Words by Brendan Batty
Photography by Tommy Salmon and Shaun Whale

Probably the best feature of the old GQ Patrol is how tough it is. Even if neglected for years, they will just keep on keeping on. Judging by the state of my suspension bushes, I am not sure the underside of my Patrol has ever been touched in almost 500,000km.

Properly working bushes increase tyre life, give more responsive steering, increase the service intervals of suspension components, offer better on-road handling and more stability off-road.

Replacing all the bushes under a vehicle is a daunting task to many, but it’s something that can be tackled by a competent DIYer with a weekend to spare. The most time-consuming part will be undoing all the seized bolts that have endured the past however many years worth of mud, dirt and water.

Never get under a vehicle supported only by a jack. Use quality jack stands like these available from SuperCheap Auto.	WD-40 is a godsend for seized bolts. Give the thread a good soaking, leave for half an hour and then come back and remove the offending nut.

How to tell

How do you tell when your suspension bushes need replacing? The easiest way is to give them a visual check.

They shouldn’t be split, cracked or damaged in any way, and they should also retain their soft, rubbery feel.

If there’s any visible damage, do yourself a favour and book yourself a weekend to replace them.

Note how these yellow bushes are damaged – time for a replacement.	Having the right tool for the job is important. In this case, the tool is photographer Tommy, our acting foreman.

Preparation

As they say, preparation is nine tenths of the law, or something to that effect. Specific bushes to suit your own application are generally not something you buy off the shelf, so if you are planning to replace them, put an order in a week before you need them.

In my case, SuperCheap Auto was able to supply the bushes the next day.

The first thing I did before even assembling all the tools I would need was to soak every bolt in WD-40 to loosen them up. A few good squirts right into the thread were all that most bolts needed.

The old bushes had a steel sleeve around them, which we had to cut out with a hack saw.	Some bolts will be stubborn, which is why a long spanner comes in handy.

A tip here when undoing everything – control arms only fit in one way, so get some duct tape or something similar, and wrap a piece around the front end of the arm. That way, you will instantly know which way they are supposed to fit back in.

It always helps to have the right tools for the job. At a minimum, you will need a jack and a pair of chassis stands, a set of sockets and spanners, pliers, a rubber mallet and a breaker bar for those stubborn nuts.

A hydraulic press is handy too, but there are ways around it if you don’t have one available. Ideally, you will have a nice level workspace to pull everything apart on as well.

Make sure you coat the bush with plenty of the correct grease before trying to reinstall it.	The right grease is definitely important.

The Administration

Remove the radius and control arms that are getting new bushes. Unless you have a hydraulic press, you’re going to have a tough time removing the old bushes, so perhaps consider taking them to your mechanic and getting them pressed out for you.

Another solution is to use an oxy torch to heat the bushes until they shrivel, after which they can be pushed out.

When reinstalling the new bushes, make sure you use the correct grease. Improper lubricants will dry out the bushes causing premature failure. The bushes I got from SuperCheap Auto came with their own specific grease, which made things a lot easier.

To reinstall the bushes, you can either swing your mechanic another six-pack to use his press, or use your trusty bench vice. Just make sure you’re using plenty of grease, and the bush goes in the correct way.

Then, it’s just a case of reinstalling all of the links you’ve removed. Make sure each one goes back in the correct way. Having a friend or two on hand to help will make this part of the job a lot easier, as there will be a lot of jiggling parts to get them to fit just right.

A bench vice will make the job of reinstalling bushes a lot easier...	... but a hydraulic press is even better

Do yourself a favour and spray all threads with WD-40, lanolin or the equivalent, and they will go on and come off smoother in the future.

Finally, remember to go around the vehicle top-to-toe and nip all of the bolts up tightly. Take it for a shakedown run of at least 100km, and then get back under it and re-check all of the bolts to ensure they’re tight.

Then, enjoy your newly squeak-free vehicle’s handling, and congratulate yourself on saving a lot of money!

Thanks

Thanks to Gordon from Opposite Lock South Sydney for pointing me in the right direction for the job. Also big thanks to Fred for RevRite Performance in Silverwater for letting us use his press.

Opposite Lock Sydney South – (02) 9597 5493
RevRite Performance Silverwater – (02) 9648 0264