m shutler Posted June 16, 2003 Share Posted June 16, 2003 An ominous clunk has revealed that the A frame bushes on my vx classic need to be replaced. I would like to take preventative steps in future to avoid total disintegration. How often is it reccomended by those more mechanically minded than I am that this is done. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian balson Posted June 16, 2003 Share Posted June 16, 2003 Mine needed changing too recently. At 40p each and 15 mins to do the job, I'm going to change them at each annual service. Cheers Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeW Posted June 16, 2003 Share Posted June 16, 2003 I change mine every 500 miles or so but car mainly used on the track. MikeW 1600 VX Black/Ali Race No 134 Membership No 6582 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul White Posted June 16, 2003 Share Posted June 16, 2003 Mine has started clonking 2 days ago, and was only changed 5 months ago. I have got a bit fed up of changing them, therefore would like to find a non-perishable alternative! Any ideas? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YW Sin Posted June 16, 2003 Share Posted June 16, 2003 Give Mike a call at Redline. I heared they sell alternative A frames with rose joint or something like that.. I am keeping my conventional A frame as I have bought 5 sets of bushes! Got to use them up 😬 A ll standard, Classic 1.7 X-flow Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
puremalt Posted June 16, 2003 Share Posted June 16, 2003 You can get urethane ones from Demon Tweeks 😬 A paltry 99.9dB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjc Posted June 17, 2003 Share Posted June 17, 2003 The A frame point takes tremendous forces where it joins to the live axle. The bush disintigrates very quickly as a result. Changing it regularly is a 5 minute job once you've done it a few times and every 500 miles is a good interval. A pal of mine rose jointed his and the bush, complete with a jagged chunk of the axle diff casing sheared off after a few hundred miles. Urethane bushes may last a bit longer, but changing them is easy and the standard ones are cheap. Remember the design of the car is 40 years old +. There are some aspects of the design where you simply have to step back in time to a different era where constant fettling was needed to keep things in tip top shape. It's all part of the fun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin H Posted June 17, 2003 Share Posted June 17, 2003 Mine does almost pure track work, and I deliberately overfill the diff & hence get a fair bit of oil out the breather and onto the bushes. As a result I change mine every trackday (which is also what Caterham recommend). Usually the left hand bush needs changing after a day on track, while the right hand one is pretty OK. I'm dubious about other solutions, as the bushes are meant to take the strain and eventually fall apart, so that other parts don't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m shutler Posted June 17, 2003 Author Share Posted June 17, 2003 Thanks for all your replies. Guess I will stick to the Caterham bushes and check out how to do them myself. It's easy to forget these things when the tin top will go 9k between services! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
groutledge Posted June 30, 2003 Share Posted June 30, 2003 I ran The rose jointed bushed on my A-frame for ages using it mostly on track and with 32Rs/ACB10s. No probs... Also used the deamon tweeks bushes which were actually de-dion front end bushes that needed to be cut down, they were fine though. The axle itself was another matter ☹️...... Graham ( soon to be in a 7 ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boogs Posted June 30, 2003 Share Posted June 30, 2003 I guess I'm just kind to my bushes as mine have been on since Snetterton last year so must have done at least 12 races since then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julian Bradley Posted July 1, 2003 Share Posted July 1, 2003 I'm given to understand that the bushes are there to be sacrificial in the first instance. They're supposed to wear out rather than the diff. Or so I'm told - anyway, it only takes 15 minutes when you know how. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuart Faulds Posted July 1, 2003 Share Posted July 1, 2003 John - have you had them out and looked at them? They can look OK fitted, but can still be pretty well shagged. If you're brutal with the car (Hi Steve), it's quite possible to destroy them in a single race! Stuart Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boogs Posted July 1, 2003 Share Posted July 1, 2003 Stuart - I treat my car with the utmost care and respect - its the other drivers around me that don't! :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barry.h Posted July 1, 2003 Share Posted July 1, 2003 I'm a bit unclear how a rose jointed one would work given that the bush is subject not only to vertical and fore & aft forces but also acts in part to locate the axle against lateral forces? Or am I missing something? Incidentally I did some 3000 miles on my last set of bushes, including about 20 sprint/hillclimbs, yet they showed only slight wear when I replaced them. Taht has been my experience over the last 5 years or so. Barry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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