HOW TO: Remove/Replace Suspension Bushings
04-03-05, 07:44 AM
#104
Just another report:
I used the Harbor Freight 3-in-1 tool (not this, but the same thing for $40 without the three parts starting from the bottom-left in the picture: http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...temnumber=4065) today to replace all 6 pillow ***** in my rear suspension. I used the big c-clamp and one of the "muffin" things, but I didn't use any of the receiver tubes. My sockets seemed to be a better fit for the arms. Compared to my orginal technique (http://maxcooper.com/rx7/how-to/susp...lls/index.html), the C-clamp has some advantages and disadvantages. Once you have everything lined up, it it is nice to not have to deal with washers bending or running out of threads on a bolt. But it is harder to line up since the c-clamp is heavy and there is no bolt going through the middle to keep everything in place. I think I will use the bolts and washers again next time if I still don't have a proper shop with space for a press.
Some of the pillow ***** were quite loose and others didn't seem so bad, and the pattern was not symmetrical. I'm not sure why, but I've got all new ones now. The Unobtanium nylon bushings in my trailing links seem to be holding up pretty well (no noticable play). But I did notice some play in the bushing on the body side of the lower lateral link in my passenger side suspension. And the other side moved very freely, though I couldn't detect any play by moving the arm with my hands. I've got a spare one of those links -- perhaps I will swap it into the passenger side.
Did anyone see this HF doo-dad?: http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=42496
HF needs to come out with a $100 set of corner scales.
The cheapest ones that I know of are available from Pegasus and they use what looks like bathroom scales with wheel pads on levers that distribute known proportions of the pad weight between the ground and the scale. $400, IIRC.
-Max
I used the Harbor Freight 3-in-1 tool (not this, but the same thing for $40 without the three parts starting from the bottom-left in the picture: http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...temnumber=4065) today to replace all 6 pillow ***** in my rear suspension. I used the big c-clamp and one of the "muffin" things, but I didn't use any of the receiver tubes. My sockets seemed to be a better fit for the arms. Compared to my orginal technique (http://maxcooper.com/rx7/how-to/susp...lls/index.html), the C-clamp has some advantages and disadvantages. Once you have everything lined up, it it is nice to not have to deal with washers bending or running out of threads on a bolt. But it is harder to line up since the c-clamp is heavy and there is no bolt going through the middle to keep everything in place. I think I will use the bolts and washers again next time if I still don't have a proper shop with space for a press.
Some of the pillow ***** were quite loose and others didn't seem so bad, and the pattern was not symmetrical. I'm not sure why, but I've got all new ones now. The Unobtanium nylon bushings in my trailing links seem to be holding up pretty well (no noticable play). But I did notice some play in the bushing on the body side of the lower lateral link in my passenger side suspension. And the other side moved very freely, though I couldn't detect any play by moving the arm with my hands. I've got a spare one of those links -- perhaps I will swap it into the passenger side.
Did anyone see this HF doo-dad?: http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=42496
HF needs to come out with a $100 set of corner scales.
The cheapest ones that I know of are available from Pegasus and they use what looks like bathroom scales with wheel pads on levers that distribute known proportions of the pad weight between the ground and the scale. $400, IIRC.-Max
Last edited by maxcooper; 04-03-05 at 07:48 AM.
04-03-05, 05:13 PM
#106
Originally Posted by bolo_fd
max, did u use the bolts and washers method for removing and installing the unobtanium bushings as well?
-Max
04-03-05, 09:11 PM
#108
Lives on the Forum
Originally Posted by eyecandy
Damn for some reaon my 12ton will not rmove any of the bushings 
Not sure why.
Not sure why.What exactly is happening?
04-04-05, 06:06 PM
#112
Super Snuggles
Thread Starter
Originally Posted by eyecandy
I will have to check that out, the things brand new (well 4months old).
Make sure you're pressing the bushings out in the right direction, and that the socket or sleeve that you're using isn't interfering with the movement of the bushing. The sleeve or socket you're pressing into must clear the bushing completely, and the sleeve or socket that you're pressing on must clear the edges of the control arm. Finally, make sure the bushing doesn't have a flange on the side that you're pressing against. The "flange" on the bushing in the picture above was created after it stopped moving...
Hope that helps.
Last edited by jimlab; 04-04-05 at 06:08 PM.
06-30-06, 12:45 AM
#114
Super Snuggles
Thread Starter
Originally Posted by o0Dan0o
Jim, any comment on how the all pillow ball suspension compairs to the nylon bushing suspension. Is it a noticeable difference in terms “slop” in the suspension?
Dan
Dan
BicuspiD could give you a better idea of the ride quality of the metal-on-metal bushings. I never drove my car with them installed. Of the three cars I drove with my Nylon bushings, none felt any different than stock, and I didn't notice any more noise than usual.
06-30-06, 01:32 AM
#115
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Originally Posted by jimlab
Nylon will have a little more "give" to it, but very little. A pillow-ball suspension is basically a racing suspension.
BicuspiD could give you a better idea of the ride quality of the metal-on-metal bushings. I never drove my car with them installed. Of the three cars I drove with my Nylon bushings, none felt any different than stock, and I didn't notice any more noise than usual.
