Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Maintenance & Servicing Inner track rod end - bush O/D

Does anyone know if it is possible to predict the outer diameter of the bush in the inner track rod end.

My 95 Plus 8 has a bit of movement in the bushes - this is the metal/rubber bush at the inner end of the track rod. The track rod is secured to the jack knight steering rack via this bush

The formal solution is to purchase new track rod ends - such as the STR122 from Melvyn. The informal solution is to replace the bushes. The current Mulfab web site lists 27mm diameter bushes and 28.5mm diameter bushes, does anyone know if there is any logic that guides me to the size of bushes I need (prior to me pressing them out and actually measuring them)

To answer my own question, my Plus 8 has 27mm O/D bushes. Fortunately I put a pair into stock about 10 years ago, Peter Mulberry was making some (cutting down a longer bush) and I thought it a good idea to put a pair into stock.

First job was to mark the inner rod ends so I know which side faces front and mark it with tape. Then undo the locking nut securing the end to the rod, remember the thread is counter clockwise, keep the lock nut abutting the rod end. Remove the bolt securing the rod end to the rack, and unscrew the rod end from the control rod, make sure the locking nut stays in place.



Once removed the bush can be pressed out with the aid of a couple of old sockets, a large one to go under the rod and a small one (approx 26mm diameter) to push the bush through

The old bush looks a bit tired




Old bush on left, new pair on right, although they have been lingering in the garage for about 10 years waiting for the call




Press the new bush in and then screw the end back onto the control rod and fit to rack.

The mystery remains, when did the 28.5mm bush come into use ?

Hi Mike
I guess the age of the old ones was greater than the spares. After 10 years shelf life, the rubber of the spare was still ok?
Well done anyway.

The originals were 25 years old, I guess the 'new' ones may have lost some of their life, so I may get another 10 years.. That is the problem with holding a stock of time limited spares.

Could it be that the older 28.5mm ones were actually imperial 1-1/8" i.e 1.125" ie 28.57mm.

Mike, were your bolts metric or imperial?

You might find that the older bolts were imperial.

Does anyone know if it was the older bushes that were 28.5 mm or the newer variants.

Just had a look at my bolts which are metric and I'm going to guess that my O/D would therefore be 27mm. (How's that for backing ones own hypothesis based on nothing more than guesswork)

Pure speculation but I wonder when MMC changed over to metric on these bolts.

I didn't check the threads, I still have the Plus 8 on my 'lift' and will check. If there is enough of the thread sticking out I will also measure it on the Plus 4

On the Mulfab web site the 27mm bushes are subtitled 1 1/16 inch, the 28.5mm are 1 1/8 inch

Checking old and new parts lists, including pre 2005, and 2014 on, the inner control rod end has the same part number, MSR0600. The bolt is a MGB0560 1/2 by 2 1/4. This suggests that the bolt through the bush has always been a half inch bolt. My measurement of the i/d of the bush was 12.8mm. The differing o/d of the bush may have been down to a change of supplier.