Shock absorber bushes

[Brian Murrish]

My rubber shock absorber bushes are lasting no time at all. The last set I fitted only lasted four years. Has anyone experience of fitting poly bushes in their place? In my experience of polybushes on a Morris Minor, they last indefinitely.

[Phil Kingdom]

Hi Brian,
I have been trying to find the correct factory setting for the tension of the front shock absorber without success, but did find a couple of bits about fitting the bushes along the way, It seems that the bush should be tightened till you get an  1 1/8 inch gap between the arms to get the correct tension, I should imagine that if the bushes were not tight enough or to tight and the shock absorber also a bit on the tight side then the rubbers would tend to wear faster than normal.

[Brian Murrish]

Hi Brian,
I have been trying to find the correct factory setting for the tension of the front shock absorber without success, but did find a couple of bits about fitting the bushes along the way, It seems that the bush should be tightened till you get an  1 1/8 inch gap between the arms to get the correct tension, I should imagine that if the bushes were not tight enough or to tight and the shock absorber also a bit on the tight side then the rubbers would tend to wear faster than normal.

The fitting of the rubber bushes were done in accordance with what you suggest yet they still wore to such an extent over four years that the MOT tester pointed out to me the wear. Maybe it's the quality of the bushes, I know not. Hence the interest in converting to polybushes.