How to change rear axle bushes the easy way

How to change rear axle bushes the easy way. I read so many posts about what a nightmare it was to change the rear axle bushes, So i gathered lots of info and went down the polyurethane bushes route which will last the life of the car, and I havent noticed much difference in the ride, in fact I prefer it, not harsh at all

Sorry I dont have any pics, I did start but my hands got filthy and didnt wanna ruin my phone
All in all took me about 2 hours including tea and fag breaks, and was first time I had done it

What you will need:

Polyurethane Bushes (got mine from ebay £32)
2 x Axle Stands
Jack (Trolley jack is best)
13mm socket
15mm socket
Socket Wrench & extension bar
15mm Spanner
Lump Hammer
Blow torch (£10 from B&Q)
Hacksaw
Flat head screwdriver
WD40 (I gave all the bolts a spray everyday for a few days to remove all the crap)

I didn’t remove the rear wheels, but you can if you need more room.

Step1: Put bricks under your front tyres so car don’t roll off, then put the jack in the middle of the back axle and jack it up, the back of your puma will then rise off the floor, when its high enough put your axle stands either side of the car on the sills, the further forward the more room you have to work.

Step2: Let the jack down so that the axle stand are taking the weight, then see if youve got enough room to work, now your ready to get cracking, jack the axle back up so it takes the axle weight, Now get your 13mm socket, extension bar and wrench, and undo the 4 bolts on the bracket above the bushes on both sides. The bolts are just bolted into the frame. Once all the bolts are out you can let the jack down and the axle will start to drop revealing your bushes, stop when they are down enough so you got enough room to work

Step3: Now you will see a bolt going though the Bush, 15mm spanner at the back, 15mm (i think) socket at the front and undo, its a lock nut so when it gets to the end it takes some strength to do the last turns, but will come off. Take the bolt out & the bracket and put somewhere safe, you may want to clean the bolt up with wd40 so it goes back on easy

Step4: Now heres the annoying part, now would be a good time for a tea and a fag, then one straight after youve done it, get your blow torch and burn the rubber out the inside of the bush, and get flat head screw driver in there to pry out the metal in the middle, when your done breathe a sigh of relief. NOTE - WATCH THE PETROL TANK WHEN YOUR DOING NEARSIDE

Step5: Take apart your hacksaw, put the blade through the bush, then put back together, and saw right through the bush metal twice, about 1cm apart, will take about 5mins of sawing, then get your flat head under it and hammer it, the metal bush case will then start to buckle, then knock it out

Step6: Clean up your bush hole with wd40 and a rag, maybe use some sand paper or a wire brush too just so that your new bushes can slot in nicely

Step7: Get your new bushes, they will split down the middle, put the back side in first and tap in with your lump hammer, push the metal rod through, and tap the other side in with lump hammer til they come together.

Step8: Put your bracket back on and put bolt through and tighten nut so that its tight but you can still move bracket, now jack the axle back up and there is a spike in the bracket that will guide it into the right position, lower the axle back down and the bracket is now in the right position, and you can now fully tighten the bolt.

Step9: Do the same on the other side

Step10: Jack the axle back up, and make sure both sides are seated correctly, and put your bolts back in and your done

Wasnt that hard was it?
Please ignore spelling mistakes and grammer, English was never my strong point lol

Great post mate, think ill be using your guide when i come to do mine k:

sounds good.....sounds exactly my guide!!! lol :grin:

lol wish i had found your guide

Very informative, well done! :grin:

Brilliant! Thanks for the guide. Just did mine, took about 4 hours all in, but followed these instructions and went without a hitch.
My piece of advice: find yourself a length of scaffolding tube, about 6 foot long. Works wonders as a breaker bar when you just can't get those rusted bolts undone from the centre of the bushes! :wink:

Just found your guide, two weeks after doing mine! I didn't use a blow tourch, though, as I'd heard that the rubber can be very bad for you. Instead, I used a jig saw with a coarse blade to cut out the middle, before using the hack saw to cut slots as you described. I don't smoke so it only took me about an hour, though!!!!

hole saw is by far the easiest way to cut out the rubber innards

cool, I will be doing this very soon, thanks for the guide!

looks like ive been luckier than u guys who've found this after they have done the job, mine just failed its mot, so will need to do this like soon.

A very good guide my axle bushes need doing im off work next week so here goes!