Squicky cross member rubber insulators - LJ

Just had the most of the front end bushes done and whilst he was at it the cross member to chassis rail rubbers (mounting insulators - 8 of them) but now they are both squeaking/creaking when you bounce the front end. Took it back to mechanic that fitted them and he tried to tension them up more but made no difference. He now wants to remove and apply rubber grease to them. Not questioning his knowledge just want to make sure this is what you are supposed to do and if not seeking suggestion/s. 

Is he 100% sure it is the crossmember to rail insulators that are squeaking?

There are 8 crush tubes that are inserted into the chassis rails. The crush tubes have a short sleeve of plastic approx 20mm inboard from each end.

If the plastic sleeves are worn away/deteriorated that may be the cause of the squeaking.

Oh ok? didn't know they existed?He crawled under whilst I bounced the front and he seems to think its these making the noise. Could the tubes have fallen inside the rail when he removed the old ones or he has failed to line them up as he inserted the bolts?? Do you happen to have a photo of these Dave? The car is booked in for friday week for him to drop the bolts out . I have a workshop manual so it might show it in there

Oh ok? didn't know they existed?He crawled under whilst I bounced the front and he seems to think its these making the noise. Could the tubes have fallen inside the rail when he removed the old ones or he has failed to line them up as he inserted the bolts?? Do you happen to have a photo of these Dave? The car is booked in for friday week for him to drop the bolts out . I have a workshop manual so it might show it in there

There are retaining structures inside the rails so the crush tubes can't fall out into the rails and get lost. This is why they have the plastic sleeves to prevent them rubbing inside the supports.

I don't have any pics of the crush tubes but I 'll see if I can rustle some up.
 

Edited by S pack, 07 October 2021 - 05:48 PM.

I just checked my workshop manual (see attached) it says to lubricate the rubbers so perhaps this will fix the issue? Disregard a photo Dave now I can see what you mean. So just to clarify something. These plastic crush tubes. If mine are rooted how would you know? What concerns me is that if you start torquing up the cross member bolts and the spacers are not there I'm thinking you could start collapsing the chassis rail? 

Edited by MFM, 07 October 2021 - 06:21 PM.

The crush tubes are steel and have a sort of thin plastic sleeve around each end to prevent metal to metal contact.

Rust can be an issue with the crush tubes. If your mechanic didn't put the crush tubes back it will be impossible to torque up the bolts without excessively crushing the rubber insulators.

Thanks Gary. I'll brief him on this when we do the job. If the tubes are not in place when you torque down the bolts then it will be difficult to compress the rubbers properly  hence why they might be squeeking. Anyway thanks for your advice (again)

 IMG_20211008_0001.jpg   198.94K   5 downloads

Here's my replacement i made many years ago out of flexible electrical conduit skimmed down in the lathe.

Oh by the way the nolathane bushes crumbled after about 7-8 years & have been replaced with superpro.

This pic is 22-25 years ago. F#@k im getting old 

Edited by LJ RB30, 08 October 2021 - 10:58 PM.

From the LJ Parts cattledog.

 Xmember rail crush tubes..jpg   52.96K   3 downloads

These crush tubes have been restored and the original plastic sleeves refitted.

The owner still has to set the correct position of the sleeves currently located right at the ends of the tubes.

The sleeves should be set at about 20mm in from each end as both ends of the tube penetrate into the rubber insulator bushes.

 Xmember rail crush tubes. 02.jpg   223.07K   2 downloads

Thanks Dave. appreciate your help. Sorry for sounding ignorant as I'm not that mechanically minded, but are these metal tubes loose fitting inside the rail and the plastic sleeves keep them snug and the ends (which have the plastic sleeve) push into the chassis rubbers. I'm guessing my mechanic should have some idea of how these sit? thanks again mate

Edited by S pack, 09 October 2021 - 07:44 AM.

Thanks Gary, I do think Dave is right in that the squeek/creaking is probably from these tubes because the mechanic was underneath my car as I was bouncing it and he seemed confused to exactly the point where the noise was coming from as he took quite awhile (I got exhausted pushing down on the radiator support panel) so I think it was probably reverberating from inside the rail rather than at the chassis rubber itself although he said he could feel the noise through his hand which was held on the rubbers. If I need replacement plastic sleeves to go on the tubes, I assume we just try and find something around the workshop that will be a suitable fit (snug) i.e thin PVC pipe/sprinkler hose?

Heat shrink over the crush tubes is the way to go.

Heatshrink will definitely do the job.

I just didnt like how sloppy they were in the chassis rails and i wanted them to be more located before tensioned up.

Hi Dave, you mentioned there is 8 crush tubes , I see 4 in the photo you posted , whereabouts are the other 4 placed? Do you have any workshop manual pics ? Thanks 

Hi Dave, you mentioned there is 8 crush tubes , I see 4 in the photo you posted , whereabouts are the other 4 placed? Do you have any workshop manual pics ? Thanks 

Mate, apologies, my error. There are only 4 crush tubes but there are 8 rubber insulators.

Thanks Dave 

What rubbers did you use mark

Cheers gong

John they came with the car in the paper bag. Figured them to be NOS as all the other suspension bushes were NOS.

These were in perfect condition, in fact I was surprised when Dave told me what they were for because they were soft and figured they should be hard for what they are designed for. There was no deterioration at all. They would have been bought in the 80's.