BicuspiD could give you a better idea of the ride quality of the metal-on-metal bushings. I never drove my car with them installed. Of the three cars I drove with my Nylon bushings, none felt any different than stock, and I didn't notice any more noise than usual.
Dan
04-30-07, 02:57 PM
#118
Super Snuggles
Thread Starter
If a moderator wants to edit this thread (and the duplicate thread in the archives), I'll be happy to look up the missing pictures.
They weren't attached to this thread because it was created during the period when the forum was so overloaded that you'd often time-out while trying to upload. If the picture uploaded successfully before the time-out occurred, you'd get a message on retry saying that the picture name already existed. I ended up hosting some of them, but I no longer have that account, hence the missing pictures.
They weren't attached to this thread because it was created during the period when the forum was so overloaded that you'd often time-out while trying to upload. If the picture uploaded successfully before the time-out occurred, you'd get a message on retry saying that the picture name already existed. I ended up hosting some of them, but I no longer have that account, hence the missing pictures.
04-30-07, 03:40 PM
#120
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Originally Posted by jimlab
If a moderator wants to edit this thread (and the duplicate thread in the archives), I'll be happy to look up the missing pictures.
05-02-07, 03:20 PM
#122
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Awesome write-up here. It will be even better with the missing photos.
I just pressed out the "damper" bushing from a rear lower lateral link - not that hard to remove as Jim described it, but pressing the new one in isn't so easy. A 1-7/16" or 38mm socket works perfectly for pressing out, but you need a bigger socket to press back in, and there is no flat metal surface on the bushing to press against - the only way I can figure out to make it work is to have the socket press against the four rubber "bumpers" on the flange side of the bushing. This makes it pretty unstable on the press since the rubber bumpers allow the whole assembly to move around, and it's hard to keep the socket centered. Big time PITA!
Has anybody else done this bushing? Is there any trick to this that I'm missing? I already destroyed one new bushing trying to use the 38mm socket to press back in. It fits tight just inside the bumpers, but as soon as you apply any force, it works its way down into the metal sleeve and stretches it. Likewise, using a huge socket that fits snug around the outside of the bumpers just bends the flange.
FWIW, all of the other rear bushings were comparatively easy...
I just pressed out the "damper" bushing from a rear lower lateral link - not that hard to remove as Jim described it, but pressing the new one in isn't so easy. A 1-7/16" or 38mm socket works perfectly for pressing out, but you need a bigger socket to press back in, and there is no flat metal surface on the bushing to press against - the only way I can figure out to make it work is to have the socket press against the four rubber "bumpers" on the flange side of the bushing. This makes it pretty unstable on the press since the rubber bumpers allow the whole assembly to move around, and it's hard to keep the socket centered. Big time PITA!
Has anybody else done this bushing? Is there any trick to this that I'm missing? I already destroyed one new bushing trying to use the 38mm socket to press back in. It fits tight just inside the bumpers, but as soon as you apply any force, it works its way down into the metal sleeve and stretches it. Likewise, using a huge socket that fits snug around the outside of the bumpers just bends the flange.
FWIW, all of the other rear bushings were comparatively easy...
05-02-07, 10:33 PM
#123
Super Snuggles
Thread Starter
Make sure that the bushing bore is smooth and free of burrs, then use some some soapy water on the bushing bore and the bushing to reduce friction while pressing it into place.
After trying a socket (which cut and deformed the outer rubber ring a little, although the bushing did go in) I used a flat block of billet aluminum with a hole drilled in the center large enough to allow the center "spindle" of the bushing to protrude, and pressed against the full surface area of the bushing flange.
FWIW, the Mazda SST (special service tool) for installing that bushing (Page R-43 of your shop manual) does exactly that.
After trying a socket (which cut and deformed the outer rubber ring a little, although the bushing did go in) I used a flat block of billet aluminum with a hole drilled in the center large enough to allow the center "spindle" of the bushing to protrude, and pressed against the full surface area of the bushing flange.
FWIW, the Mazda SST (special service tool) for installing that bushing (Page R-43 of your shop manual) does exactly that.
05-02-07, 11:49 PM
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Originally Posted by jimlab
Make sure that the bushing bore is smooth and free of burrs, then use some some soapy water on the bushing bore and the bushing to reduce friction while pressing it into place.
After trying a socket (which cut and deformed the outer rubber ring a little, although the bushing did go in) I used a flat block of billet aluminum with a hole drilled in the center large enough to allow the center "spindle" of the bushing to protrude, and pressed against the full surface area of the bushing flange.
FWIW, the Mazda SST (special service tool) for installing that bushing (Page R-43 of your shop manual) does exactly that.
After trying a socket (which cut and deformed the outer rubber ring a little, although the bushing did go in) I used a flat block of billet aluminum with a hole drilled in the center large enough to allow the center "spindle" of the bushing to protrude, and pressed against the full surface area of the bushing flange.
FWIW, the Mazda SST (special service tool) for installing that bushing (Page R-43 of your shop manual) does exactly that.
Thanks for the info, Jim. I did use soapy water per the FSM and the bore looks pretty smooth. I got the bushing a little over half-way in on my last attempt, while the socket was working down into the sleeve - I wasn't paying enough attention after all the other bushings that went in smoothly. If I can just press on it without tearing up the rubber bumpers or having it pop out of the press, I think it will go in easy. I'll see what I can find to spread the load better.