Two in the bush?

by

It's well known that looking up medical symptoms on the web is generally not a good idea as you inevitably discover that your symptoms are in fact signs of imminent death rather than the more likely minor condition.

For self confessed worriers like myself, I'd say this phenomena is even worse when looking up car issues to the extent that I seem to convince myself that I've got issues for which I've had no tangible symptoms!

For example; when having the alignment sorted out a few weeks back it was pointed out that the rubber bush at the outer end of the camber control arm needs replacing. I'm not entirely sure if that's the right name for it as the alignment guy didn't seem too sure. So I went online to see if I could find out what it was called and get a price for the bits.

In case any experts are reading this and are feeling kind enough to drop me a line to tell me, it's this bit:

camberbush

After a surfing session I ended up convincing myself that I needed all manner of suspension bushes changing, some of which where a nightmare to to. ('Bushes' are the rubber bits that sit between a number of metal suspension bits to absorb movement.)

Having said that, it seems that upgrading from the standard rubber bushes to performance polyurethane ones can improve handling quite a bit. http://www.powerflex.co.uk/why_pu.php

So that's something else to add to the Christmas list whilst I continue my search for a name and price for the current issue-ette.

Update, a few weeks later.. Turns out it's called the 'lower control arm bush'. But it's still a confusing part as the local garage had trouble identifying it as they initially got sent the wrong parts.

Still, it's all replaced now and whilst the car was up on the ramp I thought it made sense to have both sides done, and to replace the eccentric bolts too.

newnut
And being the worrier that I am, I asked the guys to check for anything else under there that might need doing, seeing as the other bushes are in theory the same age, but they report everything is sorted and nothing else needs doing. Result!