The Triumph Dolomite Club - Discussion Forum

Today I decided to replace the rear suspension radius rod bushes with poly bushes on my W reg 1500HL while I was still able to crawl under the car to do the work. I have done this several times before on my other dolomites, so I was not expecting any surprises. However I found that each radius rod had two extra dished washers fitted on the outer end. When I compared the arms with a spare that I have kept from another car I found that that the distance from the shoulder on the radius rod to screw thread was longer and the two extra dished washers were needed to fill the space. See photo.
Having got the old bushes off I do not think they are the original rubber type as they look to be in too good a condition, there were no nylon washers fitted and one of the hairpin clips was of the wrong size. I did find that the bushes had been fitted the wrong way around with the domed faces against the rear axle. Triumph issued a correction to the Repair Operation Manual which states:
“1. Fit one dished washer, Part No 134556, against shoulder on radius rod, dished side of washer towards bushed eye end of rod. 2. Fit rubber bush, Part No 152767, domed face of bush against dished washer, (i.e. towards bushed eye end of rod). 3. Enter the screwed end of the radius rod through the axle bracket and engage the bushed eye end in the body bracket. 4. Fit the bolt and nut to the body bracket. 5. Fit nylon washer, part 158836, over the screwed end of the radius rod and locate against axle bracket. 6. Fit second rubber bush, part No 152767, flat face to nylon washer. 7. Fit second dished washer, Part No 134556, dished side away from bush. 8. Fit plain washer, Part No 152518, nut Part No HN2010 and hairpin clip Part No 146974.9. Tighten the body bracket.” Plus there is a “Note: Delete plastic washers when using Super Pro/ Super Flex Bushes.”
I have now fitted what I know to be poly bushes and fitted them in accordance with the Repair Operation Manual correction but I do not know how much difference turning the bushes around will make. Has anyone noticed a difference with the bushes fitted as per the correction? Or come across the longer radius rods before?

Super flex and Super pro were around at the same time as Triumph???

Superflex were established in 1993, Super Pro in Oz in 1983

Does the addendum have a date attached to it?

It was identified a very long time ago in an Aug but I failed to make a note of the year by Robgee who pointed club members in the direction of a web site www.bac.com.au/misc/dol/html. This I believe is an Australian web site but it is no longer available. I just printed the details and added the info to my copy of the workshop manual.

I read somewhere that the nylon washers were not required if you are fitting the polytherane bushes

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1972 Spitfire MK IV
1972 Stag
1980 Sprint

1962 Land Rover Series 2a
1961 Land Rover Series 2a (under restoration)
1983 Land Rover Series 3

1995 Suzuki Samurai SJ413

1972 MGB GT (banished for being too tight to fit in it)

The information about leaving out the nylon washers if poly bushes are fitted is included in my original text.

Here is a copy of that website if it's useful.

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Current fleet: '75 Sprint, '73 1850, Daihatsu Fourtrak, Honda CG125, Yamaha Fazer 600, Shetland 570 (yes it's a boat!)

Past fleet: Triumph 2000, Lancia Beta Coupe, BL Mini Clubman, Austin Metro, Vauxhall Cavalier MK1 & MK2, Renault 18 D, Rover 216 GSI, Honda Accord (most expensive car purchase, hated, made out of magnetic metal as only car I've ever been crashed into...4 times), BMW 318, Golf GTi MK3 16v x 3