I removed and replaced the large and small bushes in the rear trailing arms back in summer (August 2013).
I recently had a suspension squeak and found that the arm has moved on the smaller bush sideways and was rubbing on the mounting.

Now I can remove it and press it back in, but are these directional orientated or retained in any way beyond pressing them in? I used a 12T press to press them out.

 

Just a point, did you tighten the bush bolt up with the wheel on the ground, full car weight on the wheel, not easy to do. If not, the bush is distorted in the wheel down position and it fails quickly. The bush is not directional at all. But metalastic (OEM) bushes are in my experience essential. None of the other makes are as durable. If done up properly the centre of the bush cannot move, so maybe the rubber has come apart and the outer has moved, essentially on it own.

Greg

 

They were orientated; the XJR-s had them at 90 degrees to the standard cars to give less compliance in the bushes and therefore a tighter back end (oo er missus).
It made a difference to mine even with saggy springs (changing tomorrow!).
Now you are going to ask me which way round they should go. Can't remember but can find out in a couple of days.

 

Steve, I think you are thinking of the large bush on the body, and I believe the OP is talking about the small bush on the wishbone, that has no holes (ooh là là madame)

On the TWR cars the large bush's holes were sideways orientated to stiffen the axle location fore and aft. On standard cars the holes in the large bush go fore and aft to give more compliance. I tried the sideways idea once, and it made my car with standard springs and shocks 'kangaroo' a bit on straight roads, so I put them back to fore and aft.

Greg

 

I did mine too. Can confirm rearward bush has no orientation, nor stop, one way or the other - just press in flush from either side. This info really doesn't help you, sorry.

The forward bush, now that's concerning! In my enthusiasm and ignorance I just rammed those puppies in paying no regard to the orientation of the holes in the rubber.

I'd never seen any reference to that before but hindsight being what it is... I need to check mine, I might be lucky; its a bit like roulette but I hope not Russian.

 

HI Greg,
Yes, I had tightened the bush bolt up while on the ground, in its normal running loaded weight and position. The bush has not failed, but the outer metal shell has slipped in the arm itself. It was one of the cheaper URO bushes. I am not sure if the more expensive ones are URO or metalstic. I have had problems with other 'like OEM equivalent' items not being the quite the right size.

 

I think a set of genuine metalastics will do it. If nowhere else, David Manners in the UK will post you a couple very quickly.

I have had nothing but rubbish experiences with anything other than genuine metalastic bushes, front and rear. Never again! At some point I will have to re-drop my front subframe as the lower wishbone rear bushes (non M) are shot after 2 years. The originals lasted for 28!

Greg

 

OK ordered and received 2 supposedly metalastics. One certainly looks the part and has some swirl like rough pattern on the outside surface. What is different is that it's weight is so much more than the uro or other 'original' one that also had a jag part number on it. 7 oz rather than 5oz. Also seems that the rubber is much stiffer. Next weekend.

 

If the arm and the bushes are correct, you should need to press them in with a press of some sort pushing on the outer steel of the bush. They should be a hard push at that.

Greg