Fitting metalastic eyebolt bushes

[don58van]

Hi fellow Minor enthusiasts

I have searched all the threads on this site that I can find, but I can't find any detail on how to fit them correctly.

Can anyone help?

Mine seem to be the Morris J4 van type that is recommended. They are cylindrical, with a chamfer each end. The inner metal tube slides neatly over the eyebolt shaft and the outer rubber is a tight interference fit in the eyebolt (I haven't forced one right in yet). They also seem to be about the right length -- 2" (or 50.5mm).

Now, the correct fitting:

1) I have read that some people shorten them. Do they need to be shortened? If yes, by how much?

2) They do not have flanges like the pair of top-hat rubbers originally fitted (or poly). Is this a problem? Do flanges need to be provided somehow, perhaps by chopping the flanges off rubber or poly eyebolt bushes and butting them on each end of the metalastic bushes?

3) Do the inner metal tubes need to be clamped tightly at each end so that they don't rotate on the eyebolt shaft?

Please don't tell me to just use poly bushes -- I have metalastics and I want to try them.

All suggestions and help are welcome.

Cheers

Don

[MarkyB]

Highly recommended mod, lasts for donkeys years.
So long that I can't remember all the details of fitting them
Isn't there a metal tube on the outside too? It might have a thin skin of rubber over it.

I'd put the arms together and measure the gap that the bush is going to fill.
The inner tube should be clamped between the arms so it needs to be a bit bigger than the space between them.

When fitted don't finish tightening the arms together until the weight of the car is on the torsion bar.

Someone will be along shortly with the definitive answer

[M25VAN]

According to the tech tips manual they should be cut to a length of 1 13/16". No shorter or they won't be gripped correctly as Marky says. Don't worry about there being no flanges. An MOT tester may have issue with this as it looks something could be missing but he would have to be familiar with what a top hat bush looks like fitted anyway. Mine have been in over 20 years and still going strong, why did I bother buying a spare set?

[DAVIDMCCULLOUGH]

Fitted in my blue minor for about 15 years with no probs, I seem to remember being told they were from a herald?

[mike.perry]

The instructions are in the last edition of the blue covered A5 copy of Minor Matters. Who has a copy? When I unbox mine following my recent house move I will check the instructions.

[don58van]

Thank you everyone so far with your helpful replies.

I would like to see the instructions in Minor Matters. That issue pre-dates my membership. If anyone can find it for me, I would be very grateful.

I seem to mention that it was also covered in Tech Tips, but I can't find it on this site nor can I find it on my (rather old) Tech Tips CD.

Isn't it a shame that supplies of the metalastics seem to have dried up. Declan was experimenting with manufacturing new ones, but I don't know whether his trials were successful.

Cheers
Don

[philthehill]

Minor Matters Technical Tips
March/April 1992[frame][/frame]

[philthehill]

The other part of the article.
I have managed to obtain qty 1 FMK5137 bush (Metalastik 13/1772). If anyone wants to part with one or more of these bushes I would be happy to purchase bushes from them.[frame][/frame]

[don58van]

Hi philthehill

Thank you very much for your help with this.

I hope you are rewarded with a set of metalastics from a member with some spare.

Perhaps Declan will be encouraged to develop his alternative versions.
http://mmoc.org.uk/viewtopic.php?f=4&t= ... ic#p384720

Cheers
Don

[philthehill]

One of the above posts mentions that he was advised that the bushes originally came from a Triumph Herald.
I have checked the diamensions and they are not the same as the J4 Bushes FMK5137.
These are the dimensions of the Triumph Herald front suspension bushes against the J4 bushes:-
Triumph
Length of Bush...............37mm. J4...........63.2mm
Diameter of bush............21mm. J4...........22.5mm
Diameter of hole.............10mm. J4............13mm to fit pin Part No: SUS105 which is 1/2" diameter.

The size of the hole through the bush therefore makes the Triumph bush a non starter.

[bmcecosse]

The bush should indeed have a metal sleeve on the outside - if it's just rubber on the ones you have - it's not correct. I also suggest to NOT use washing up liquid as helpfully suggested in 'tech tips' - it's loaded with salt... Use a more friendly lub such as KY jelly or white grease.

[tysonn]

Where would I get KY Jelly Roy?

[philthehill]

I would agree that a bush with a metal case is preferable to a un-cased bush but an un-cased bush was fitted to the J4 front suspension as original equipment so it would be no different to fitting the shortened J4 bush into the Minor eye bolt.
The Triumph Herald front suspension bushes similar to the J4 bushes are also un-cased.

[M25VAN]

The bush should indeed have a metal sleeve on the outside - if it's just rubber on the ones you have - it's not correct. I also suggest to NOT use washing up liquid as helpfully suggested in 'tech tips' - it's loaded with salt... Use a more friendly lub such as KY jelly or white grease.

Why should the bush have an outer metal sleeve? I thought the idea was that it was a (very) tight fit in the eyebolt so that any turning forces were taken up in the bush.
Nice to see you back Mr BMC.

[MarkyB]

I believe the bush that we need was fitted to the rear suspension, not the front.
The one that fits and works has a metal sleeve, accept no substitute!

[M25VAN]

I'm confused now, it is an FMK5137 that I have fitted. It has an internal but not external metal sleeve.

[philthehill]

The (metalastic) bush that I have was supplied with as per the part number BL/FMK5137 by my then local BMC garage. It does not have an outer metal case and the only metal is the metal tube through the centre. The dimensions of the bush lend itself to being fitted and used in the Minor eye bolt after shortening and it looks exactly as per the tech tips drawing. Can anyone enlarge?
Below is a photo of the bush in question which is on the right.. The larger bush on the left is the eye bolt bush from a Morris Marina. That does not have a metal case either and is just pushed into the eye. The overall diameter is larger but the required length 1 13/16" is the same as the modified J4 bush which is not surprising as the Marina front suspension arms both thick and thin are near identical to the Minor ones. [frame][/frame]

[philthehill]

another photo[frame][/frame]

[MarkyB]

I'm going to plead old age and failing memory unless they have changed the design to make it cheaper

[taupe]

My J4 bushes dont have a metal outer sleeve either.. there is not enough space or the rubber would be too thin to do any useful twisting and I guess would wear out quite quickly !

A bit of waxoyle makes an excellent lubricant for rubber parts and has no salt in it unlike washing up liquid.

I think some peoples memories are fading....

Taupe