Compliance Washers - How to DIY.

Well I decided as I was having the front tyres swapped over tomorrow onto the refurbished wheels I would pop off the new rears (one already has a chip! So I am fixing that too!) and sort some compliance washers before I have Meg tracked.

I decided a while ago that £10 was a lot of money for 4 bits of PVC so I MADE some today! I knew I had seen something I could use but couldn't remember what it was until yesterday in IKEA of all places! Those coloured chopping boards made of flexible PVC are perfect and exactly the right thickness too!

I used the measurements from Dieter's site (Od 65mm, Id 26mm, T 3mm) and cut them using my Dad's old technical drawing compass as it has two points rather than a point and a pencil..... dunno why!

Anyway here's how it went:

Tie bar off... remarkably the nuts and bolts undid easily - after liberal soaking with WD40 an hour before I started:


Here's the lower arm with the bushes removed:


This is the inner mounting for the tie bar:


Voila! Home made compliance washers. (Top ones were made form measurements form another site - wrong! Lower ones from Dieter's site - reminds me to always refer to Dieter!):


Bush refitted with loads of grease to keep the water out!


New washer stuck to the big cupped washer with grease:


All started to be done up:


Done up (has to be undone again and torqued to 80Nm when wheels are on ground):


Noticed the grease nipple and decided to pump some grease in the needle roller bearings as prevention is better than cure!:


Also decided to replace the rubber washers I tightened the shock bushes up with 3 years ago with some nice PVC ones:


Don't forget to get the tracking set to +0°5' both front and back for best handling after this mod!

Both these mods are well worth doing!:yesnod:

The rear end feels so much more solid afterwards.

Worth mentioning that the front shocker also benefits from the same treatment to the bottom bush.

Also don't forget the shocker top rubbers, they also wear and tend to be ignored.

Great Idea, and so cheap, although i hate Ikea!! ~ that compass with two points are called Dividers they were used in TD to divide sections into equal parts (all done by CAD now) i have still got my sets. regards Bryan

David Aiketgate;13313 wrote: Both these mods are well worth doing!:yesnod:

The rear end feels so much more solid afterwards.

Worth mentioning that the front shocker also benefits from the same treatment to the bottom bush.

Also don't forget the shocker top rubbers, they also wear and tend to be ignored.

Last pic is of the front lower shock bushes! LOL.... have to admit never thought of the top ones though - great idea - now where is the rest of that chopping board?

I have the back wheel off ready to start this mod, I got rid of most of the bad play in the rear wheel by fitting a new track control arm - the bush where it attaches to the subframe was knackered. Nice idea about using the dividers to cut the PVC - still have my set from my Architect Technician days:)

Ahhhh. The old tools are the best.

That's what I keep telling Sheila!

Hello Adam, Hello mates, Greetings from Greece , i bought one red chopping board from Ikea. The thickness is 2mm not 3mm as Dieter says. Is this problem? I think not as you say..
I want to make the compliance washers too. It is the right momet. I want to change one bush on My MGF on the rear (european passenger side)
because the whole wheel/tire is moving too much and produce a vibration noise on the rear brake. Its unbelievable, i lifted the car up and could move the wheel with my hands.

Alex_MGF;14400 wrote: Hello Adam, Hello mates, Greetings from Greece , i bought one red chopping board from Ikea. The thickness is 2mm not 3mm as Dieter says. Is this problem? I think not as you say..
I want to make the compliance washers too. It is the right momet. I want to change one bush on My MGF on the rear (european passenger side)
because the whole wheel/tire is moving too much and produce a vibration noise on the rear brake. Its unbelievable, i lifted the car up and could move the wheel with my hands.

Hi Alex, :welcome2:
Nice to hear from Greece. Whereabouts are you?
I used this way on the big bush in the lower suspension arm, but on the lower damper bushes, I reduced the length of the inner metal tube. see here:- http://www.the-t-bar.com/showthread.php?1115-Rear-Damper-bottom-bush-MGF.&highlight=damper+bush
The bottom bushes are still looking good - no movement on them!

Alex_MGF;14400 wrote: Hello Adam, Hello mates, Greetings from Greece , i bought one red chopping board from Ikea. The thickness is 2mm not 3mm as Dieter says. Is this problem? I think not as you say..
I want to make the compliance washers too. It is the right momet. I want to change one bush on My MGF on the rear (european passenger side)
because the whole wheel/tire is moving too much and produce a vibration noise on the rear brake. Its unbelievable, i lifted the car up and could move the wheel with my hands.

Hi Alex, welcome to T Bar. Are you sure that it is the suspension bushes, just heard of a case on a TF wher the rear wheel bearings and hub had worn because the shaft nut had come loose, whole rear wheel was wobbling and making bad noises from the rear brakes, new hub and bearings sorted it.

Good point, Bryan!:yesnod:

Hello again,
i was today in the mg rover service here in Thessaloniki , and we have checked the car, the front and rear upper joint balls should be replaced and all the lower shock absorber bushes and at least it is worth installing the compliance washers !
I will order all these parts from Rimmer Bros and i have to finish the cw's.
They have everyrthing except front lower damper bushes. Maybe i have to order they from somewhere else
I would like to ask which Tool have you used to cut out the shape of the cw's from chopping board of Ikea?
and at least.
And Which inner& outer diameter have these washers to tighten the rubber bushes of the shocks?
Thank you in advance for any help