Van

Yep, also club race. The Mosport race is one of my favorites! They're always looking for volunteers there -- Susan Davis is the track chair, I can give you her email, if you want.

They also have an advanced DE during the club race there, which is a good deal if you don't need an instructor.

I may try to do a DE at Mont Tremblant this August (it would be my first time there).

Have you driven on the track yet?

RAPID944

When I did ER bushing install there where also angled fittings and I installed them the same way you did.

Jon Moeller

Van,
Mt. Tremblant is well worth the trip. If you're planning to run with CVR in August, I highly recommend it. Last year's event was fantastic: tons of track time, and a really friendly group. I skipped one of Monday's sessions, because I was just too damn tired.

-Jon

theedge

How long did the rubber take to burn off? Prying with a hot prybar is getting old fast so I might light mine on fire too...

Van

I got the rubber (and the whole thing) pretty hot with about 10 or 15 minutes propane torching (to sustain the burning), then set them on the posts and went to bed. The next morning I cleaned them up with a razor scraper and the wire wheel on my bench grinder.

So I really don't know how long they burned...

Jon, I'm thinking about the Rennsport Mont Tremblant event in mid August -- the CVR one is the weekend before the Mosport club race... My marriage can usually only sustain one event per month.

Van

I made some progress this weekend, although I'm still waiting on the Racer's Edge solid torsion tube cap bushings.

I decided to fabricate my own solid top mounts (because I'm a cheap-skate and I thought it would be a good challenge!)

I took the stock ones, and in the same tiki-torch fashion, burned off the rubber (but it wasn't nearly as dramatic as the spring plates). Once I had the bracket piece and the plate-and-stud piece, I was set to do a little fabricating. (there was a middle metal plate that I threw away)

With some angle iron I had laying around, I made some little "L" shaped pieces and welded them first to the plate-and-stud piece, then welded it to the base.

It turned out quite nice and looks like it will be just the ticket! Total time spent = about 2 hours.

Now all I need are those last bushings and I'm ready to re-assemble the rear suspension -- which will make the car mobile again!

Jon Moeller

Van,
I think I'm going to have to call the EPA on you with all that rubber you've been burning.

I'll make that phone call, as soon as I get back from playing with the torch and the mig welder . . .

Thanks for posting another excellent idea.
-J

Darwantae951

Where exactly does that piece go? I've seen it before but I can't picture where on the car it goes...

-Darwin

Techno Duck

It attaches to the top of the 'banana' arm on the torsion tube carrier which in turn connects to the top of the rear frame.

While on the subject, do the solid carriers really make a 'big' difference in the rear?

Van

Alright! Got my Racer's Edge torsion tube cap bushings. You can see that they are different for the front and rear -- one has more of a taper, and one is a little longer.

They were an easy fit into the torsion tube caps. They fit right in by hand with about a 1/16 of an inch left to go. So with a gentle squeeze of the vice, they were in place. They look sharp, too.

Van

Now, with the bushings in place, it's finally time to put it back in the car -- or as the british service manuals say: "offer up to the car".

So, that's what I did! It was like offering up a suspension sacrifice to the racing gods!

It went together nicely. A little tapping with a dead blow mallet was all that was needed to get everything in place.

Certainly the fit of the Racer's Edge bushings and the Elephant Racing swing arm mono-ball can't be faulted! They've done their homework, and it shows.

Van

And here are the grease fittings. The inboard ones, the ones in the torsion bar tube are perfectly placed.

The ones in the caps, that I already moved once, still make me a little nervous, but it looks like they're out of the way enough. With my support post, I raised the control arm until that corner of the car was lifted up off the lift arm and it seems like there is enough clearance. Time will tell, and it I ever find it damaged or broken, I'll buy straight nipples, like the picture someone posted earlier.

Now I have a few more chores to do to the car, and then it'll be off to the allignment shop!

500

Van,

Great pics! This thread has been very helpful for me. In the meantime (since I last posted here) my own ER bushings have come in and, like you, I received the grease fittings with the elbow. So, thanks to you I was able to locate them up near the top right from the start. As you are, I also have ER monoballs for the trailing arm, but I am staying with the rubber mounts for the torsion tube. The main reason is that my car will be almost exclusively street driven. I agree that ER products are very nicely turned out.

I am slowly getting it all together:



It looks like you have a hoist, which would be very nice for the re-installation!

Van

I like how clean you've made everything, Allan! It looks top knotch.

Yes, I've wanted a lift for years and years -- and recently made the plunge! In fact, it was construting the garage that was the big project... used lifts can frequently be had for $1k -- the same as a set of track tires!

Nyx

If i were to upgrade my rear torsion bars on my 88 S, with 968 torsion bars, what bushing would you recomend? the car is only for street... maybe auto cross this summer. Are the weltmeisters truely garbage? what would you recomend then? Would the stock ones be worthless?