its an ancient saying....always been true...
General Franklin Tools & Stilo Rear Bushes.
- Thread starter Shadeyman
- Start date
Currently reading:
General Franklin Tools & Stilo Rear Bushes.
OP
OP
I don't think any garage really knows what they're doing when it comes to replacing Stilo rear bushes, alignment, press tools etc. As mentioned earlier by Dave only the big FIAT dealers seem to be interested in actually replacing the bushes and not the whole axle.
"If you want something doing properly, do it yourself" never a truer word been said when it comes to Stilo rear bushes. The only way to be sure they have been fitted correctly and not "bodged" is to do it yourself.
If I were you I'd buy the 10 ton hydrolic puller(250mm) you spotted on ebay. Order 2 new bushes plus the 3 pronged plate and cup parts from FIAT, then install them yourself in situ. Put the rear of the car chassi on axle stands and drop the axle to the floor. Cut out the old ones and press in the new ones. The 10 ton puller will push them in easily, no need to machine them down first. Just make sure you line up the bushes with the axle properly, not doing so will cause them to fail prematurely.
"If you want something doing properly, do it yourself" never a truer word been said when it comes to Stilo rear bushes. The only way to be sure they have been fitted correctly and not "bodged" is to do it yourself.
If I were you I'd buy the 10 ton hydrolic puller(250mm) you spotted on ebay. Order 2 new bushes plus the 3 pronged plate and cup parts from FIAT, then install them yourself in situ. Put the rear of the car chassi on axle stands and drop the axle to the floor. Cut out the old ones and press in the new ones. The 10 ton puller will push them in easily, no need to machine them down first. Just make sure you line up the bushes with the axle properly, not doing so will cause them to fail prematurely.
Not always true.........
The reason I never posted anything after I'd replaced my bushes is because despite all the research we did about it in this thread, I've fitted them the wrong way.
I made a jacking frame to lower the axle on. The old bushes pressed out easily. I drew the arrows on the bushes to line them up with the welded seams and facing the front of the car. Lined the arrow up, pressed the new bushes in and refitted the axle. Apart from a corroded brake pipe that Fiat dealer got for me the next day everything went perfectly....... or so I thought.
I took lots of pictures of everything so a few days later started making a guide to replacing the bushes. Looking through the pictures, I noticed something wrong........ I'd drawn the arrows on the bushes pointing the wrong way.
I bought 2 more bushes with the intention of doing it again but, so far, haven't go round to it. They may even stay as they are just to see how long they last the wrong way round.
.
BOTH PICTURES BELOW ARE WRONG.... DO NOT FIT BUSHES LIKE THIS.
Attachments
Last edited:
OP
OP
Dave, it was you who told me the correct orientation of the bushes and yellowstilo who supplied us with a picture showing the position of the dimple(ringed in red). No way mate, I bet your gutted.
On the positive side, I had a good look at the internals on the old bushes I cut out. They looked to be a near perfect mirror images of themselves, top same as bottom, front same as back, so you may find fitting them 180 out isn't actually that bad. When the bushes are fitted the left bush is flipped 180 compared to the right bush so the internals must be the same top and bottom.
On the positive side, I had a good look at the internals on the old bushes I cut out. They looked to be a near perfect mirror images of themselves, top same as bottom, front same as back, so you may find fitting them 180 out isn't actually that bad. When the bushes are fitted the left bush is flipped 180 compared to the right bush so the internals must be the same top and bottom.
Attachments
Last edited:
I know... I know...
I fitted them with the arrows facing the front, just that when I had the bushes on the bench, I drew the arrows pointing the wrong way. I've no idea why.
ouch...maybe it was bush phobia clouding things?
just been to the scabby garage outside work, because £150 is SO tempting...
i asked what his procedure is, he was polite and he was happy to talk about it!, turns out they have a small hydraulic 10 tonne press, and they remove the subframe to do it...hes done lots on "the bigger ones" think he means the MW and knows all about the correct alignment and setting the ride height...scabby garage, just got upgraded in opinions! he also reckons hell be able to sync my milage once i get my new clocks!! have i found a diamond in the rough???
i asked what his procedure is, he was polite and he was happy to talk about it!, turns out they have a small hydraulic 10 tonne press, and they remove the subframe to do it...hes done lots on "the bigger ones" think he means the MW and knows all about the correct alignment and setting the ride height...scabby garage, just got upgraded in opinions! he also reckons hell be able to sync my milage once i get my new clocks!! have i found a diamond in the rough???
OP
OP
Scabby garage sounds like a good plan, £150 is a good price if he knows what he's doing.
"Scabby garage" would probably also be able to fit new unions on the brake pipes if they're corroded and break..... Another £30 saved.
kinda hoping they are gone now, just so i can use him and see if his works any good! but it looks so...he seems to always have cars in there...and not the same ones lol
did the engine mounts on the weekend (see: https://www.fiatforum.com/stilo/260...-worn-bushes-knocking-over-pitted-ground.html)
at the same time checked bushes and drop links, they all seem fine...but the exhaust had slipped out of a perished mount, causing a lil knock, replaced the rubber, no more knock....and the "live" rear end is probably down to tires, getting new ones sooooon.
at the same time checked bushes and drop links, they all seem fine...but the exhaust had slipped out of a perished mount, causing a lil knock, replaced the rubber, no more knock....and the "live" rear end is probably down to tires, getting new ones sooooon.
