Replacing the suspension bushes on a 1993 200 TDI 110

**2234jones** · 23rd May 2011, 04:48 PM

Land Rover 200tdi Suspension Bushes replacement
The ride was rough and the steering was wonder, it could not wait any longer!
This Bush kit cost $95-00 which included the anti roll bar kit, I don’t have one and the shock rubber kit. In total with postage it was $117-00. Not badly prices I thought.

Check the kit to ensure you have the right part numbers for your vehicle

Gather your tools together; I had a large drive socket set, a trolley jack, a 24mm spanner, a 19mm spanner, pliers, ball joint remover, 12 tonne bench press, a screw driver, 17mm spanner and the set of bushes.
Some wooden blocks or wheel chocks.

Chock the font and rear wheels after parking it on a flat surface, started with the Panhard rod, this consisted of two bushes and two bolts however I had to remove the drag link to give me access to one of the retaining bolts on the axle.

Remove the ball joint with the ball joint removing tools and mine was a 17mm for the nut and 19mm for the tool.

Once you have removed the Panhard Rod find a socket that fits the outer metal ring of the bush, not too big as we need it to go through the surround.

Slowly press the bush ensuring the press is pushing it square.

Once the bushes are pressed out place the new bush in, and I tapped it in a bit with another socket to ensure the press would press it squarely.

Press the bush fully home

An image of the old ones out and the new ones in, they had definitely gone.

Rebolt on the Panhard rod and place the drag link back on, torque up to required torque settings. Panhard bolts should be as stated in the manual 88Nm (65 ibf/ft)

Now the front radius arms.

I did this with the wheels on, but off would have been easier.
Remove the tie rod.

Remove the large nut where it attaches to the chassis. This was a 30mm nut.

Then using the large socket set remove the radius arm to axle bolts. These were 24mm

I had to use the screw driver just to pry the arm down.

Once the axle end is dropped it should just pull out.

Remove the bushes as previously stated using the press and replace with the new ones as previously done.

This one has also had it, no wonder the steering and cornering wasn’t fab!

Push the bushes home.

The new ones are looking good!

Comparing the old radius arm to chassis bushes!

Now place the first radius arm to chassis bush on and then put through the hole then align with the eyes on the axle and use a jack to put them into place do not tighten anything at this stage.

I had a slight issue, the new axle to radius arm bushes were slightly wider by 5 mm either side, so I had to grind them down, doing it in stages without causing the bush to over heat and damage the new bushes.

If it doesn’t fit don’t force it as you could damage the steel tubes of the bushes.

Once in place and the bolts are to be tightened to as the manual states. Don’t tighten until you have done both sides.

Radius arm to chassis nuts 176 Nm (130 lbf/ft)
Radius arm to axle bolts 197 NM (145 lbf/ft)

Once done replace the tie rod and tighten the ball joint nuts.
Now the rear axle

Ensure you securely block the rear axle to prevent the rear axle moving back too far when you remove the lower suspension link.

Loosen the large chassis to lower link nut, this was also a 30mm

Then loosen the axle to lower suspension link bolt. (24mm)

Ensure the wheel is securely chocked as the rear axle will move backwards slightly when you undo the large chassis nut.

Loosen the three nuts around the chassis link rubber bush. (15mm)

Remove all of the nuts and bolts and the arm should drop out.

Remove the chassis bush.

Once out, as previously press the old bush out, I found these bushes in the lower link harder that the front as the outer metal appeared to be thinner than the front.

Once in do not bolt the chassis rubber bush in as this will prevent you getting the lower link back in. Once the link is in,

the axle bolt should be tightened to 176 Nm (165 lbf/ft) and with the weight of the vehicle, the chassis nut should be 176 Nm (165 lbf/ft)

Since this has been done the vehicle corners and doesn’t wonder like it did. The next task will be the A frame suspension link and ball joint and the shock absorber rubbers.

I hope this helps,

Cheers Mark

Land Rover 200 Tdi Defender owner

**rick130** · 23rd May 2011, 09:49 PM

FWIW, and it may not matter to you depending on how you use your 'fender but you've fitted Disco bushes in your hockey sticks/radius arms instead of Defender ones.

The Disco ones are triple sleeved, the Defender ones only have an inner and outer sleeve and allow more articulation off road in the front end.
The Disco ones will tighten things up a little on road, a little like adding a small anti-roll bar to the front.

**2234jones** · 27th May 2011, 09:13 AM

Originally Posted by rick130

FWIW, and it may not matter to you depending on how you use your 'fender but you've fitted Disco bushes in your hockey sticks/radius arms instead of Defender ones.

