Caster bushes - what are they?

[newo]

Hi there,

I have just had a roadworthy done on my VT, and one thing needing replacement is the caster bushes.

What the hell are caster bushes? I have found a few posts on forums but I'm not totally clued up to where they are, and I was wondering if they go by another name, then I can find them in my manual and do it myself.

Apologies if this is already posted somewhere.

Thanks in advance.

[soop]

If I recall correctly, If you stick your head under the car and have a look at the hub, there is an S shaped rod going from the hub to the front of the engine subframe. I think the bushes in that both at the subframe and hub are the castor bushes.

[newo]

Thanks soop, I'll have a look when the rains stops

[Zeussy]

Radius rod bushes,
'Z' bar bushes,

Basically the big front bush as you lay down infront of the car looking up under the front bumper. Think they're fluid filled from factory, and can rupture/leak out the oil. -- Thats the front (radius rod, castor, 'Z' bar) Bush.
The rear bush is in the lower control arm. The 'middle bush. You can see if it if you have the front wheel off, or if the cars high enough to get you head under it

One way to tell if the fronts are shagged, drive like 5 or 10km/hr on a straight flat bit of road, (wth someone standing beside the car looking side on) and either:

Jump on the brakes to a complete stop, then gently let them off - (the person standing outside the car looking side on) watch for the front wheel to move towards the rear of the car - then go back to the front once the brakes let off.
Or
Sort of pump the brakes, on and off, firm enough to 'grab' but not stop you dead in your tracks - (the person standing outside the car looking side on) see if the wheel moves around a helluva lot in the wheel arch - backwards and forwards.

If its screwd it'l look like the wheel could basically fall off, moving a couple of inches either way/wobbling around.

[newo]

Thanks Zeussy, the radius rod/caster/Z bar bushes look pretty shagged, probably still stock from the factory 12 years ago.

Just read the qrite up on replacing them, doesn't look too hard a job.

Thanks heaps!

[Claudy]

Nar man it's pretty easy job to do ay, u can get adjustable ones from nolathane

[Zeussy]

No probs!

If you're going to do it, only tip that I can give, is to do it on flat ground... LOL, Pretty sure it says to in the write up on here?

But I didn't, because I don't really have flat concrete to work on, (driveways on a bit of an angle). So, if like me, you do it on a slight incline and drive it up on ramps - Chock the back wheels securely!! I didn't, then the car crept back a little, (less than an inch) and had to use a tiedown to pull the front strut back to the right angle to get the 4 nuts! (sounds dodgey, but it worked well!)

[soop]

Why the fug would you want adjustable castor bushes?

They dude just wants to drive his car without the wheels falling off...

Zeussy, had the same issue. Nothing a couple of swear words won't fix.

[Claudy]

Adjustable so u can run +1\4 on one side and -1/4 on the otherwise to make up for the slope of the road so car doesnt pull to the left. Was recommended by my local tyre shop so I fitted them as they said and car drives great

[soop]

I'll have to leave that little mod to you mate.

[glenn l]

85% of the aftermarket ones are adjustable, just a couple of cheap nolathane and whiteline ones that arnt.(nolathane and whiteline do 2 types). do your self a favour and dont put in genuine ones there crap even when there new.

[newo]

Thanks all for the replies, much appreciated.

I have searched ebay and went to Repco. The only ones they had were Nolathane ones for $195. Same Nolathane on ebay, 145 with free postage, so I think I will just go with these.

Thanks again, all of your assistance is much highly appreciated!

I just destroyed my VS (hit a pole while dealing with a huntsman), but I noticed it had wear on the inside left tyre only. I wonder if that was just because of a totally shagged bush or the road camber...

[soop]

That's a fairly unique way to write a car off!!!

[newo]

Yes, agreed it is. Didn't like the feeling though.

Anyway, just wanted to write this in case anyone else searches for a thread along the lines of this, that it was a very simple job really. Nice long torque wrench came in very handy, and that the thread 'How to replace radius rod bushes VT/VZ' by Dayvo was extremely helpful.

Thanks again to everyone who replied, your assistance is very much appreciated!

[9C1pack]

Newo, did you fit adjustable bushes?
If so what setting did you use.
I have adjustable nolathane ones to fit to my VT2 (with factory Fe2 suspension), and am wondering what setting to use.

[Claudy]

Pretty sure its +1/4 on passenger side and -1/4 on drivers

[glenn l]

Pretty sure its +1/4 on passenger side and -1/4 on drivers

yes thats about right, in the left hand side you fit x1 2mm and x1 8mm, in the right you fit x1 2mm, x1 4mm and x1 8 mm shims.

[newo]

Yeah it should be on the instruction sheet you get with the bushes, just follow the combination of washers/spacers. Not terribly hard to do, a long breaker bar is handy and a small squirt of CRC to loosen up bolts.

[thekid93]

so whats the best setting to get for the adjustable ones?

+1/4 pssenger side
-1/4 drivers?

[graham7773]

When you are using tollways and freeways, interstate highways etc, where (virtually) every curve and bend has positive cambered road surface, how does that effect the adjustable radius/castor setup?

[Mirkz]

Bump!

I'm literally about to do these in the next few hours/day.
Just wondering what people's thoughts are.
Is it necessary to have +1/4 on passenger and -1/4 on driver side? I don't know if its something I should be doing unless it was a track car and the track tilted one way ??
What's everyone's experience etc?
I was just going to set mine up on standard on both sides, which I would assume should be fine ?

I've also got another 4 bushes that came with the kit, I can't 'see' any bushes that look like this, unless they're part of the lower control arm ??
They basically look like a top hat with a hole in the middle, any help?

Thanks in advance!!

[Claudy]

The +1/4 and -1/4 is for the slight lean on the road for the rain run off man. The bar that goes from the front castor bushes, follow that and ull see the old black bush at the back of it. Smash the old bush out I used socket and long extension and then u can smash it from the front the car. Good luck!

[Mirkz]

Ah okay.
I ended up fitting mine as standard setting both sides for now.

I understand where you're coming from with the road angle for rain run off etc, but I dunno. Felt more comfortable just using the standard setting. I enjoy working on cars, but I don't enjoy doing the same thing multiple times.

Still not sure where those top hat bushes go. Couldnt see any that looked similar and couldn't be bothered trying to work out where they go.
Will pop into the alignment place down the road and take the bushes and ask them where they go and how much to fit em whilst they do an alignment.

[Zeussy]

Take a pic of them and throw them up here, we should know where they're for!

[Mirkz]

Haha, yeah that'd probably be an idea.
I've been told they're probably for lower control arm? where the radius rod goes into ? (think I've got the names right).
There's 4 of them all up. Sorry about the crap photo's only remembered last night when I was about to head out.