D4 LCA replacement

[Defenderbuff]

Hi all
Even though I have been a member of the the forum since 2017 I have never really had the need to post as I havent really had anything to contribute. I actually joined to obtain as much info about TD5 Defenders as I have been wanting to purchase a Td5 130 for some time. But then the opportunity arose to purchase a D4 with 162,000 kms and i new the owner and i purchased for what I though was a good price( at least wholesale price).

So, I have a D4 I purchased last year after owning two TD5 D2's. I have had a great run with all and I am particularly impressed with the D4 power and towing capability.
I have been researching the forum in relation to a knock I have detected in the front end which occurs on gravel roads and very rarely on the blacktop. After reading several posts and talking to a LR mechanic I have decided its the lower control arm bushes. Now Im willing to have a go at replacing the bushes and looking to hire the tool used to remove and replace the bushes. I'm based in Drouin but visit Melbourne weekly.

Is there anyone out there that has one of these tools and is willing to recover some of the purchase cost?

After reading several posts i will be buying the Advanced Factors Meyle HD solid bushes and if i cannot obtain a tool i will probably spend the extra 100 pounds and buy the complete control arms.

[DieselLSE]

Hi Defenderbuff,
Can't help you with the bush tool, but I would recommend against using anything other than the original hydra bushes. I would also recommend you replace the complete arms. They are quite reasonably priced from the dealers. You will also need to have a wheel alignment done straight afterwards and the suspension needs to be placed into Tight Tolerance Limit beforehand.
If you want, you can do the work here (Brighton) as I have all the tools needed and the alignment place is not far away. PM me with your VIN if interested and I'll price the parts for you.

[Pippin]

Hi all
Even though I have been a member of the the forum since 2017 I have never really had the need to post as I havent really had anything to contribute. I actually joined to obtain as much info about TD5 Defenders as I have been wanting to purchase a Td5 130 for some time. But then the opportunity arose to purchase a D4 with 162,000 kms and i new the owner and i purchased for what I though was a good price( at least wholesale price).

So, I have a D4 I purchased last year after owning two TD5 D2's. I have had a great run with all and I am particularly impressed with the D4 power and towing capability.
I have been researching the forum in relation to a knock I have detected in the front end which occurs on gravel roads and very rarely on the blacktop. After reading several posts and talking to a LR mechanic I have decided its the lower control arm bushes. Now Im willing to have a go at replacing the bushes and looking to hire the tool used to remove and replace the bushes. I'm based in Drouin but visit Melbourne weekly.

Is there anyone out there that has one of these tools and is willing to recover some of the purchase cost?

After reading several posts i will be buying the Advanced Factors Meyle HD solid bushes and if i cannot obtain a tool i will probably spend the extra 100 pounds and buy the complete control arms.I strongly recommend you get the complete arms it makes replacement much less trouble. I have probably said it before but the Meyle HD bushes are the way to go.

[Defenderbuff]

Thanks for the advice Pippin. The car has done nearly 180,000 km so probably warrants complete replacement

[loanrangie]

Thanks for the advice Pippin. The car has done nearly 180,000 km so probably warrants complete replacement

I have replaced my own bushes and i bought a bush press kit to do it, the kit doesn't have every tool for the LCA's but i used a few old bearing shells and a puller plate. Not an easy job but then not as hard as some make out, if you have a reasonably equipped garage you could replace the bushes and balljoints in your arms - definitely fit the Meyle HD which ever way you choose to do it.

[Pippin]

I have replaced my own bushes and i bought a bush press kit to do it, the kit doesn't have every tool for the LCA's but i used a few old bearing shells and a puller plate. Not an easy job but then not as hard as some make out, if you have a reasonably equipped garage you could replace the bushes and balljoints in your arms - definitely fit the Meyle HD which ever way you choose to do it.
My choice to replace the complete arms was unavoidable due to having to cut a seized LCA bolt out. Also finding a mechanic to press them out for me anyway was impossible. However next time I will do as Loanrangie has done.

[josh.huber]

You don't need to press then out, you can get them out with a hammer and chisel, I did it years ago and did a tutorial. Which I think got moved to"the good oil" pages, which seems stupid.

The last set I did was quicker.
Remove arms. Run a drill bit through the rubber the whole way around.
Bash the centre out with a hammer.
Slit the shell with a chisel
Push out by hand
Press New bush in using a big socket.

I only push in genuine bushes. You can feel the difference and they last the longest. My aftermarket arms have genuine bushes in them. It is however a matter of opinion. You'll need to make up your own mind. It's been discussed on here heaps

[DiscoJeffster]

Josh. Genuine last longest? I’ve never come across a vehicle that eats bushes faster. Yes they’re also a sublime ride when working so that’s the price you pay

[josh.huber]

Josh. Genuine last longest? I’ve never come across a vehicle that eats bushes faster. Yes they’re also a sublime ride when working so that’s the price you pay

In my experience the genuine have outlasted the after market bushes, I didn't go solids. Just aftermarket copies. The genuine bushes I got from all 4x4 lasted 80,000ks. The aftermarket started brake shaking then noise at 30,000ks I don't like the idea of solids in that application. That's just me.
I agree that no other car gets through them like this.. But they don't have to be expensive and over the top to change. If you can change the arms you can change the bushes. All you need is a press.. Or pay a shop to put them back in.