The Disco ones are triple sleeved, the Defender ones only have an inner and outer sleeve and allow more articulation off road in the front end.
The Disco ones will tighten things up a little on road, a little like adding a small anti-roll bar to the front.

I didn't know they were different, but it rides a lot better and the handling around corners is better too. Maybe thats why they were cheaper!

cheers Mark

**2234jones** · 27th May 2011, 09:16 AM

Part two
First of all if you have the service manual, read it to see how it comes apart.

Then lets get to work, first of all we need to raise the vehicle so the axle is freely suspended in mid air, this will take the tension off of the A frame.

Then undo the bolts which attach the A frame to the chassis (30mm)

Do Not remove these bolts yet as we need to remove the ball joint attachment on top of the axle, this is attached by four 13mm bolts.

Once you have removed the four bolts on top of the axle, remove the bolts from the chassis attachment, at this point one of mine was seized in so I had to remove the chassis bracket consisting on three 17mm nuts and bolts.

Finally it was off and with the help of diesel and a big hammer as one of the bolts had become stuck, but after a few taps it popped out.
Now we have to remove the ball joint, I jammed a screw driver in the holes as I did not have a vice, and it was able to be undone.

Now with the sledge hammer tap the nut end of the ball joint and it should become free of the bracket.

Now it free I could see how badly the ball joint was

Now remove the two bolts either side of the ball joint, these were a 13mm.

One the bolts were removed I had to cut with a grinder the flanges of the ball joint so the press could be used to press it out.

Once cut it should look like this

So it would not put too much stress on the press, I hit the ball joint with the hammer to loosen the rust around it. Then I put it in the press and pressed it out.

Once ou
t we need to put the new one back in.
Finding a large socket, a small amount of grease, and the sledge hammer tap the ball joint home ensuring the bolt holes line up.

Make sure the ball joint is snuggly fit, and refit the bolts with some thread lock.

Place the axle bracket back on and tighten the nut and then put the split pin in.

Press the A frame bushes as described in the previous section

Once the new bushes have been replaced put the frame in reverse order and you may need to just tilt the axle slightly to fit the top bolts into the ball joint bracket. Remembering to put stub lock on these too.

I hope this has helped as my Defender no longer clonks when the drive is taken up and the whole vehicle drives smoother.
Cheers Mark

http://landroverfreak.blogspot.com

**spudboy** · 27th May 2011, 11:17 AM

Nice work - thanks for posting. Great photos.

Cheers
David

**rainman** · 27th May 2011, 11:48 AM

It's good to see your Trade Tools 12 tonne press survived intact. My 6 tonne didn't

. The 6 tonne has an RHS top member instead of a UB. After the top of the jack had half pushed into the section, and the beam had a slight bend in it, I had to resort to a drill and a hacksaw to get the radius arm bushes out. This was for a 300Tdi Defender though, with the wider arms and therefore more surface area.

The press still works fine, but one day when I'm bored (yeah right), I'll weld a new piece into the top.

Thanks for the comprehensive write-up Mark

.

**2234jones** · 27th May 2011, 03:25 PM

Originally Posted by rainman

It's good to see your Trade Tools 12 tonne press survived intact. My 6 tonne didn't

. The 6 tonne has an RHS top member instead of a UB. After the top of the jack had half pushed into the section, and the beam had a slight bend in it, I had to resort to a drill and a hacksaw to get the radius arm bushes out. This was for a 300Tdi Defender though, with the wider arms and therefore more surface area.

The press still works fine, but one day when I'm bored (yeah right), I'll weld a new piece into the top.

Thanks for the comprehensive write-up Mark

.

It was my friends and too be honest it wasn't strong enough as the steel appeared to be soft, I bent the bottom bar on it, I would suggest this press was only for light work. When I buy one, I will get a stronger one. It only just suvived as I did some prework first. Took the press back to my friends and he said he had bent it on the rear ball joint.

cheers Mark

**rainman** · 27th May 2011, 03:35 PM

The general consensus on the forum is that 20 tonne is the way to go.

**ade** · 27th May 2011, 03:58 PM

good write up, pretty much exactly the same as my 300tdi disco omnly with a 20t press and i used anti sieze grerase on the bushins when replacing, hopefully it will make things easier next time

**Bushie** · 1st June 2011, 06:10 PM

Just about to start the same process, bought a full set of bushes today.

I've done this three times in the past on Rangies using hacksaw and sledge hammer/hammers.

Today I also bought a press.

Martyn

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