Bushes - Amazing!

["Fereday, Chris" <chris.fereday@domain.elided>]

Hi All,

I bought my Stag a year ago, and as it was over 150 miles from my home, I
drove it back to Peterborough. It was on this trip that I noticed the 'wishy
washy handling'. I pulled into a petrol station to check the tyre pressures
and was horrified to find they ranged between 10 and 14 psi...
Confident that it was now sorted out I set off again. All seemed well, until
I started to go negotiate a roundabout. It was here that I first experienced
the dreaded 'rear end twitch'. For the rest of the trip, care was taken
whenever a roundabout appeared. My father in law, who was my co-pilot on
this trip, was beginning to experience some 'rear end twitch of his own' -
if you catch my drift...
Looking around the car, a week or so later, I discovered that two of the
tyres were remoulds - with good tread, and the other 2 were HR rated, but
balder than Kojak. 4 new tyres (195/70 HR 14) and £200 later, the handling
appeared much improved until I reached another roundabout. Once again the
rear-end twitch appeared, but a little more controllable.
During winter, the car sat in the garage whilst I replaced the steering
rack, attended to several oil leaks, replaced burnt out wiring and replaced
missing parts. Spring arrived and at the first sign of good weather I took
to the roads. Once more the 'back end' performed its party piece. Enough was
enough and I reached for the phone.
I booked the Stag into E.J.Wards in Leicester. They advised me that the
bushes were likely to be the culprit, but would re-work the whole 'rear end'
where necessary. Looking at the car, they were surprised to see new springs,
dampers and evidence of recent work. They replaced the bushes but used the
polyurethane versions from SuperFlex and greased the splined shafts. They
also fitted a new seal on the diff nose, replaced the rear brake cylinders
(both sides) and fitted new brake shoes. All this for £240. 
I picked up the car and headed for the nearest roundabout. The experience
was amazing! I cannot believe how much difference they have made. I have
even tried to make the car 'break away' under heavy cornering, but there
isn't the slightest hint of rear end twitch. The quality if the work is
excellent too! 
In conclusion, I would highly recommend this to any Stag owner. The ride
does not appear harsh, and in comparison to my previous 12 months of
ownership, the car is a real joy to own and drive. Furthermore, I don't
believe that the extra expense of opting for the BMW rear diff arrangement
is totally necessary under a standard setup - i.e. Stag motor and gearbox if
you have this work is carried out. Uprated engines are obviously a different
matter...
When you consider the conditions under which I first drove the car (and
which the previous owner had been using it), its a wonder I bought the car
at all!

BTW - Bit disappointed with SOC. Went to Elton Hall Classic Car show on
Monday only to find that they were only there on the Sunday. The organiser
did ask me if I wanted to represent them on their behalf, but I declined...

IMHO
Chris


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