Installing solid rear suspension bushings (with pics!)
02-21-2007, 09:27 AM
#1
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Thread Starter
Installing solid rear suspension bushings (with pics!)
So, people seemed to enjoy the pictures from my alternator rebuild, so I thought I'd share the other project I'm working on: installing solid bushings in the rear of my car.
The bushings are from Elephant Racing, and so far they seem very high quality (Lindsey sells them too, but I think they get the parts from Elephant).
Let's get started!
Step one: raise the car and take out the torsion bar tube (because I'm lazy, I decided to do this job with only removing the torsion bar tube and leaving the control arms, shocks, drive shafts, brake lines, etc connected to the car).
The bushings are from Elephant Racing, and so far they seem very high quality (Lindsey sells them too, but I think they get the parts from Elephant).
Let's get started!
Step one: raise the car and take out the torsion bar tube (because I'm lazy, I decided to do this job with only removing the torsion bar tube and leaving the control arms, shocks, drive shafts, brake lines, etc connected to the car).
02-21-2007, 09:41 AM
#2
Rennlist Member
Thread Starter
The next step, my favorite, involved fire! That seemed like the only easy way to get the rubber off of the spring plates. The directions from Elephant Racing said to heat it up, and with a screw driver to pry it off... That sounds way to complex, so I just lit the rubber on fire and let it burn off.
If there are any environmentalists out there, I apologize in advance and promise I'll never do it again.
Once the rubber was off, I cleaned up the spring plates with a wire brush and pressed on the inner bushings.
The bushings come with shims to achieve the proper press fit -- in my opinion, the bushings were oversized too much -- 0.5mm (0.020")! The shim stock that came with the kit was NOT adiquate to fill this gap, so I had to make some of my own.
(I know twenty thousandths of an inch doesn't sound like that much, but when you get 4 shims 0.001" thich, 4 shims 0.002" thick and 4 shims 0.005" thick, it's just not enough to do the eight bushings.)
If there are any environmentalists out there, I apologize in advance and promise I'll never do it again.
Once the rubber was off, I cleaned up the spring plates with a wire brush and pressed on the inner bushings.
The bushings come with shims to achieve the proper press fit -- in my opinion, the bushings were oversized too much -- 0.5mm (0.020")! The shim stock that came with the kit was NOT adiquate to fill this gap, so I had to make some of my own.
(I know twenty thousandths of an inch doesn't sound like that much, but when you get 4 shims 0.001" thich, 4 shims 0.002" thick and 4 shims 0.005" thick, it's just not enough to do the eight bushings.)
02-21-2007, 09:55 AM
#3
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Thread Starter
Next I turned my attention to the spring plate covers -- the aluminum pieces that cap the torsion bar tube and actually bolt to the car. The directions again called for fire, but I decided against it -- it's messy, but primarily I decided against it because clearly no heat was used to put the bushings in... so I figure heat isn't needed to take them out.
On the spring plates, you can easily see where molten rubber was dragged along the tube -- meaning that in the factory, they heated up the spring plates and slid the rubber bushing on, then letting it cool so the bushings would "stick" in place. The cover plates clearly did not have this residue, indicating heat was not used...
So I used my shop press (one of my very best Harbor Freight purchases!) which did the job in seconds and left me with nice clean parts for the new Weltmeister urathane bushings (what Elephant Racing recommends).
With those bushings in place, I used the press to install the outer solid bushing -- the brass part with the grease groove.
A word about this half of the bushing: the brass part has a urathane "donut" around it which can conform enough for the press fit, but not deform the brass part. If the brass part turns into an oval, or some other non round shape, you won't get a smooth pivoting movement. Anyway, here again, I think Elephant Racing was too conservative on the size. I required a few shims to get it to fit properly. Had the diameter of the urathane been 0.5mm larger, I think it would have been a nicer press fit.
On the spring plates, you can easily see where molten rubber was dragged along the tube -- meaning that in the factory, they heated up the spring plates and slid the rubber bushing on, then letting it cool so the bushings would "stick" in place. The cover plates clearly did not have this residue, indicating heat was not used...
So I used my shop press (one of my very best Harbor Freight purchases!) which did the job in seconds and left me with nice clean parts for the new Weltmeister urathane bushings (what Elephant Racing recommends).
With those bushings in place, I used the press to install the outer solid bushing -- the brass part with the grease groove.
