Poly Bush for LR3
Camel Trophy
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 4,244
Likes: 482
From: North of Seattle
I suppose the thing to do, if I were doing it....would be to wait until I was R&R'ing the lower control arms anyway, then have them press the new polybush into it...and I could save the old one for a spare. That way the delta-labor would be minimal and the price not crazy.
Mudding
Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 151
Likes: 12
From: Los Angeles
I suppose the thing to do, if I were doing it....would be to wait until I was R&R'ing the lower control arms anyway, then have them press the new polybush into it...and I could save the old one for a spare. That way the delta-labor would be minimal and the price not crazy.
Removing stock bushing from arm (torch, air chisel, vice) I'd say number 2...
I also needed to file down some burs inside after removing bushings.
Most time consuming part for me was reattaching arm (Axle kept sliding back in than pulling CV as id finagle arm back into place)
Last edited by KMET; Jan 11, 2017 at 04:14 PM.
I've only done the front lowers and the install was no different than the standard bushes.
I think the durability of the poly bushes will be great but I don't know if I would appreciate the firmed up ride if you did the whole truck.
I think the durability of the poly bushes will be great but I don't know if I would appreciate the firmed up ride if you did the whole truck.
Drifting
Joined: Dec 2018
Posts: 33
Likes: 6
I'm just wrapping up the install of complete rear bushings on mine. I went with the Orange Polybush complete set. Ended up with Land Rover lower outer knuckle bushings and Lemforder upper knuckle bushings.
I can let you know how the ride is after I finish, have it aligned and break them in.
In hind sight, I think I would have gone with the AB arm kit with green poly bush complete arms with hardware. Salvaging the original arms was not at all worth the savings and mine are fairly rusty. Also, would go with Lemforder knuckle bushings upper and lower for cost reasons, as far as I can tell, Lemforder makes them for Rover.
I only had to cut two bolts. The rear bolt on the upper arm on both sides. Those bushings were really jacked too - probably most of my tire wear issues.
I replaced all the hardware with a mix of the AB kits and used Land Rover parts for the three captured nuts and the upper rear bolts. I reused the original monster lower shock mount bolts as they were super clean still - just replaced the nut.
I used a 27 piece press and pull sleeve kit for the knuckle bushings. It was under $100 on ebay and worked well enough. Don't overlook the lock ring on the lowers. I did not use it for the control arm bushings, as they were rusted and too stubborn, but I used the one piece from the kit to snap the upper rear tapered sleeve out of the control arm and a hydraulic press I have access to - I cut them in two places first. On the rest of the control arm bushings I used a sawzall or hack saw to cut the sleeve then mangled it out with a chisel and hammer. Only the lower rear bushings needed to have the rubber drilled out before I could access the metal sleeve.
Not a fun job, but would have been faster, less frustrating and turned out better if I had spent about $300 more on the complete arms.
Wish me luck on the last of it. Hoping to be ready for an alignment by the end of this weekend. Only need to remove the last arm, sandblast and repaint it before wrapping this up.
I can let you know how the ride is after I finish, have it aligned and break them in.
In hind sight, I think I would have gone with the AB arm kit with green poly bush complete arms with hardware. Salvaging the original arms was not at all worth the savings and mine are fairly rusty. Also, would go with Lemforder knuckle bushings upper and lower for cost reasons, as far as I can tell, Lemforder makes them for Rover.
I only had to cut two bolts. The rear bolt on the upper arm on both sides. Those bushings were really jacked too - probably most of my tire wear issues.
I replaced all the hardware with a mix of the AB kits and used Land Rover parts for the three captured nuts and the upper rear bolts. I reused the original monster lower shock mount bolts as they were super clean still - just replaced the nut.
I used a 27 piece press and pull sleeve kit for the knuckle bushings. It was under $100 on ebay and worked well enough. Don't overlook the lock ring on the lowers. I did not use it for the control arm bushings, as they were rusted and too stubborn, but I used the one piece from the kit to snap the upper rear tapered sleeve out of the control arm and a hydraulic press I have access to - I cut them in two places first. On the rest of the control arm bushings I used a sawzall or hack saw to cut the sleeve then mangled it out with a chisel and hammer. Only the lower rear bushings needed to have the rubber drilled out before I could access the metal sleeve.
Not a fun job, but would have been faster, less frustrating and turned out better if I had spent about $300 more on the complete arms.
Wish me luck on the last of it. Hoping to be ready for an alignment by the end of this weekend. Only need to remove the last arm, sandblast and repaint it before wrapping this up.
Drifting
Joined: Dec 2018
Posts: 33
Likes: 6
I was attracted to the long term durability of the polybush set as well as it's relatively low cost, but after having to buy the hardware separate, it's not that much cheaper. Certainly not enough to cover the time and hassle. I guess I didn't know how long the non polybushes would last. On a previous car not LR) I had the same set of bushings go out every 25k or so. On a vehicle this heavy I could see the bushings taking quite a beating, but after getting into it, most weren't that bad and I think they were probably all original.
Plus the old bushings put up a pretty good fight coming out of the arms.
Last edited by metallicpea; Dec 19, 2018 at 04:27 PM.