Hi All,
Started to notice a creaking when I haul my bulk in and out of the car - haven't noticed it during driving but there could be too much other noise!

I think I've narrowed it down to the rear radius arm/trailing arm bush. Not sure if it is a major issue and if it could be resolved with some lube?
If it needs replacing, it would appear (according to RAVE) that I need LRT-64-001 tool to compress a new bush so that it fits into the hole. I cannot find one in the UK and don't really want to spend ££££ anyway.

Has anyone got a trick for this - I can press the bush in or out OK as I have a 30t press which should be up to the job but how to compress the bush to get it started?
I guess poly bushes/Tophats would fit but everyone seems to suggest OEM bushes are best.......

Thanks in advance
Ant

If you have the measurements and a mate with a lathe its not too difficult to make a tube with a suitable taper inside to compress the bush.

Did one for my front radius arm bushes. Will do one for my rear ones but that's on next years schedule! If someone knows the sizes I can easily make one for you.

Clive

Thanks Clive - if anyone does come up with the sizes, I'd be interested in the correctly turned 'tool'.

As an update to earlier, I've just been outside to see if some silicone grease would help and found that the 'creaking' (and it really does sound like an old door from a Hammer Horror movie) would actually appear to be coming from quite high up by the front wheel - so much for my hearing lol.

It could be the top of the shock absorber as these look like the only thing that the last owner but 1 didn't replace - I know all the bushes were done - the LOB1 did a major overhaul of the underneath as he bought the car from a farmer who parked it up in a field for a couple of years after failing an MOT!!

I literally only have to push the chassis slightly to create the noise. All the rubber behind the wheel/hub looks good, as do all the bushes. At least that's a relief for now.

Thanks

If it creaks with a light push, then it does sound possibly shock related, or could be body mounts, either that or someone’s pinched your air bags and stuck coils on it, lol

2 BOGE shocks on order so will keep you posted.

Thanks

While you are waiting for the shocks spend some quality time getting some good doses of Plus Gas, or whatever your preferred magic releaser in a tin is (not WD40, please), round the threads. I did and was pleasantly surprised by how relatively easily things came off. Post removal inspection suggested trying to shift things dry would have been a fairly major battle.

Definitely impact wrench on the top bolts. For my first try I used a breaker bar with the socket drive extensions needed to reach in past the wheel properly supported on axle stands. Those air pipes are far to vulnerable if the socket cams off the bolt head to risk working freehand. It clearly wasn't going to move with any sane force on the breaker bar. So I bought a cheap electric impact gun. Spun out so easy that I thought the socket had cammed off the head.

Clive

Thanks Clive - will do. Happy coincidence - I bought a cheap impact gun last week :)

Out of interest - why not WD40? Does it evaporate too quickly or something?

Thanks Ant

WD40, Water Dispersant formulation number 40. It was originally formulated as a waterproofing agent for tents and the like (in fact, if you buy a can of tent waterproofer, it smells exactly the same) but they found that it will also do other things, ish. It's the jack of all trades, master of none in an aerosol. Great if you want to use it to disperse water but other than that, use something formulated for the job you are trying to do. Plus Gas is my preferred option too but when I ran out I used Dave's favoured 50/50 mix of Acetone and ATF. Missus was not impressed that I'd nicked her nail varnish remover though.

Well - job done. Have to say, got a terrific service from Bearmach - ordered on Thursday PM, arrived yesterday afternoon.

Very straight forward - although the bodies of the old shocks had some rust, all the nuts came undone with a bit of grunt.
The lower end of the shocks have a handy 19mm welded nut to prevent them turning - other reviews of this job have suggested using straps to stop the shock from turning but not sure why you'd need to.

The creaking has all but stopped but there is still something there. I suspect in lubricating the bushes and other bits and bobs, I've probably improved the original issue anyway but the new shocks certainly won't hurt.

Bit bloody hot for laying under a Rangie though :)