A word about this half of the bushing: the brass part has a urathane "donut" around it which can conform enough for the press fit, but not deform the brass part. If the brass part turns into an oval, or some other non round shape, you won't get a smooth pivoting movement. Anyway, here again, I think Elephant Racing was too conservative on the size. I required a few shims to get it to fit properly. Had the diameter of the urathane been 0.5mm larger, I think it would have been a nicer press fit.
02-21-2007, 10:01 AM
#4
Rennlist Member
Thread Starter
And here is that brass bushing installed in the torsion bar tube. Same story -- I had to use shims. Pressing it together as Elephant Racing suggested worked nicely (put the spring plate in place, put on the cover and draw up the bolts to press the bushing into the tube).
02-21-2007, 11:51 AM
#6
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Thread Starter
I'm not really sure.... It was too cold for margaritas, but I enjoyed a nice dark porter while I set them of fire. Then I went to bed (hoping the neighbors wouldn't call the fire department!)
The next morning they were ready for the wire brush! (the bushings... not the neighbors)
The next morning they were ready for the wire brush! (the bushings... not the neighbors)
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02-21-2007, 12:25 PM
#9
Three Wheelin'
Van,
Any reason you decided against the truly solid aluminum bushings (ala Racer's Edge) for the rear subframe? It sounds like you're setting the car up for some serious track work? Class legality issue?
OT, but I think we met a few years ago, briefly, at Bavarian Rocket Scientists in Albany. I had the cheap, black, POS 951. It's now an expensive, black, POS 951.
-J
Any reason you decided against the truly solid aluminum bushings (ala Racer's Edge) for the rear subframe? It sounds like you're setting the car up for some serious track work? Class legality issue?
OT, but I think we met a few years ago, briefly, at Bavarian Rocket Scientists in Albany. I had the cheap, black, POS 951. It's now an expensive, black, POS 951.
-J
Last edited by Jon Moeller; 02-21-2007 at 12:32 PM. Reason: gramatics
02-21-2007, 12:28 PM
#10
Addict
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I have the same question about the solid bushings in the rear. Am getting ready to do the same over the next two weeks.
02-21-2007, 01:37 PM
#12
Rennlist Member
Thread Starter
Good question. And, truth be told, if I had to do it over again, I think I'd go with the aluminum bushings... And maybe I can still be persuaded.
In the Weltmeisters' defense, they are cheap, they are pretty hard (almost as hard as delrin) and, because these mount the torsion bar tube to the car, if they DO flex, it won't actually change the suspension geometry (at least not as much as the spring plate and swing arm bushings).
I questioned the guys at Elephant Racing about this very issue, and, per their "expert advice" was pursuaded to go with the Weltmeister ones. Perhaps it's worth putting it to the test? That will give us the final answer!
In the Weltmeisters' defense, they are cheap, they are pretty hard (almost as hard as delrin) and, because these mount the torsion bar tube to the car, if they DO flex, it won't actually change the suspension geometry (at least not as much as the spring plate and swing arm bushings).
I questioned the guys at Elephant Racing about this very issue, and, per their "expert advice" was pursuaded to go with the Weltmeister ones. Perhaps it's worth putting it to the test? That will give us the final answer!
02-21-2007, 08:31 PM
#14
Rennlist Member
Thread Starter
I've got more pictures ready -- these are changing the swing arm bushings.
The first step is to remove the old bushing, which Elephant Racing again recommends heat be used. Being under the car, I was nervous about that, so I tried to remove them cold (like the spring plate cover bushings) and had great sucess.
With a long pry bar, I was easily able to pop out the rubber part of the bushing -- leaving the outer metal part still press fit into the arm. Elephant Racing suggests using a chisel to hammer out these races, but I was afraid of damaging the bore of the swing arm. Plus, because the arms were hanging by the shocks over my head, they would move a bit if I tried to hammer on them.
I decided to make a temporary press with some large washers I had laying around (one with a big hole and one with a little hole). First, I welded a nut onto the washer with the big hole, so a bolt could pass through it. Then I welded this to one race. I welded the other washer to the other race. By screwing the bolt in, one race started to press out. I tapped it with a hammer and it freed up the other race (I think the heat from welding helped loosen it). And out it popped!
