Rear outrigger bushes and refitting them

[paulandpat]

See my previous thread - the rear outrigger more or less fell to pieces.
At the moment I've got the car ready to take the rear suspension out in one piece - fuel tank and the little crossmember out, brake pipes disconnected, old outriggers off, repairs / repainting to the back end of the chassis done (surprising little work needed) but a few questions arise.
Do the bushes (already fitted into the outriggers, they arrived like that) need to be pressed onto the suspension arm, or can they be persuaded into place with a suitable sized drift and a lump hammer?
If they can be persuaded into place without using a press, could they be removed from the outrigger so that the outrigger without the bush in can be bolted onto the chassis, then the bush refitted afterwards? Would this mean that there is simply too much friction to install it this way? In other words is it possible to replace the bushes without taking the whole of the rear suspension to bits?
Any assistance, tales of previous experience gratefully received.

 

[laxeian]

Fossicking in the garage.

Recently on the forum someone was asking about fitting headlamp relays, sorry I can't remember who it was, but I do know that Andrew4Renaults recommended fitting them both to protect the switch and wiring, and if upgraded bulbs have been fitted to handle the extra load. So, with all that in...

www.renault4.co.uk

Page 2/3 has lots of info.

 

[angel]

It's impossible to remove these bushes witout damaging them - interference fit is tight.

I have fitted the outer ones with a hammer but would not do it again!

 

[paulandpat]

That was the conclusion that my friend and I came to - as the whole of the rear axle is almost ready to remove I will take it out in one piece (hopefully) and take it over to his garage and use his press to put them back.
We're more used to replacing rear arm bearings on Citroen BX's and C15's - he thought the R4 rear suspension system was really strange as the bushes cannot allow too much movement.

 

[JdeW]

Good DIY tutorials over here;

Changement des silentblocs de train arrière

Changement des silentblocs de train arrière d'une Renault 4L

www.la4ldesylvie.fr

and

Dépose d'un bras de suspension arrière

Dépose d'un bras de suspension arrière

www.la4ldesylvie.fr

and

Dépose et réglage des barres de torsion arrière - depuis 1977

Dépose et réglage des barres de torsion arrière sur Renault 4- depuis 1977

www.la4ldesylvie.fr

or

Dépose et réglage des barres de torsion arrière - 1967-1977

Dépose et réglage des barres de torsion arrière à réglage par cames (modèle 1967-1977) sur une Renault 4

www.la4ldesylvie.fr

 

[paulandpat]

Its now in 4 smaller chunks, rather than one big one, and the new outriggers are fitted.
A bit more tidying up to do, much easier to see what needs doing with everything out of the way.
Will fit new flexibles on the principle that they will never be easier to get at, and will check out the state of the fuel line for the same reason.
Will post some photos over the weekend.

 

[Oldploggin]

Can I add my bit to this discussion
Have had this problem also wanted to replace the box with the bushes read the book and it said they have to be pressed of the suspension trailing arm and pressed back on ( Haines manual not helpful saying a main dealer job)
dropped my axel then had to cut them off as they were so rusty chassis tails were rusty to so bought all the bits from AUTODOC in Germany and started.Chassis repair was not to bad then cleaned the trailing arms ready to press
the box/bushes on the first one went on with a hammer and drift fairly easy the second one just pushed on by hand I thought this was my lucky day But I now have a problem one side is OK but the other side the bush turns on the
casting of the suspension trailing arm causing a squeak. Is it that the bushes.box are a different size depending who you buy them from or am I missing something Any comments or bright ideas/suggestions would be most welcome

 

[paulandpat]

Can I add my bit to this discussion
Have had this problem also wanted to replace the box with the bushes read the book and it said they have to be pressed of the suspension trailing arm and pressed back on ( Haines manual not helpful saying a main dealer job)
dropped my axel then had to cut them off as they were so rusty chassis tails were rusty to so bought all the bits from AUTODOC in Germany and started.Chassis repair was not to bad then cleaned the trailing arms ready to press
the box/bushes on the first one went on with a hammer and drift fairly easy the second one just pushed on by hand I thought this was my lucky day But I now have a problem one side is OK but the other side the bush turns on the
casting of the suspension trailing arm causing a squeak. Is it that the bushes.box are a different size depending who you buy them from or am I missing something Any comments or bright ideas/suggestions would be most welcome

Both mine had to be pressed in, they were a really tight fit.
I used my mate's press (actually he did most of it!) but we both agreed that a hammer and drift wouldn't have done it.
Just got the torsion bars to go back in now, assuming I can wind up the nuts on the slave shock absorbers enough.
We're having a go at that tomorrow - a bank holiday here to commemorate the end of WW1.

 

[edwin]

Is it possible to heat or warm the arm end and have the bushes in the freezer overnight before inserting them, whichever way

 

[angel]

This may work when installing the bush in the outer mounting. Heating the bush to expand it so that it can be inserted on the trailing arm will destroy it.

 

[edwin]

yes

 

[paulandpat]

All back together now, fitted the last flexible brake pipe clip about an hour ago. Refitting the rear shockers caused a bit of swearing, but my mate can always come up with a 'cunning plan' and with about a metre and a half of fencing wire wound round it, and my 95 kg swinging from the rear bumper they were replaced fairly swiftly with no loss of blood.
Just the brakes to bleed now.

 

[paulandpat]

Brakes bled, the boss appreciated the sit down, going up and down on the ramp and pumping the pedal. No leaks, just as well as the rear brake pipes aren't the easiest to get at.
Wheels back on, spare back in the cradle, just realised I've used all the petrol in it to mow the grass over the last few weeks, so its off to Intermarche after lunch before it can be sparked up again.
I'm glad we invested in the ramp when we moved house, this was the sort of job that would have taken a lot longer and caused a lot more stress if it was just being done on axle stands......probably the neighbours knowledge of english swearwords would have increased considerably as well.