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[terry paget]

Yesterday DS06 passed its MOT, with no more advisories about worn track rods.
However, joy was restrained  by an entirely new (to me)  advisory, both rear suspension arm bushes worn. Haynes warns that changing these bushes require several special Vauxhall tools and is best left to a Vauxhall dealer.

[Nick W]

If the special Vx tool is anything like the Omega rear wheel bearing one, they'll be big, expensive, complicated and time consuming to use.


A quick Google for the bush shows that a common bush tool won't work due to the offset hole, but that isn't too hard to work around as this LINK shows.


I could make such a tool, but for £45 would just buy one.

[TheBoy]

Or find a local garage, and let them do it.  That's what I did when a rear bearing went on the XJ.  The £50 labour was cheaper than the tools I'd need to get and likely never use again.

[Nick W]

That's why I like cheap generic tools as they can be readily modified - this was bought for my rear wheel bearing but has done others bearings and bushes as bought, and with some extra parts, things like Omega front wishbone bushes:





the silver parts I turned, and the studding is ordinary M10 from B&Q. Add a welder and you cobble together all sorts of ugly but effective tools, like my hub extractor.


Looking at these photos again, I wouldn't buy the Astra tool because the spacer for the eccentric could be quickly made from some plate using a grinder and files.

[dave the builder]

congratulations on the pass Terry 
I've never has the axle bushes wear to flag an advisory 
I'd check them before buying anything, It's not the first time that an MOT tester has mis diagnosed or put advisories to get work 
rear shocks and broken springs are common and cause rear rattle
you'd need to support both sides on axle stands under the brackets that hold the bushes,so that the rear beam can hang free 

IF the bushes are worn then just buy the tool that Nick kindly linked 
though the MOT manual states that bush wear for a 12mm bolt can be a couple of mm 
a common MOT mistake