This weekend I replaced the rear axle carrier bushings. The result, significant handling improvement. The car now no longer tramlines or skips sideways on rough surfaces. As an added bonus, the steering is not as loose. I thought at first that the steering improvement was wishful thinking but after my significant other drove the car she beamed that "her car" was almost back to normal. There is still a little looseness in the steering but not as before. I believe that a proper alignment and tire balancing with the Hunter machine will cure this last little problem. On visual inspection, the old bushings did not look particularly bad, just a few surface cracks. However, after removing the bushings it was very obvious that the rubber was soft compared to the new bushings.

Well, for once, a successful repair. Next weekend, fuel pump and radiator replacement and all the joys of bleeding the cooling system.