OP
OP
Nice cheap repair then.
yeah, no bushes needed, just £60 on snapped engine mounts...
i was thinking, i havnt seen any 3dr stilo owners posting up about bushes...is it as common for them to die in the 3dr?
i was thinking, i havnt seen any 3dr stilo owners posting up about bushes...is it as common for them to die in the 3dr?
OP
OP
From what people have told me and what I've seen on here I think it down to how much weight and use the rear end gets. Of course the Multiwagon has a heavy rear end and people that own them do so for a reason. Sticking loads of stuff in the huge boot. This causes more movment of the rear axle so more wear of the bushes. 3 door is much lighter at the rear so less wear of the bushes.
Something that may effect the 3 door is having the correct ride hight. It's important when fitting new bushes to tighten up the center bolt at the correct ride hight. Not doing so will shorten the life span of the bushes. For example, many 3 door owners lower the ride hight. If someone lowers the ride high, by fitting sport suspension they should undo the bolts in the center of the bushes and retighten them at the new ride high or there will be an unnecessary amount of twist always in the bushes because they were previously set at a higher ride hight.
Something that may effect the 3 door is having the correct ride hight. It's important when fitting new bushes to tighten up the center bolt at the correct ride hight. Not doing so will shorten the life span of the bushes. For example, many 3 door owners lower the ride hight. If someone lowers the ride high, by fitting sport suspension they should undo the bolts in the center of the bushes and retighten them at the new ride high or there will be an unnecessary amount of twist always in the bushes because they were previously set at a higher ride hight.
Last edited:
thats a good point....i may loosen my bolts as ive effectively lowered the ride height by fitting some heavy ICE in the boot...
Fiat would have designed the bushes to allow for minimum and maximun loads. i.e. For when the car was being used with only a lightweight driver, little fuel and no luggage, and for up to five people, full fuel and full luggage. Between these two extremes, I suspect the axle and bushes only rotate about 5°.
I think the object of tightening the bush center bolts with the car's weight on the wheels is more to avoid tightening them with the axle hanging loose at it's lowest position while the body is jacked up. In that situation, the axle and bushes would be rotated something like 25 to 30°.
Unless you regularly use the car full of passengers and luggage and your I.C.E is extraordinarily heavy, I wouldnt bother resetting the bolts.
I think the object of tightening the bush center bolts with the car's weight on the wheels is more to avoid tightening them with the axle hanging loose at it's lowest position while the body is jacked up. In that situation, the axle and bushes would be rotated something like 25 to 30°.
Unless you regularly use the car full of passengers and luggage and your I.C.E is extraordinarily heavy, I wouldnt bother resetting the bolts.
OP
OP
The internal structure has 2 large rubber buffers attached to the center part of the bush. These buffers have to be accurately lined up for the bush to work correctly, hence lining up the arrow/notch on the bush with the weld on the axle.
Passengers and stuff in the boot come and go allowing the bush to return to its unstressed usual ride high. Fiat obviously took this movement range into consideration when they designed the bush. However a permanent change of ride hight of 30 of 40 mm(caused by fitting sport suspension etc) puts permanent stress on the bush as it never returns to the unstressed original high. So the bush is stressed before the car has any passengers or a full boot load. Adding passengers and stuff in the boot would push the bush to its limits, possibley beyond its designed range and due to the sport suspension it would not be allowed to return to its unstressed ride hight after the passengers and stuff in the boot had left.
Loosening 2 bolts and allowing the bushes to set themselves to the a new permanent right hight will increase the life span of the bushes so for the 10 minutes it takes to reset them its worth doing IMO.
Passengers and stuff in the boot come and go allowing the bush to return to its unstressed usual ride high. Fiat obviously took this movement range into consideration when they designed the bush. However a permanent change of ride hight of 30 of 40 mm(caused by fitting sport suspension etc) puts permanent stress on the bush as it never returns to the unstressed original high. So the bush is stressed before the car has any passengers or a full boot load. Adding passengers and stuff in the boot would push the bush to its limits, possibley beyond its designed range and due to the sport suspension it would not be allowed to return to its unstressed ride hight after the passengers and stuff in the boot had left.
Loosening 2 bolts and allowing the bushes to set themselves to the a new permanent right hight will increase the life span of the bushes so for the 10 minutes it takes to reset them its worth doing IMO.
Last edited:
my ICE weighs about 50-60kgs...so a person....i reckon ill do it next time its on ramps...seing as tho the ICE isnt going anywhere...
OP
OP
Holy crap, have you nicked you local DJ's equipment and fitted in your boot?
Does ICE really weight that much?
I think you should take a lil look at my motor thread
https://www.fiatforum.com/members-m...waited-picture-rich-suggestions-welcomed.html
last page has most recent pics...allot of MDF, all 22mm...big speaker, two amps...slowly (read quickly) mounts up...
https://www.fiatforum.com/members-m...waited-picture-rich-suggestions-welcomed.html
last page has most recent pics...allot of MDF, all 22mm...big speaker, two amps...slowly (read quickly) mounts up...
