08-09-2017, 08:04 PM
Original Peugeot beams lasted 10 years + so you can't blame their engineers. I had a 306 XSi from 2001-2010 and sold it at 13 years old, with 140,000 miles on the clock and still on the original beam. True, they don't make rear suspension like that any more but probably because there are now simpler designs that are cheaper to produce.
Your beam was badly repaired and that's a different issue and your should direct your frustration at the person who did it. Maybe your mechanic only replaced the bearings and an already worn shaft destroyed them in no time. As for grease nipples, everything I've read suggests they make no difference at all. The bearings don't need much grease - they just need to be protected from water ingress. If you add grease nipples the grease will likely just fill the beam tube and get nowhere near the bearings. If you slide a set of bearings on to a beam shaft you'll see why.
I don't know much about the bronze bushes other than not many people bother with them. Those in the know here go for decent quality bearings (SNR or ones from Peugeot) and always use new shafts when rebuilding. Also, if the outer part of the tube has been knackered by excessive wear you have to replace that too. (The outer bearing shell needs to be a full interference fit in the end of the beam tube to stop them from being distorted by the load on the rear axle).
Your beam was badly repaired and that's a different issue and your should direct your frustration at the person who did it. Maybe your mechanic only replaced the bearings and an already worn shaft destroyed them in no time. As for grease nipples, everything I've read suggests they make no difference at all. The bearings don't need much grease - they just need to be protected from water ingress. If you add grease nipples the grease will likely just fill the beam tube and get nowhere near the bearings. If you slide a set of bearings on to a beam shaft you'll see why.
I don't know much about the bronze bushes other than not many people bother with them. Those in the know here go for decent quality bearings (SNR or ones from Peugeot) and always use new shafts when rebuilding. Also, if the outer part of the tube has been knackered by excessive wear you have to replace that too. (The outer bearing shell needs to be a full interference fit in the end of the beam tube to stop them from being distorted by the load on the rear axle).