I am ready to install my energy suspension master bushing kit which i'm really excited to do. After dosing every bolt with pb blaster a few times i feel that everything can be removed by hand tools. Has anyone did this without the use of air tools and not broken a bolt? horror stories?

 

I did it with a few friends on a junkyard car with nothing but hand tools. It's entirely possible. Just make sure the car is very well supported and stable, though...had a few scary moments lying under the car working on stubborn bolts when the car would seem like it was about to fall on my head. Good luck.

 

thats my biggest fear! I think when and if I do the job I will get ramps. Also good luck on the install and keep us up to date because my bushing set should be comming in soon.

 

You're going to use ramps when you're dropping the suspension?

 

Ditto. When I have done it in the past with hand tools it has sucked. If you are working on a car that has a fair amount of rust build up to, you may break bolts and if you have hand tools... well lets put it like this, sawing off a strut U-lock by hand lying under a car on jack stands with hand tools is pretty F-ing miserable. Good luck though. I've done it but I sure as hell don't recommend it.

 

What kinda air tools would make this easier? I've got a heavey duty compressor and a impact wrench. I am going to do the same install prolly the tuesday after next. I wasn't aware i'd need to cut nething..... but do have a diamond bladed skill saw for such a purpose. gonna go hunt for a write-up right now.

 

as long as crap isnt too rusted you should be fine. take it from me, get a GOOD 6-POINT (not 12-point) closed end wrench for the common sizes you might need (14mm, 17mm, 19mm) and a deadblow or rubber mallet. preferably you can get ones with out angled heads, but those can come in handy too. hold that sucker with your palm over the bolt, so it can rotate, and smack it with the mallet in your other hand. you can lay down more force than even air guns can this way, and without risking damaging the nut.

seriously, avoid using a ratchet or even 12-point wrenches if at all possible for breaking nuts loose. it definetly wont be as easy as if you had air tools, but its certainly possible. you only get one or 2 tries before a bolt is FUBARed so just be smart about it.

ps. ive done a diff mount swap (dropeed the whole rear susp) on my rusted *** fc with only hand tools so it can be done, just a serios PITA.

 

If you intend to use ramps you should have lil to no prob. But if you're using jackstands make sure you are on level ground. Good friend of my dad lost a leg doing a transmission change when he wrenched a lil too hard and one of the jackstands tipped over. He hadnt noticed that it was leaning and buckling when he was jacking it up. If you happen to know someone who has a lift or a shop that might let you use theirs for a short amount of time this would be ideal. It's the only way I'll do it, considering I had to wrap up a leg from the knee down and carry it to the hospital in the back of an ambulance covered in blood. No pressure or anything...

Be safe,
Rabbit

 

Ive swapped an entire suspension rear subframe from a tII to my car, didnt break a single bolt on either car. If something dosent feel like it is wanting to come out smoothly hit it with the pb blaster let it sit. I would start to wrench it off then hit it with a hammer to shock the bolt, worked fine every time.

 

the only thing you should need to cut is the old bushings off.

 

Im slow........let get a visual of removing my supension while the car is on ramps?????? I thought you removed the wheel to pull the suspension. after you jack it up and put it on jackstands you could put the wheel under the frame for insurance.

BE SAFE

 

it`s good to have someone around just for any case....
support the car well before you do any kind of work on it.

have fun.

 

just wondering where do you guys get your bushings?

 

You can get them thru NOPI.

Rabbit

 

doh, I'm retarded don't listen to me

 

I used a 1/2 inch and a 3/8 inch ratchet with an assortment of applicable six-point sockets. I used an old piece of pipe (about 3.5 feet) that slid snugly over either ratchet handle to use as a breaker bar. The car seeing much salt in it's life made for some very rusty bolts. They all came off without too much complaint though. One casualty was one of the anti-sway bar mounting bracket bolts. Just take your time. If any feel like they're going to snap then heat them with a portable torch. Cheers.

 

I had to pay to have my polyurethane bushigns installed. The mechanic had a hard *** time taking things off.. and he had good air tools. Anyway, hope you get lucky and nothing is rusted in. Get ready for a rougher ride though with the new bushings.

 

just curious how much did it cost you to have a mechanic do it? labor hours??

 

I set the car on jackstands, and just loosened the rear subframe nuts & removed the fronts.
The slack in the rear mounting bushings will allow the front of the subframe to tilt down enough to install the bushings.

Note the paint mark to get the alignment back on reassembly.


I had to drill, chisel, whittle & file the old bushings to get them out.


Then a BIG C-clamp to press them in..


With a floor jack to lift the subframe, it took some prying to line up the front mounts on the studs.

 

It was a long time ago but I seem to remember that getting the toe adjust bolt out can be a pain in the ***.

The bolt is cheap. Have the bolt and bushings in hand first. Rent a sawzall and just cut the bolt on both sides of the bushing. Bang or burn out the old bushing and slide the new bushings and bolt on easy.

ed