! THAT'S service.
Happy driving</font id="Arial">
Last night I put the ram back in. The obliging dealer ended up
putting BX bushes in, inside the outer cases of the old original XM
bushes. They fit like a glove.
Had a devil of a time getting the ram back in (of course). Had to
fiddle around and move various bits some so that I could reconnect
the now tight end bush over the rack bolt. Then it was onto getting
the pipes reconnected. During removal, I had to take the "lower"
pipe out, which is also fortunately the "outer" pipe on the PS feed
off the steering column (descriptions may be a bit dodgy here) So I
could reach the outer end through the right wheel arch.
The biggest prob was getting the upper pipe to run on its thread.
Of course unless everything is dead set straight, you've got no
hope. Add to that I was lying on my back on a creeper trolley and
had about 20 cms between my chest and the work area. Then I had
fingers covered in LHM and other grot, so getting a decent grip on
the pipenut was a challenge.
Anyway, I finally got it all back in under 2 hours - 1 hour of which
was getting three pipe nuts connected!(grrrrrrr).
Drove 260km today for a club event and the steering was SO precise
it was amazing. I realised on the freeway that I had been
compensating for the slack in the steering for some time and was
still sub conciously doing it now. I had to concentrate for an hour
or so to get back to "normal" road feel of the steering and not
wander across the lane from time to time. Spooky eh?
Time will tell how the BX bushes hold out. But the dealer and I
have an arrangement that if it has to come out again I will do it in
their workshop on a hoist. I am the guinea pig for this test. They
also generously did not charge me for the fitting of the new bushes,
their time taking trying to source a 2nd hand ram or for the freight
back home. They only charged for the bushes! THAT'S service.
Happy driving</font id="Arial">