Suspension and bushings help

S

spock2001us

Member

Aug 23, 2005

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Feb 17, 2006

#1

• Feb 17, 2006

• #1

This weekend I am redoing my entire suspension so I am asking for any hints or advice when it comes to bushings.

I am putting in new Eibach Pro-Kit springs, ball joints (Moog), tie rod ends, brakes (while I am there, cause the pads are lifetime), I have Monroe shocks that I put on 5 years ago (before I discovered this website) and they are lifetime warranty, so I am going to just replace them with new ones for now.

And, I am also installing the Energy Suspension Master kit....which of course includes the LCA bushings in front and both arms in back. So, give me some advice how to remove the old bushings. When I did bushings years ago on an old Honda, I tried everything to try and press them out, then I finally put them on a vice and used a deep socket to press them out.

Any hints or advice to removing the old bushings from the arms? Of course I could have bought new arms with bushings already installed, but what fun would that be???....lol.

 

95strokerPSU

Member

Jul 29, 2004

986

1

19

Sacramento from Philly

Feb 17, 2006

#2

• Feb 17, 2006

• #2

The only bushings that are difficult to get out are the UCA bushings on the axle housing. I just used a drill, rasp and screwdriver and just hacked away at it. When all the big chucks were out I finished with sandpaper to smooth it out again. Other than that, everything should come out without any problems.

Good Luck

 

HISSIN50

"How long does it take to get help in here?

15 Year Member

Nov 29, 1999

31,179

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129

Feb 17, 2006

#3

• Feb 17, 2006

• #3

I gotta say that IMHO paying a machine shop to do the bushing R/R is money well spent (should be 30 bucks or less. Call around). You can burn, drill, etc those things out, but that is some nasty chit. I am really really cheap and I still had a shop do it.

My two cents. Good luck.

 

blksn955.o

Founding Member

Mar 15, 2002

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st.louis mo 314

Feb 17, 2006

#4

• Feb 17, 2006

• #4

from what I have heard, and will do soon myself, the drill method only takes like 10min. Why would you pay someone to do that...prob. cost at least 50$ prob. double that...

Then again I am 99% of the time not happy with the quality of work done by shops in general so....

 

S

spock2001us

Member

Aug 23, 2005

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Feb 17, 2006

#5

• Feb 17, 2006

• #5

hmmm...thanks for the advice....I had not thought of drilling them out, but that should work if I can't press them out with a vise and a socket.

 

95strokerPSU

Member

Jul 29, 2004

986

1

19

Sacramento from Philly

Feb 17, 2006

#6

• Feb 17, 2006

• #6

If yours are anything like mine don't even waste your time trying to press them out. Just get under there, get comfortable and take it out piece by piece. Wear goggles too, I had a bunch of stuff get in my eyes before I grabbed goggles.

 

S

spock2001us

Member

Aug 23, 2005

143

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Feb 17, 2006

#7

• Feb 17, 2006

• #7

95strokerPSU said:

If yours are anything like mine don't even waste your time trying to press them out. Just get under there, get comfortable and take it out piece by piece. Wear goggles too, I had a bunch of stuff get in my eyes before I grabbed goggles.

Click to expand...

Are you saying I have to drill them while they are still bolted on the car?.....I hope to remove the arms and work on them at my tool bench with a drill and vise.

 

95opal

5 Year Member

Nov 16, 2004

449

20

39

Feb 17, 2006

#8

• Feb 17, 2006

• #8

take em off put them in a vise and go at it.
Since your droping the car you might want to look in to off set rack bushings, bumpsteer kit and some x2 ball joints.

 

blksn955.o

Founding Member

Mar 15, 2002

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st.louis mo 314

Feb 17, 2006

#9

• Feb 17, 2006

• #9

As far as the front would go...

I would say buy a 03-04 cobra A-arm. the whole unit is like 170$ for both, getting you a better ball joint, better bushings, stronger A arm, 10% tighter turning radi, and its already assem. all you do is bolt it in after removing your stock one.

 

VibrantRedGT

"STANGNET'S PENGUIN SMACKER"

15 Year Member

Nov 29, 1999

14,679

424

154

Boca Raton, Florida

Feb 17, 2006

#10

• Feb 17, 2006

• #10

blksn955.o said:

As far as the front would go...

I would say buy a 03-04 cobra A-arm. the whole unit is like 170$ for both, getting you a better ball joint, better bushings, stronger A arm, 10% tighter turning radi, and its already assem. all you do is bolt it in after removing your stock one.

Click to expand...

This is true. In fact if you just bought the X2 ball joint upgrade it would only be $35 more for the whole assembly mentioned above.

Bushing replacement is not fun at all. Take your time and good luck.

 

95BLKGT5.0

Founding Member

Mar 18, 2002

608

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Auburn Washington

Feb 18, 2006

#11

• Feb 18, 2006

• #11

I just ordered a pair of Cobra front control arm for $137.50 They are the updated ones M3075D. I have a UPR bumpsteer kit.


I got the parts at Http://www.johnbleakleyford.com
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