[INter674]

Josh. Genuine last longest? I’ve never come across a vehicle that eats bushes faster. Yes they’re also a sublime ride when working so that’s the price you pay

I have..Patrols and Toyotas esp if they go off-road a lot. The difference is that the poor std ride masks the bush wear. It's there you just don't know it until it's really bad. My boys do Patrol bushes front and rear regularily. Eg every 40-50000k for fronts...more for rears and at more frequent intervals if they are off roading a lot. They've checked mates cars and found play that the driver hadn't noticed.. replaced them and then they've realised cause the car steered better.

Interestingly the TD5 bushes lasted ages.. way better than Patrol units.

[Discodicky]

Josh. Genuine last longest? I’ve never come across a vehicle that eats bushes faster. Yes they’re also a sublime ride when working so that’s the price you pay

Seems to be a moot point as to how fast, or not, they "eat bushes".
Some report bush replacement required from 60k yet others (incl myself) report well over 100k and still going strong.
Guess it depends on road conditions that the vehicle spends majority of life travelling.

[Tombie]

Another factor is how you lower the vehicle when parking.
Do it whilst rolling and there is far less stress on the bush.
Do it static and things go under serious tension.

All these little things help longevity.

[INter674]

As a matter of comparison i spoke with a nice lady today with a 2014 RRS TDV8 120000klms who'd been quoted 3k min to replace front LCA bushes which they said was causing a squeaky noise she'd heard.

They had not inspected nor test drove the car b 4 hand and they are not a LR service place. In fact when I spoke with the owner in the pub he said LRs are all **** boxes.

So I sent her to Justine Cooper for a proper job😃

[letherm]

As a matter of comparison i spoke with a nice lady today with a 2014 RRS TDV8 120000klms who'd been quoted 3k min to replace front LCA bushes which they said was causing a squeaky noise she'd heard.

They had not inspected nor test drove the car b 4 hand and they are not a LR service place. In fact when I spoke with the owner in the pub he said LRs are all **** boxes.

So I sent her to Justine Cooper for a proper job😃

Is that Justin's sister ?

[INter674]

Is that Justin's sister ?

His twin😉

[PerthDisco]

I’ve posted in the L405 section an absolute nightmare I’m having with a friends front LCAs on a 2013 L405. A 4 bolt 3 hour job has taken 3 days. A vertical learning curve. Discovering the ball joint nut was a 38mm multi point socket was the first surprise.

Hoping the super gurus Justin and Dazza etc can chime in.

Passenger side is completed but following the same array of hitting pulling pushing heating air hammering it took on the passenger side the drivers side won’t budge!

Has an aluminium hub carrier with steel cone insert for the ball joint taper. No one in online DIYs has had such problems. A few light taps only.

Currently have tyres on and bolts through the bushing end. I cannot add the nut to the drivers ball joint but wondering if I slowly drove it and braked if it might pop? Would this be a disaster if the front LCA was floating free? I suspect it won’t fall out if I drive it to a shop tomorrow. Someone with bigger tools.

Needs a special C clamp tool as none of the puller tools fit the hub. Top of taper is dia. 27mm so too big for the kids tools they sell and a lot of metal to get around to the bolt head.

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[josh.huber]

If your trying to pop the ball joint, and if it's alloy you'll likey need some heat. Not glowing red. I use a map gas gun like a plumber and a steel paint scraper to as a heat sheild to protect the ball joint rubber. Heat up around the taper.
If your ever Gunna hit a hub to pop the joint you need to either strike the opposite side at the same time with another hammer or at least hold one on the other side to brace it. Doing that with a jack on the tapered side of the ball joint will get it off. Because of the angle of the joint i would cut some timber on the angle to support the Jack and probably ratchet strap it to the chassis.

[INter674]

Agree with the above...more heat plus heavy hamner and dolly on the other side...2 people if possible..one to hammer the other to hold the dolly. Heating and cooling cycles with a water spray bottle might also help loosen it.

[PerthDisco]

The heat definitely worked to eventually break the other side. It just fell out.

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I’ve had the hot air gun blasting for minutes on the other side with alfoil around the ball joint. Got to be careful going to a gas flame on surrounding aluminium.

Jacked from underneath directly on bolt.

Note there is a steel collar inside the aluminium hub.

[INter674]

Heat gun not hot enough nor concentrated enuf.

Oxy is better cause you can spot heat v quickly or MAP gas second choice.

[DiscoJeffster]

Agree. Needs flame, intense flame

[josh.huber]

Agree with the above...more heat plus heavy hamner and dolly on the other side...2 people if possible..one to hammer the other to hold the dolly. Heating and cooling cycles with a water spray bottle might also help loosen it.

Rapid cooling should be avoided. Not that a map gas gun will get hot enough to cause damage. But heating alloy with an OXY then cooling rapidly is bad news.