Once all the races were out, I was ready to install the monoballs. One slid right in with a tap from a dead blow mallet, and the other one was a little tighter. To avoid excessive hammering, I was able to turn around one of my disposable puller/pushers and use it to pull the solid bushing in.
I should have taken a picture of the bushing before hand -- it has the flange machined on one end, and then a kind of nut on the other. Here's the link to Elephant Racing's picture: http://www.elephantracing.com/images...ransperant.gif
It has weather seals and is a nice machined part -- in my opinion the nicest in the kit.
Hopefully this weekend I'll have time to start putting everything together! Then it'll be time to move onto other projects to get the car ready for track season. (like put in the A/C delete bracket)
The first step is to remove the old bushing, which Elephant Racing again recommends heat be used. Being under the car, I was nervous about that, so I tried to remove them cold (like the spring plate cover bushings) and had great sucess.
With a long pry bar, I was easily able to pop out the rubber part of the bushing -- leaving the outer metal part still press fit into the arm. Elephant Racing suggests using a chisel to hammer out these races, but I was afraid of damaging the bore of the swing arm. Plus, because the arms were hanging by the shocks over my head, they would move a bit if I tried to hammer on them.
I decided to make a temporary press with some large washers I had laying around (one with a big hole and one with a little hole). First, I welded a nut onto the washer with the big hole, so a bolt could pass through it. Then I welded this to one race. I welded the other washer to the other race. By screwing the bolt in, one race started to press out. I tapped it with a hammer and it freed up the other race (I think the heat from welding helped loosen it). And out it popped!
Once all the races were out, I was ready to install the monoballs. One slid right in with a tap from a dead blow mallet, and the other one was a little tighter. To avoid excessive hammering, I was able to turn around one of my disposable puller/pushers and use it to pull the solid bushing in.
I should have taken a picture of the bushing before hand -- it has the flange machined on one end, and then a kind of nut on the other. Here's the link to Elephant Racing's picture: http://www.elephantracing.com/images...ransperant.gif
It has weather seals and is a nice machined part -- in my opinion the nicest in the kit.
Hopefully this weekend I'll have time to start putting everything together! Then it'll be time to move onto other projects to get the car ready for track season. (like put in the A/C delete bracket)
02-22-2007, 10:10 AM
#15
Rennlist Member
Originally Posted by Van
Good question. And, truth be told, if I had to do it over again, I think I'd go with the aluminum bushings... And maybe I can still be persuaded.
In the Weltmeisters' defense, they are cheap, they are pretty hard (almost as hard as delrin) and, because these mount the torsion bar tube to the car, if they DO flex, it won't actually change the suspension geometry (at least not as much as the spring plate and swing arm bushings).
I questioned the guys at Elephant Racing about this very issue, and, per their "expert advice" was pursuaded to go with the Weltmeister ones. Perhaps it's worth putting it to the test? That will give us the final answer!
In the Weltmeisters' defense, they are cheap, they are pretty hard (almost as hard as delrin) and, because these mount the torsion bar tube to the car, if they DO flex, it won't actually change the suspension geometry (at least not as much as the spring plate and swing arm bushings).
I questioned the guys at Elephant Racing about this very issue, and, per their "expert advice" was pursuaded to go with the Weltmeister ones. Perhaps it's worth putting it to the test? That will give us the final answer!
Van,
I used the welts before, and thought they were complete **** - both the spring plate bushings (they fit so loose that the original rubber allowed less movement in the pivot joint, so I removed them and threw away - went to delrin), and the carrier flange bushings (the ones you have). The problem I had with the carrier flange set, they are not solid and do compress under pressure - so when trying to torque the bolt, it would never tighten down hard, and acutally started to deform the body flange/tabs that the casting mounts to.
I ended up having a 1" aluminum dowel drilled for the 12mm bolt, then bored out the welt bushings and inserted the dowell. Very similar to the way the factory rubber bushings have the steel insert. Then I could torque down the mounting bolt. This worked very well, and was probably still cheaper than buying the solid alum bushings from other fabricators.
Im very surprised that Elephant Racing, who seems to make very solid bushings and bearings, would recommend any of the weltmeister products.
However, my experience was from about 4 years ago - so I cant say for sure if the welt bushing product line has been upgraded since then, or not.
Also, thanks very much for posting pictures and the explanantion of removing the trailing arm bushing. I am just in the process of installing RE bearings, and found it very helpful.