Farmer Brown · Nov 19, 2018

Put some rear trailing arm bushes on my defender about 10,000 miles ago. Recently have noticed that it’s feeling a bit oversteery and is wandering about and I suspect that it’s probably the bushes again. Does look like a bit of wear on the big doughnut ones.

I would have thought they should have lasted longer than that or is that fairly normal?

Would prefer to stick to rubber as do a lot of off road and think polybushes would be a bit firm. Having difficulty tracking down proper original equipment bushes without going to land rover themselves. Does anyone know the best place to get them? If a decent price might just do the whole lot as planing giving my defender a full check over this winter.

Kwakerman · Nov 19, 2018

Farmer Brown said:
Put some rear trailing arm bushes on my defender about 10,000 miles ago. Recently have noticed that it’s feeling a bit oversteery and is wandering about and I suspect that it’s probably the bushes again. Does look like a bit of wear on the big doughnut ones.

I would have thought they should have lasted longer than that or is that fairly normal?

Would prefer to stick to rubber as do a lot of off road and think polybushes would be a bit firm. Having difficulty tracking down proper original equipment bushes without going to land rover themselves. Does anyone know the best place to get them? If a decent price might just do the whole lot as planing giving my defender a full check over this winter.

10K is a bit early for bushes on the road but you also say you do a lot of off-road so all depends upon how rough you go and what sort of articulation you have and the quality of the ones you fitted last time. Best bet is to just have a good look around first as it could be something else. Split bobbin polys can be a lot quicker to change if your off-roading is wearing them out quickly, its all swings and roundabouts!

Hicap phill · Nov 20, 2018

+1 split bobbin polys.

nobber · Nov 21, 2018

There are other things that can cause that, Id be looking at the A frame ball joint before I suspect 10k bushes.

dag019 · Nov 21, 2018

I would also no rule out the front end, Panhard rod and Radius arm failure can cause some interesting symptoms.

Farmer Brown · Nov 21, 2018

nobber said:
There are other things that can cause that, Id be looking at the A frame ball joint before I suspect 10k bushes.

A frame is fairly new as well so doubt it’s that

Farmer Brown · Nov 21, 2018

dag019 said:
I would also no rule out the front end, Panhard rod and Radius arm failure can cause some interesting symptoms.

Gonna have a good look underneath.

Would a failing wheel bearing produce symptoms like that? Both bearings in the near side got an advisory in the last Mot so need to be dealt with.

bankz5152 · Nov 21, 2018

My rear trailing arm bushes - gen LR - failed in 10k motorway driving and off roading.

Replaced with polybush

Farmer Brown · Nov 21, 2018

bankz5152 said:
My rear trailing arm bushes - gen LR - failed in 10k motorway driving and off roading.

Replaced with polybush

Can you mix and match poly bushes and rubber bushes? Use poly bushes for the doughnuts on the trailing arms and rubber bushes for everything else? The doughnuts seem to be ones that take the most battering.

Turboman · Nov 21, 2018

Farmer Brown said:
Can you mix and match poly bushes and rubber bushes? Use poly bushes for the doughnuts on the trailing arms and rubber bushes for everything else? The doughnuts seem to be ones that take the most battering.

You can, but make sure the sides are matched. eg, if you polybush the radius arm on one side, do the other radius arm as well.
Poly on the arms, and metalastik on the A frame, for example, will do no harm.

jamesmartin · Nov 21, 2018

Farmer Brown said:
Can you mix and match poly bushes and rubber bushes? Use poly bushes for the doughnuts on the trailing arms and rubber bushes for everything else? The doughnuts seem to be ones that take the most battering.

yes as long as its both sides

dag019 · Nov 22, 2018

Farmer Brown said:
Can you mix and match poly bushes and rubber bushes? Use poly bushes for the doughnuts on the trailing arms and rubber bushes for everything else? The doughnuts seem to be ones that take the most battering.

That is interesting as I do the exact opposite. I use poly where the original need to be pressed in as it makes replacement a much quicker and easier job. So the axle ends of the trailing and radius arms are poly but then I use OEM rubber ones where it mounts to the chassis.

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