Could they have supplied an out of spec sleeve? Pretty odd but not impossible.

This is what I sent back to them.

 

just checked the nut side of mine and I only have 2 threads showing. I've convinced you are bottoming the nut on the thread so it cant be tightened properly. fit the stepped washers under the head and nut to pack it out.

 

Perhaps a previous owner lost your shims, here is a pic of one of the shims, the damaged one off my car and one of the top hat washers, you can see they are much smaller.

 

Lost the shims? what all of them?. The assembly was original ( the rust in the middle was testament to that) but the design must have been changed as the end of the fulcrum bolt on mine has a small diameter peg on the end to allow you to smack it with a hammer to get it out without damaging the threads so none of it matches your drawing.

 

Thanks: I see what you mean. If the washers expanded that would have a similar effect of squashing the bush.

M

 

Maybe the flanges on the poly bushings can be sanded or the Wishbone edges filed a little to get movement between the poly bushes and washers? With a 6" caliper and a hand file you can do some precision machining.

It wouldn't take much. I'm sure you are correct that the rust "adding FeO" to the surfaces in the gaps can't be helping.

 

Here is some more dialogue with Powerflex to close this one off.



Interesting as it was copper grease that was supplied with mine.

 

OK, not quite closed off, the new bushes arrived today, seems like they have new tooling for the bush as its different from the first set I fitted.

You will notice the cross hatch on the inside of the poly part, there is embossed lettering round the edge, I don't remember either of these on the originals.



And more importantly the inner sleeve is now slightly wider than the poly parts, I noticed that on my originals it was the opposite, the poly overhang the inner sleeve.

Fixes to a design issue?



I would still prefer the washers to be made of stainless though.

 

Thanks for the follow-up.
That's what I'd expect to see. Once everything is tightened up there will be a small running clearance between the bush and its enclosing washers, although that inevitably makes water entry more likely.
Looks like they have indeed had issues.

I see from phanc's picture that his also have the embossed lettering, so perhaps he's got the revised type and hence not had a problem.

I'm thinking this ought to be another scheduled maintenance item (or a least a periodic check) on my list.

Mike

 

Just an interested bystander here wishing to learn. I've read the thread several times and didn't see a clear answer.

With the stock rubber bushing, where is the intended pivot point? Is the rubber put into torsion? Are there metal-on-metal or metal-on-rubber components that slide/rotate with respect to each other?

Does this change with the poly bushing?

I presume it's been established that the through bolt is not supposed to rotate in it's mounting point on the frame.

 

The bush assembly rotates freely on the (pinched) inner sleeve, hence is not in torsion. The bearing surface is a thin perforated plastic material attached to a (what looks like) phosphor-bronze inside sleeve of the bush.

Only inasmuch as from what I can see, the inner surface of the polybush bears directly on the inner sleeve. RD would be better placed to describe this.

Correct. The design is that the fulcrum bolt will pinch all the inner surfaces against the subframe. There are no bearing surfaces in the subframe for the bolt to rotate within: just holes.
When the whole assembly seizes up and rotates as a unit, then the bolt holes can wear oval which is a Bad Thing.

Hope this makes sense,

Mike

 

Perfectly. Thanks!

 

It doesn't appear your assembly is correct I see no shims to the inside of the bushings as is required. Att is the proper visual of assembly, you can just note the smaller shim on left inner spacing before the subframe.

RD, I see they provided washers as well, they don't appear to have the stepping of the originals? I think this would be more matching to their design.

NOTE: Pic also provided as reference

 

I can assure you that the shims are there, the arm had to be spragged out to get them in, the assembly is correct

 

As per the table, left side front, 1 x 1.6mm shim, its there if you look and the wheel alignment is in spec to silence any further doubt

 

If as you say your shims were the same size as the bush washers (45mm) diameter, they can not be original, the part number for the shims (and the size) is consistent across all X100 cars.

 

I booked myself onto a lathe training day tomorrow.

Guess what my exercise is going to be.

 

First time I have used a lathe for 35 years!


I found another bit of bar 44mm in diameter which is close enough.


Drilled out a 16mm hole.








Then parted off eight washers.





Needed to clean off a lip from the parting tool.





Job done, shouldn't have to worry about these rusting.

 

The stepped washers, shims and sleeves are locked together buy the torque on the pin which itself is locked into place, the stepped washers play a key role in this and can not be omitted. I like Powerflex bushes and use them in many other locations but not this one OEM only. Have dismantled and rebuilt these a number of times and you really don't want to have the pin rotate as it will make the beam mount oval quickly.