Club 80-90 Forums

Hi all,

I'm just in the middle of replacing my anti roll bar bushes with Powerflex ones. I have the early version of the 21mm ARB, with the two-bolt brackets. When I took off the old bushes, which were the original VW ones (and in surprisingly good shape) I was a bit surprised to find a small rubber packing piece on both bushes. They look like they are made from a piece of heater hose or something, and were presumably put there in the factory, as there's no sign of anyone ever having disturbed the factory-marked bolts before me. When I cleaned up the mounting brackets and tested the Powerflex bushes in situ, they seem to be quite a loose fit in the mount, without the ARB itself passing through the middle of them. So, my questions are: Has anyone else seen this before? Should I re-pack the new bushes when they go back in, or try to "adjust" the mounting brackets themselves?

Here's a (poor quality) photo, to help explain what I mean. Left to right: mounting bracket, packing piece, old rubber bush, new Powerflex bush.



Thanks,

James

I did ours not long back (same as yours 21mm, twin bolt)
No packing in ours, powerflex bushes sat nice and snug.

They maybe VW parts but clearly the wrong ones were fitted, that someone has then bodged.

I fitted the same bushes earlier this year [very good modification too, makes the van much better on the motorway from wandering]. Mine were a little sloppy too, though no packing pieces were there. I'd just fit them onto the bar, fit the clamps and see what its all like then. Mine were fine once tightened up. Dont forget to use the little sachet of white grease than comes in the kit.

Looking at them they look quite worn, and looks like someone has gone to the trouble of stripping them down to bodge them, when for a couple of quid could have replaced them.

Thanks for all the replies, folks. I'll do a dry run mounting with the ARB in the middle of the bush, and see if it all nips up as tight as it should. Interestingly, it seems like the part no. 251 411 041 refers to many different variations of bush, size-wise, according to what I've been able to glean from a Google of the part number. I've seen 36mm tall and 43mm tall variations listed for the 21mm diameter ARB. Does anyone know which one is meant for which van?

It doesn't look like Mr Bodger has been there before me, because all the fasteners were too neat (complete with little blob of factory white paint hidden under all the gunge), but I can't imagine that VW used bits of heater hose to pack out new bushes... even on a Friday afternoon.

Cheers,

James

I think I may be getting to the bottom of this. As we know, there are two versions of the 21mm ARB bush - one for the early two-bolt mount, and the other for the later one-bolt mount. What I hadn't realised is that the difference between them is that the earlier ones are deeper. By some bizarre coincidence, it seems like some previous meddler has fitted the late bushes and packed them, then I've been sent the late ones by BW (despite ordering the early ones). I guess they'll be going back in the morning.

If anyone needs to know, these are the early ones:

Powerflex early 21mm bushes

and these are the later ones:

Later 21mm bush

Cheers,

James

Looks like a bit of heater hose to me...bodgery..

Yup, max and caddy, it is a bit of heater hose (see my original post). At least I now know why it was bodged - because some well-meaning individual had replaced the bushes with the bushes for the later 21mm bar. As detailed in my most recent posts above, I now understand that there is a height difference between the early and late ARB mounts.

I'm just waiting for the correct parts to arrive from Brickwerks, then everything should go back together nicely [crosses fingers].

Cheers,

James