Do Your Suspension Bushes Need Replacing?

Posted: Tuesday, 27 January 2026 @ 12:44

Austin Healey 100 front suspension showing wishbone and suspension bushes

Fresh bushes make a bigger difference than you think

If your Austin Healey or MG Midget has started feeling a bit interpretive through the steering, there is a decent chance the culprit is a set of suspension bushes that retired sometime around the last millennium. Bushes are small and easy to ignore, but they have a big say in how your car tracks, turns, and behaves when you hit the brakes.

Sharper steering feel with fewer mid-corner corrections
More stable braking because the suspension stays where it should
Less knocking and clunking from unwanted movement
More consistent wheel alignment, helping tyre wear and confidence
Suspension that feels settled again, not just old car lively

Polyurethane suspension bushes for Austin Healey and MG Midget models

What suspension bushes actually do (without the textbook)

Think of a bush as a controlled hinge. It lets the suspension move up and down, and sometimes rotate, but it resists movement in the directions you do not want. They are meant to flex slightly, but they should not allow the suspension arm to shift position.

Bushes also help reduce vibration and harshness, so the chassis and steering are not taking the full hit from every bump in the road.

On Healeys and Spridgets, bushes commonly live in places like:

Front suspension arms (wishbones) at the inner pivots
Tie bars or radius arms that control fore and aft movement of the front suspension
Anti-roll bar mounts and drop links (if fitted)
Rear leaf spring eyes and shackles
Rear location links like radius arms or a panhard rod (often fitted as upgrades)

Age matters more than mileage on classic cars

Rubber does not only wear out by being used. It also ages. Over time it can harden, crack, deform, and lose elasticity. Oil contamination, heat, and ozone in the air all take their toll, and a car that sits for long periods can still end up with bushes that feel tired when it finally gets driven again.

That is why you can find a low mileage classic that feels strangely vague, and a regularly used one that feels more planted. Mileage tells one story. Time tells the other.

Worn and cracked rubber suspension bushes removed from an Austin Healey

Signs your bushes are past their best

Any one symptom on its own can have multiple causes, but if you recognise a few of these at once, bushes move up the suspect list quickly.

Common symptoms:

Wandering at speed, especially on cambered roads, with constant small steering corrections
Vague turn-in, where the car feels a half-step behind your hands
Pulling or twitching under braking even when brakes are in good order
Clunks over sharp bumps, or when load suddenly changes (pulling away, throttle on/off)
Uneven tyre wear that keeps returning even after alignment checks
Rear end steer where the car feels like it shifts slightly mid-corner
An anti-roll bar that seems to do very little (sometimes the bar is fine, but the bushes are not controlling it properly)

Worth saying: on Healeys and Spridgets, similar symptoms can also come from tyres, wheel bearings, steering joints, kingpins or trunnions, dampers, weak springs, rear spring wear, or alignment. Bushes are a common cause, but it’s worth checking the basics before blaming one part.

Quick checks you can do without turning it into a full rebuild

Safety first. Use proper axle stands on solid ground. Suspension parts can move suddenly when they are unloaded, and fingers tend to lose that argument.

Things that often point to tired bushes:

Cracks, splits, or missing chunks
Bushes that look squashed, offset, or pulled out of position
The metal sleeve no longer sitting centrally
Clean or shiny patches on metal parts, showing they have been rubbing due to excess movement
Excess movement when you gently lever the joint (a small amount can be normal, but obvious knock or shift is not)

If a few of those checks ring true, it usually makes sense to focus on the areas that give the biggest improvement first.

Inspecting suspension bushes and front end components on a classic car

What to replace first on a Healey or Midget

If you want the biggest improvement for the least disruption, start with the bushes that control location and steering feel.

Start here for the biggest difference:

Front tie bar or radius arm bushes

Why: controls fore and aft movement at the front

Feel: steadier braking and a calmer straight-line feel

Anti-roll bar mounts and drop link bushes (if fitted)

Why: helps the bar work consistently

Feel: more predictable cornering balance

Front wishbone inner bushes

Why: locates the suspension arms properly

Feel: clearer steering and fewer mid-corner corrections

Rear spring eye and shackle bushes

Why: keeps the axle located consistently

Feel: less rear wander and a more planted feel

Rear location link bushes (radius arms or panhard rod if fitted)

Why: reduces axle movement side to side and fore and aft

Feel: less sideways shimmy, especially on bumpy corners

Doing bushes in phases is sensible. You do not have to take the entire car apart to get a noticeable improvement.

Polyurethane anti-roll bar bushes for classic car suspension

Rubber vs polyurethane, without the drama

Rubber bushes were a sensible choice when these cars were designed. They ride nicely and keep noise down. The problem is that many classics are now relying on rubber that is far older than the original service life ever expected.

Polyurethane bushes are often chosen because they:

Hold their shape better over time
Keep suspension geometry more consistent
Cope well with occasional use and storage

The key is choosing the right specification for how you use the car. A sensible road setup does not need to feel harsh. The goal is a car that feels composed, not a car that makes every drain cover feel like a personal insult.

Fitting tips that will save you time

If you are fitting bonded rubber bushes, tighten the suspension bolts at normal ride height. This avoids twisting the rubber at rest.
If you are fitting polyurethane bushes, use the correct grease where required. Dry poly can squeak.
Replace left and right as pairs where practical. Mixing old and new can give odd handling balance.
Plan for an alignment check if you have replaced bushes that affect geometry. Fresh bushes can change how everything sits.
While you are there, inspect the nearby parts. A worn kingpin, steering joint, or weak damper can imitate bush symptoms.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will new bushes make my classic ride too harsh?

Not automatically. Ride quality depends on bush spec plus springs, dampers, tyres, and alignment. Many owners fit road-focused polyurethane or fresh rubber and end up with a car that feels more settled, not more punishing.

My Healey feels vague. Are bushes definitely the cause?

They are often a contributor, but tyres, wheel bearings, kingpins or trunnions, steering joints, damper condition, and alignment can all play a part. Bushes are a good place to start because they affect geometry directly and are common wear points.

Can I replace bushes one area at a time?

Yes. Many owners start with front tie bar bushes and anti-roll bar bushes (if fitted), then move on to wishbones and rear spring bushes. Doing it in stages is normal.

Do I need special tools to fit bushes?

Some are straightforward with hand tools. Others may need a press or a proper puller setup. If you are unsure, check the kit notes before starting so the job stays satisfying rather than educational.

Should I get the wheel alignment checked afterwards?

Strongly recommended if you have replaced bushes that locate suspension arms or tie bars. Correct alignment is a big part of getting that settled feel back.

Do polyurethane bushes squeak?

They can if fitted dry or without the correct lubricant where required. Using the supplied grease and fitting them correctly usually prevents squeaks. If noise appears later, it is often fixable with a clean and re-lube.

What is the simplest first step if I am new to classic suspension?

Start with a basic inspection and a short list of symptoms. Then tackle the obvious, high-impact bushes first (front tie bars and anti-roll bar bushes if fitted). If the car still feels odd afterwards, you have at least removed a major variable before chasing more complex issues.