Worst Job Ever! Sanding the leaf springs was a doddle compared to this. Getting the first of the suspension bushes out took over three hours and almost broke the jack from the Mondeo - which might be strong enough to lift two tons of Ford, but can’t stand up to a measly bush from a Land Rover.

Each of the bushes is made of an inner and an outer steel tube with a rubber bit in the middle. This makes them almost impossible to get out. The rubber absorbs hammer blows and the steel stops the rubber stretching. The answer, it turns out, is fire!

Here’s a recipe…

Here’s what we’re starting with. Perished rubber and rust.

Burn burn burn! Once the inner tube heats up, the rubber melts and squidges out. The smoke is black and acrid. Don’t do this in the garage! That looks nicely done. Smells great too. The inner tube comes out with a satisfying slurping noise Now saw through the outer tube. If you saw too much you’ll damage the mounting; if you don’t saw enough it’ll take a week to hammer it out. Once sawed through, smack a screwdriver between chassis and bush to deform the bush, then smack it out.

The whole process takes about half an hour per bush, but I’m sure you’ll agree that the results are worth the effort…