Play in rear wishbone bush ... how much is acceptable

[Ben Lessani]

Ok, so this may or may not be for my BMW Mini Cooper S rather than a Golf, but its just a general question about bush play. So perhaps someone can help.

My car feels like its going to career off the motorway when I'm (not) doing 80mph +

Since I got it, I've replaced the inner ball joints, rear bushes, all 4x tyres, drop links and all the suspension - and the issue still persists.

I can only think the cheap and nasty rear bushes might be the issue and that they've failed within <3k

So, I took a bunch of videos with me levering the control arm - is the play you can see in the rear bush normal or not?


Nearside
Kicking tyre from front - Nearside Kick - YouTube
Tightening/rocking wheel bolts - Nearside Wheel Bolt Torque - YouTube
Levering control arm - Nearside Lever - YouTube
Levering control arm (2) - Nearside Lever 2 - YouTube

Offside
Kicking tyre from front - Offside Kick - YouTube
Undoing/rocking wheel bolts - Offside Wheel Bolt Torque - YouTube
Levering control arm - Offside Lever - YouTube
Levering control arm (2) - Offside Lever 2 - YouTube

[Khare]

To me that looks massively excessive, but then again I've got polys so.....

But I reckon that's too much.

[Martinvr6]

That looks acceptable to me, they certainly are not walloping about

Out of interest has the car had the geometry done after the suspension work? If not i fear this may be the issue

[Ben Lessani]

I get it Hunter aligned every year - but its been like this for >1 year now.

The last alignment was about 3 weeks ago (prior to the suspension change) and it didn't change anything.

I only changed the struts last weekend - but haven't since had it aligned. I was holding off in-case I needed to change any other suspension components.

Its really bugging me. When I drive down the road at 30 - I can turn the steering wheel ~1" to the left (and I feel the wheels moving, its not a rack thing) and the weight of the car kind of shifts from one wheel to the other. But its possible to drive with the wheel dead centre, 1" to the left or 1" to the right.

It feels like the wheels are both toe-out and that by turning the wheel a little, one of them is pointing straight - and the other is dragging.

On the m'way - I'm just continually correcting the wheel to keep going straight.

[Dolly]

Id defo change those bushes, im not saying that will fix your problems, it may it may not.

You could use Genuine bushes, they do seem better than most, but only expect to last 2 years before they split.

Or get some poly bushes, at least you know it aint gonna move no more.

[Ben Lessani]

Id defo change those bushes, im not saying that will fix your problems, it may it may not.

You could use Genuine bushes, they do seem better than most, but only expect to last 2 years before they split.

Or get some poly bushes, at least you know it aint gonna move no more.

The thing is, those bushes are less than 1 year old with only 3k on them! I was thinking either Lemforder or Meyle HD. Either way, I'm going to have to buy a bush press.

I'd avoid poly simply because it screws up comfort and road noise in the car.

[Dolly]

just get the genuine bushes that come with the bracket, about £30 a piece

Then keep the crap ones, pop the bushes out, then if you do decide to make it solid and you buy some poly bushes or whatever youve got the brackets ready to go

[Ben Lessani]

just get the genuine bushes that come with the bracket, about £30 a piece

That's how I fitted the last ones. But when I dropped the rear of the subframe - I did it on a ramp. But I won't have that privilege this time round. So doing it on a driveway is going to be bloody difficult.

[Dolly]

i know its easy for me to say but its amazingly easy to drop the subframe.

[Chris.]

Look a bit excessive to me that!