I typed a lot and don't want to do it again.

Basically, I installed rear-steer eliminator bushings and reinstalled my rear anti-sway bar, and the car feels a lot different. Tighter, less steering effort in turns, more balanced, no more unexpected transition from understeer to neutral while in a hard curve, etc.

There is more to it that just that. It really sucks to put some serious thought into writing a post and having the database not accept it. I should have right click and copied it before hitting that f-ing 'submit' bar. :banghead:

I am about to do this, Did you replace your differential mount as well?

Did you go with a new rear sway bar? If so, what brand?

Everytime I post a long reply, before pressing submit, I copy the post to the clipboard.

The database eating posts forced me to take the precaution. ;)

I am getting this DTSS disable kit from Mazdatrix, and I am also considering the main pulley for an FC they sell.

Sorry to go off topic, but, did you use that for your main pulley? The Mazdatrix one? Just curious. Or perhaps should I take those questions to PMs? :)

I haven't tried changing pullies, so my stock ones are still there, minus the front two for ac and ps, which I don't have on my car.

My rear bar is the stock base model bar. The car still understeers a little so I am going to make my next suspension experiments focus on adding some negative camber up front and negative toe in back.

I didn't mess with the differential mount but will be adding a "pinion snubber" between the front differential case and bottom of the unibody. It is basically a rubber bumper that has a threaded stud on one end. This stud goes in a hole which must be drilled into the floor of the bin area. This bumper prevents the front of the differential from lashing upward on a hard launch, shearing the stock mount. So the short version is: I like the stock mount but not the engineering behind it.

I got my rear steer eliminator bushings from Kim in the Netherlands. He just gave them to me for free after I gave him some porting templates. :D

Kim if you are reading this, use that template! The ports run awesome! The auxes aren't too big like I thought . . they wake up the engine after 4500 rpm and it puuuuuuuuuuulllls. I guess having a 2400 pound car helps too.


Watch this post get eaten too. I had my impression of my suspension changes all fresh in my mind when I wrote the first post . . I write very freely when my thoughts are strong on some subject. Okay . . right click 'copy' . . here we go . .

did u cut the bushings out, or did u press them out?

How much time did the whole process take?

I bashed them out using a framing hammer and 25mm socket. It took about 6 hours . . but I also played with the rear spring perches and lowered the rear about a quarter inch by removing some rubber. To install the rear anti-sway bar, it was necessary to drop the cat-back exhaust. For just the toe eliminators, I would guess three hours if you knew exactly what to do and how.

I have the RB underdrive pully and love it. I'f used get a COLD! COLD! thermastat to put in. mine is 85º and it holds at 1/4 up the gauge.

does anyone have any pictures of the process of installing the toe eliminators?

Installation on car?
 

I have searched..... but my question is whether I can push the toe steer eliminator bushings out without removing the "assembly" from the car. I have replaced all of my front bushings so am familiar with the process of actually removing the old bushings. I am just trying to see if I can avoid having to remove the nut on the end of my axle. I have been wrestling with that thing all morning. Thanks for any help that anyone can provide!

Re: Installation on car?
 

Hmm. You may actually be able to get away without removing the axle nut… if the axle gives you enough room to get a clamp in there.

Remove the caliper and hub mounting bolts first of course.

Then go at it with a C-clamp. The 10” C-clamp from Harbor Freight works well and it is only $7 or so. You could also use a combination of bolts washers and sockets, but they would have to be strong bolts.

The factory bushing has a keyed inner steal sleeve surrounded by some rubber and crap, and then there is an outer steal sleeve. Whatever you use to press out the bushing must be big enough such that it does not press through the center of the outer sleeve but large enough such that it will fit inside the bushing bore on the hub. That is, it must have an outside diameter larger than 1.12” but smaller then 1.33”. The head on the C-clamp was the perfect size.

You are going to need some sort of pipe to pres the bushing into (inside diameter must be larger than 1.33” and smaller then 1.8”). A large socket will work, but I didn’t have one big enough so I used some random crap I had laying around.

Tighten the clamp down as hard as you can and then tap the end of the clamp with a hammer; it should pop loose. Then tighten again and repeat. If it doesn’t pop loose, apply heat (propane torch).

Pressing the new bushings in is pretty easy with the c-clamp.


http://www.rit.edu/~jar5968/rx7/bushings/toepressb.JPG

thanks a million
 

Thanks a million for the reply and the tips. I finally did get the axle nut off. Wow! That thing was really on there good!

I noticed that when I pull the "assembly" off, that the other two mounting points (the ones other than the DTSS bushing bolt) may have some sort of bushing in those as well. When I put in the toe eliminators, does that firm up the whole assembly and I can just leave the old bushings on those other two mounting points in there? It appears that it does, but I want to make sure. The only other bushings I was planning to replace back there were the sway bar end links.

Thanks again for the pictures. It makes it much easier to have some reference as to what I am working on.

Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

You have seen this haven’t you?
http://www.mazdatrix.com/faq/rrsteer.htm

I usually assume that everyone has. :)

As for the other "bushings"… Don't worry about them. They aren't really bushings. They are more like ball joints. They should not move once the DTSS is solid.

Thanks
 

Thanks for the info. I am about tapped out on my "bushing budget" so glad that I don't have to replace the others.

Hopefully this effort will be worth it.

Everybody have a great week!