Thread: Worn radius arm bush symptoms

Originally Posted by ballbag

Got clunk going on, seems to be when one front wheel moves before or after or without the other.

eg diagonally over a speedhump, or a pothole that affects only one wheel.

Ball joints, watts link bushes, steering rods, sway bar links, shocks all done. Panhard done a while ago but bushes look ok. Wheel bearings all good

Hard to replicate the symptom on stationary vehicle.

Hoping others might be able to describe symptoms experienced with failed radius arm bushes to confirm.

Not much else left to change but a big job.... and I’m not keen at the moment!

It's a pretty easy job you just gotta press the bushes in and out.
Get a bottle jack under your axle and then radius arms and look for free play when they take the weight. You should be able to see if they are shagged.

Cheers Jim

Check your sway bar "D" bushes as well.

Yeah forgot them.

Jim, not sure I follow you.

Do you mean (1) jack under axle and watch for play in bushes, remove jack, jack under arms and watch again?

Or (2) suspend axle on jack/stands then jack under arms and watch for play? This seems same as just jacking under arm with wheels on ground.

If my little 6T press can push them out then, yeah not hard, otherwise it’s hacksaws and swearing. Either way, all four corners will likely see a whole weekend used up

Thanks fellas.

Originally Posted by ballbag

Yeah forgot them.

Jim, not sure I follow you.

Do you mean (1) jack under axle and watch for play in bushes, remove jack, jack under arms and watch again?

Or (2) suspend axle on jack/stands then jack under arms and watch for play? This seems same as just jacking under arm with wheels on ground.

If my little 6T press can push them out then, yeah not hard, otherwise it’s hacksaws and swearing. Either way, all four corners will likely see a whole weekend used up

Thanks fellas.

Either way will work you will see straight away if they are worn, you could probably shake the car side to side and you would see free play in them. It's pretty obvious when your looking at it. Even use 2 jacks and alternate the weight between then, once you start fiddling around with it you will catch my drift.
As above said look at your sway bar I'm missing a mounting bush on the rear and it's noisy as hell over speed bumps.
Your press should do it easily and you may have to move some of the steering arms on the drivers side from memory to drop the arm down.

Cheers Jim

Cheers

A big enough pry bar would show play in the radius arm bushes wouldnt it?
I would have thought radius arm bushes would give a knock noise when taking off and breaking hard but also every bump not just some situations as you stated.
Makes me think it could be something else.

No knock under accel/decel , knocks only noticeable at low speed ..... but I suppose that may just be when they’re most obvious. Vehicle is always packed for touring and at high speed there’s a lot moving around to mask the clunks.

Originally Posted by DAMINK

A big enough pry bar would show play in the radius arm bushes wouldnt it?

A pry bar would work well, if you have a mate around just shake it and get under and have a listen for anything clunky and start your investigation there. You will find it easy enough.
Cheers

Another possibility - loose steering box. But I would also be taking a good look at the bits recently replaced as well, especially tie rod ends and panhard bushes. Just because it was replaced recently does not mean you did not get a faulty part or, more likely, the part was not tightened properly. (and consequently worn)