I've always known the handling traits of my car pretty well - I know how it reacts when I alter my line halfway round a bend and I know how it copes with bumps.

So, when on a slightly greasy road, I hit a bump mid bend AND lifted off at the same time, I knew something was wrong when I had to dial in some opposite lock to stay on the road

I'd also been getting some slightly weird steering sensations when accelerating hard - like tramlining, but with no steering feedback

My suspicions were confirmed on Motormech's ramps today - fubar'd rear radius arm bearings

Ah well, at least its not a huge job, and the car was due in anyway for a total brake service - new discs and pads, front and rear with a caliper strip and rebuild at the same time.

Amazing though - a couple of mm play at the rear end can feel like the steering is connected with elastic bands instead of track rods.

It'll be different when you get it back Nigel.

My RX is having all the rear bushes changed at the moment - they were pretty knackered - and the rear end was VERY lively with the play in the current bushes.

It'd worth noting for people reading this that if you want your car to handle better look at the basics before spending a lot of money on new shocks / springs.

Had this on mine recently, scarey as crap when changing lane at high speed!

Would this be picked up at MOT time ?

Should be as its a fail but they do get missed.

Depends how bad it is.

You know it's bad when you have negative camber on the rear, you can also feel the car twitch slightly when cornering at speed, quite un-settling. Might take a few photo's this weekend for a how to guide

Begbie - that's what I've been getting - if I throw the car into a corner, the rear radius arm moves straight away and the car just settles (although turn-in is VERY sharp!)

However, if I enter a corner gently, but then start to ease onto the power, at some point, the radius arm clunks out of line and twitches the rear end - not bad on a 30mph roundabout, but a bit disconcerting when feeding into a decreasing-radius right-hand bend on a damp dual carriageway

Car now booked in.

I also noticed the state of my rear subframe bushes while the car was on the ramps - well fubar'd. thinking of getting Paul to replace them while the rear end is apart

Anyone know what the price is for the four subframe bushes? (no, I don't want solid bushes - too noisy for a big-mile everyday car)

Bushes can't but be bought from Fiat, you have to buy a whole rear subframe. Whilst the subframe is off, i'd get Paul to have a look at the chassis arms and see if you have any of below, it may need a little poke to see what's going on

Yeeee haaarrrr... I'd like to see a guide, but I'm happy to contribute/do one on my own.

Well i'm going to be doing it this weekend, so would be silly not to, although i might have slightly more clearance to do this rather than it being done on the car

Yep, had the same this weekend when comming onto the M25 from the M3. Felt like the car was going to dive int the hedge.. Will check the arms tomorrow.

Oh THAT corner - the one that is not far from where I live where you have lots of margin for error when testing suspension setups....

yeah that is a nasty one tyres are never warm either when i leave chertsey. not as bad as the fluy over coming from the m4 to the m25 that killed the shocks on my skyline and knocks me teeth out.

is there a way of really checking the rear bearings/bushes as i have changed everything else on this dam car no doubt they need doing to.

Jack up the rear of the car and give the wheel a good wrench about, up down, left right , twisting etc.

For the subframe get a bar and firmly (but gently) lever it and see how much movement there is.

You can also as begbie suggests get a laser alignment check done - if you have excessive negative camber on a rear wheel then this can also be indicative.

ok il have a go :-) are they very hard or expensive jobs? done them on other cars and they where easy enough and cheap to upgrade to.

Repair kits can be had from Alt Auto's for about £35 a side, as for replacing the bearings, well it looks like it should be an easy job, but there is little room to get access to the bolt's and bearings, so could make life a lot harder, plus the trailing arms (i believe) weigh quite a lot too!

It's a pig if you can't get the bearings out.....

I'm thinking....big hammer, heat, bigger hammer

Followed by, whoops, fuel tank, st, run!

lol ok doesn't sound to fun. il see how they look when i put my 18's on and then decide if it needs either paul at mm or rog to sort it for me. the subframe bushes look like they are ok to change and can you get pinapple rings for them to stiffen them or are solid metal bushes the only option as i bet they are noisy and numb your bum on rough roads

Pineapple rings ? Yes a tin of those should sort it out.

they are like a collar that go around the rubber bush that stop it stop moving about and make the compress less without having to have soild mounts. on rwd cars you can get ones that aid traction on aid drifts and so on.

Well, after today, i can say to replace the bearings in the trailing arms as 'fun'. It requires lots of hammering, a little bit of burning, as well as trying to find various items to use a drift to knock the bearings out. One side took a couple of hours, next one about an hour. Didn't get that many photo's but i have enough detail if you fancy attempting this as a DIY job

good work mate. i can see that it wouldn't be a isssue on how are it is to remove and press a bearing just its space issues. get a how to do guide up :-)

I did the bearings on my 16V a few years ago 1 side was a right pain a bit like yours Begbie the other side was a lot easier.

The bearings aren't pressed in peanut.

Mine will be a complete doddle

8:00am - Hi Paul - see you later
4:30pm - Hi Paul - how much?

ok cool. i think mine are fine anyway but with my lick it won't be long untill i need to replace them.