22 replies to this topic

[Saxo-Fiesta-Mini]

This is a lil guide for anyone unsure on fitting new tie rod brushes and hope it helps

Tools
7/16" spanner
1/2" spanner
1/2" socket and ratchet,
copper grease or equvilant grease
jack , wheel brace and axle stands

Removal
Firstly set the car on a flat, level surface, apply the handbrake and chock a rear wheel.
Loosen the wheel nuts using a wheel brace or breaker bar and correct sized socket.

Place the jack under the front subframe, where the lower arm meets the subframe.
Jack the car up until you can place axle stands under the subframe to support the cars weight and slowly remove the jack

You can now remove the wheel completely, (put the wheel nuts spmewhere safe).

If you look at the front of the tie rod you will see where the nut it attached as pictured using the 7/16 spanner undo the nut and remove the washer.
If the thread looks rusty apply some WD40 to help lubricate the thread before you undo the nut.



Now remove the front bush and then trace the tie rod to where it meets the front hub.

Using the 1/2 drive socket on the nut (lower side) and the 1/2 spanner on the nut (upper side), undo and remove the nut and bolt.



You will now be able to remove the tie rod take of the bushes and compare to the new ones.



Nice.

Refitting
Apply some copper grease to the end of the tie rod where the brushes will sit and then fit the first bush.

Refit the tie rod, starting by putting the bush end through the subframe, then align the hub end.
You may need to use a small round pokey stick to align the hole, and then fit the bolt through the tie-rod and hub.
Make sure the bolt is inserted from the top, this is very important as it stops it falling out if the nut comes loose!

Add some copper grease to the bolt and then fit the nut but dont tighten at this point.

Fit the other bush from the front and fit the washer and nut

Tighten the nut on the bush end with the 7/16" spanner and then tighten the 1/2" nut and bolt through the hub.

Repeat on the other side.

Checking
Check all the nuts are tight and whilst you are doing this check the condition of the surrounding bushes and rubber components , i.e cv boots, ball joints, lower arm bushed, knuckle joints and inner arch

Then fit the wheel and tighten the wheel nuts hand tight
Put the jack under the subframe jack up and remove the axle stands
Lower the car and tighten the wheel nuts using the wheel brace or breaker bar and correct socket

Torque the wheel nuts to the correct torque as specified in your Haynes manual.

Then go for a test drive and see how much it has improved

p.s i cant be held liable if anymore damages themselves, the car or anyone as a result of following this guide if u need any other guidance give me a pm

Edited by 998dave, 30 January 2009 - 04:20 PM.
998Dave: minor adjustments - thanks Saxo Fiesta Mini!

[analogue_radio]

Cheers for this, I brought some poly bushes at Bingley so I'll do this on Sunday

[Saxo-Fiesta-Mini]

no worries can be done without removing the wheel its just 10 times easier

[Dan]

Err, OK.

Look i don't have time to correct this right now, or say anything else about it. I'm going to leave it where it is then I'll get back to it when I get home later or failing that another mod might get to it before me but in short:

If you're going to do a DIY guide at least make the pictures useful. Don't use metric sockets on imperial fixings, or advise anyone to. Make the instructions more clear. Don't describe a full Nyloc nut as a half nut, especially in a sentence that can be read as 'half tighten the nut' when you are talking about a critical suspension component.

As I said, I'll give this a bit more thought later. Nice effort, just needs a little polishing before it becomes gospel.

Edited by Dan, 27 January 2009 - 07:36 PM.

[il-barba]

ps they are bushes not brushes! but well done, this guide would have helped me a lot when i needed to do them

[Saxo-Fiesta-Mini]

most people will read the spanners / socket with will say 1/2 aka half inch and i did this 30 mins ago was only to help people unsure of how to aptempt this i know my words not gospel as i dont declare myslef as jesus, moses or muhamad lol

i can understand if the moderators or any mini gurus wish to edit the post but i only did this as a rough guide to assit anyone who didnt have the faintest idea i am myslef doing lv2 motor vehicle and have been around cars for 3 years so just wanted it to be a simple guide lol

ps lol yeh sorry typos as im dsylexic lol

Edited by Saxo-Fiesta-Mini, 27 January 2009 - 07:41 PM.

[analogue_radio]

Regarding the bushes, there is a small 'lip' on one side of all 4, does it matter which way these are positioned?

[Saxo-Fiesta-Mini]

the small lip needs to face inwards


hope this helps

Edited by Saxo-Fiesta-Mini, 27 January 2009 - 07:56 PM.

[mini mark]

was going to do this but did a trial run before i got any new ones but the problem i have is i cant get the bolt out because the hub is in the way spent a while trying to get it out but it wouldnt come out anyone else had this problem
thanks mark

[Saxo-Fiesta-Mini]

yeh youll need to undo the top ball joint and then tap it with a hammer and have the hub point inwards ie if your workign on the drivers side have the wheel steering right if on the passengerside have the wheel steering left

this will mean u have maximum acess to the bolt if it will turn u can then bosh it out with a hammer that help ??

Edited by Saxo-Fiesta-Mini, 27 January 2009 - 09:30 PM.

[Dan]

Hi, I'm back.

most people will read the spanners / socket with will say 1/2 aka half inch

Yeah that's not what I meant, the wheel nuts are 11/16 not 17mm. There are very few metric fittings on a Mini.

Don't get me wrong this is a good guide and probably something that can be FAQed if you polish it a bit. If you re-shoot the photos and get them a bit more in focus and brighter, then go over it again and make it easy to follow we can probably pin it.

anyone else had this problem

Yes, it's designed like that on purpose. This is a critical fixing in the suspension and is installed this way so that it can't drop out if it snaps or the nut comes loose. Split the bottom balljoint and removing the bolt is simple but don't be tempted to refit the bolt upside down to make it easy, it's important.

[icklemini]

might want to add in the torque settings for the fixings.

[icklemini]

also the end fixing has a flat washer and a concave (dished) washer

[mini mark]

thanks i thought you had to do that but as it wasnt said in the first post i thought that it didnt need doing

thanks mark

[mini mark]

when you split the bottom ball joint will anythink be damaged or will be needed to be replaced. also once you have done this job will you need to get the tracking done

thanks mark