[Steini1961]

Hello from Luxembourg, thanks for the welcome.

I bought a 1993 216 with an automatic transmission and 145000km on the clock.
all gaiters on the front axles are leaking, and a lot of grease is leaking out. Can I get new gaiters, or is it better to buy new axles? there are o lot of >play> in the axles.
Furthermore, the trailing arm rubbers are broken. Where can I find new good ones, and are they difficult to replace?
Thanks for your help.
steini1961

[crepello]

Drive shaft gaiters and trailing arm bushes are among the easiest parts to find for R8s. Whenever I look for
something Rover on eBay, the search shows dozens of these parts.

[g259fsg]

I agree, they seem to be readily available, but there have been questions on the Forum about the quality of these aftermarket parts (both gaiters and bushes) and how long they will last. Many years ago, I fitted some rubber replacement trailing arm bushes, but after three years was getting advisories again. Nothing like the quality of the Rover OEM parts. I fitted polyurethane bushes. Gives a bit harder ride but have now lasted over 10 years. It can be a bit involved to fit them. There are some Viking articles on doing it if you search the archive.

[Mr Teddy Bear]

Some replacement outer drive shaft boots only last a year before splitting quality can be really poor, if all the joints are worn might be better to source replacement shafts if you can find them. I would avoid pattern replacements if possible.

[g259fsg]

Quality is a problem, as it's a time consuming job to change the gaiters. You need to remove the caliper and the disc and hub to get at the CV joint. Probably best to remove the CV joint as well, though there are some gaiters which can be stretched over it with the right tool. I've always taken off the CV, usually removed the drive shaft too as it's easier, but means you have to drain the gearbox. This is all with the 214 K-Series, the Honda engine may be slightly different.

It is also worth examining the state of the drive shafts. On the 214, there are circular dampers on the shaft and they can rust away the shaft underneath, weakening it. Some owners have had drive shaft failures, resulting in a sudden complete loss of traction. If buying second-hand replacement shafts, this area needs to be checked. I'm assuming there are now no new drive shafts for these cars? Because of these issues, a few years ago I bought a couple of drive shafts, checked them and refurbished them with new CVs and gaiters, to make the swap easier.

[Steini1961]

Thanks for your information.
I'll start with the axles, remove them, and restore them.
I will look for the articles in Viking and read about the trailing arm.
Thanks for the help.

[g259fsg]

I found the article I did about the rear suspension overhaul including the trailing arm bushes. It's in two parts in the Summer and Autumn edition of Viking in 2016, available through the website archive. There are also articles about rear bush replacement in Viking in 2011 and 2018, all available through the archive of technical articles.

One tip regarding the front CV gaiters. The first step on this is to release the front hub from the suspension. The WSM will advise to disconnect the ball joint on the bottom suspension arm from the stub axle, however this is very difficult as the retaining nut is right under the CV joint so it's difficult to get a socket onto it, and spanners may not work. What I've done with this is to disconnect the pivot bolt at the other end of the arm where it connects to the chassis and also the two bolts attaching it to the tie rod, but leaving the ball joint connected. Once you removed the big stake nut (do this first with the wheel on the ground to hold it steady), you should then be able to slide the front hub off the splined shaft of the CV and swing it clear, so you can work on the drive shaft.

Good luck,
Hugh

[Steini1961]

thank`s for your help