I am installing my Prothane bushing kit. The front control arm bushings will not go on all the way. So when I try to install the front control arm, the bolts don’t line up for the rear bushing.



Are there any tricks to getting this on?

Thanks,
Jason

 

Well, 1987RX7GUY thought of this for my TII. We finished this morning.

I tried to install the front bushing first. then line up the rear bushing and bolt it in. It would not go.

So, Santiago thought of this. He looesely bolted the rear bushing in first. Then he go the front bushing in. It will take some work. I used a screwdriver to ramp the front bushing into its mount.

But never the less. I went from thinkink the bushing was on wrong to driving the car

James

 

I thought about trying that. But I figured I would bend the front mount trying to pry it in,

I will give it a try though; thanks

 

I tried doing the rear mount first, but it is not cooperating. I’ll keep working at it, but I don’t want to mess up the rear mount or bend the bolts. The mount is cocked as it is, I’m afraid that once I torque the bolts down the bracket is going to bend or be at the wrong angle.

Did you use the Prothane or ES kit?

 

I was using the ES kit with the black bushings.

I do agree that was a pain.

I think if you get the rear bolts into all of the threads of the brazed on nut. You can prob twist it with a lil authority. If I remember right those bolt heads have 10 on the top. They are stong ones.

James

 

...

 

Did you have a gap in-between the control arm and the bushing like there is on mine?

 

Yeah, and at first I thought it was on backwards. Until santiago got it on.

James

 

I just did the stock ones last week, so mabey I can help a bit (documentation for others).

Use a 1x4 plank between the press and the A-arm. That way you'll squish the plank and not bend the metal while pressing the front a-arm's lower arm bushing on Use the diagrams in the Factory service manual to help you press correctly. (download it from www.fc3s.org if you haven't already).

Note do this with the Dirty A-arms, then clean them later. Spray the bushings liberally with WD-40 before pressing on.

Press the Bushing 1/4 way on and then make sure it's lined up before you press any more.

You'll press the bushing flush with the tip of the A arm. Then use the press to push on the edges of the bushing to push it down further until flush with the lower lip. Press until there is NO gap, but stop before it begins bunching up on the A-arms lower lip.

Note the OEM rubber bushing has a metal band in it that prevents it from squishing in the press. If your're aftermarket polyurethane ones don't, you might need to stretch them a bit, warm them up, and use lots of WD-40 before pressing it on.

Don't forget the lower A-arm bushing has to be bolted to the frame under load. This means you DON'T fully tighten the bushing bracket down until you've driven around the block. The swaybar end links, subframe end links, and body link are the same way, tighen them down after you've driven around the block. To tighen these bolts under load and be able to get up under the car as well, drive up on some ramps to raise the car up.

 

Cool! Good to see you are working on the 7, hopefully we'll see that at the auto-x When we did ours, we sanded the alum shaft that the bushing sits on a little and it slid right on.

 

vaughnc

I did not drive around the block on mine. However, the haynes man said you can put a jack under the A arm and jack it to a normal attitude and torque the bolts.

Why is this to be done? What is the reason behind tighting under load?

James

 

LOL

We just went through this. Ah the good times.

 

Don't know why the FSM says that, but I'm guessing it's so end links and front a-arm sits in the correct natural position.

My guess... after your $100 allignment you'd take a hard corner and then the end links & A-arm bushing would flex & slip into the correct position throwing out the allignment.

 

I got it. After a bunch off prying, it went in.

Now for the other side

I’m doing a write-up for this one...

 

Sweet, because if you do I believe it would be first of it's kind!

James