I finally got these bushings mounted in my spare set of control arms. Did it with a harbor freight 12 ton hyd press.

If it is a must to drill the control arms and install grease fittings, what kind of grease and where can I get it?

 

http://home.earthlink.net/~jimlab/instructions.htm

 

Jim, I have those instructions, just want a sampling of users who ended up with squeaking suspension.

 

The addendum to the instructions had information on where to find Zerk fittings and grease, and what kind of grease to use. That was your question, wasn't it?

I recommend http://www.mcmaster.com for both the fittings and the grease. They have a wide selection of both. The 1/8" NPT fittings work well, and you should use a high quality marine-grade grease if possible. It's less likely to be washed away by inclement weather.

 

I'll chime in and say that when I installed Jim's bushings, I used zerk fittings and the "smurf poo" purple marine grease from McMaster. I've got 8-10k miles on them, and the only squeaking I've noticed was this winter (in the cold), backing out of the driveway as the rear compressed it squeaked a little from the rear. Hardly noticeable, and definitely not annoying. It just took me a while to put two and two together and realize what was making the noise.

Since you've got them out and you're not in a rush, why would you not spend the $10 and install them anyway? Just be conscious of their placement so that you can get a grease gun on them when the suspension is unloaded.

Let me know if you have more questions regarding my Unobtanium experiences.

 

I'm not crazy about drilling through forged control arms... you know stress concentration point etc ...

I test fitted the pins and they rotate freely in the bushing so I don't see why they would squeak? I'm going to install zerk fittings anyway.

 

There's a lot more friction involved when the weight of the car is on the pins, and if the lubricant gets washed away or squeezed out of the bushing, you'll eventually get squeaking.

I agree with the "Smurf poo" recommendation.

 

Jims bushings are great....i have them with JIC flt a2 coilovers and 18" volk GTCs.

Ride is great not nearly as rough as everyone states...on smooth roads feels good...with this combo in suspension car sticks like a condum

I put zerk fitting and used white lithium grease...

When the arm is still in take a sharpie and mark the location of the fittings on the a-arm so they wont restrict the range of motion of the arm (ask me how I know).

You will most likely be drilling on a compound curve which is kinda tricky without a drill press and vice...you do this with a handdrill and you are toast.

 

autozone has the fittings and ace has the tap to fit them in... my shock bushings were binding after getting the grease washed out of them... I say do it while your at it... I doubt drilling some tiny little hole will cause problems... make sure you know where you are putting them though.
Ryker

 

are these bushings still for sale? it'd be nice if the web site had price and availability.

 

I think he hasn't made any prodution runs latley... pm him and ask ~~> jimlab
-Ryker

 

My friend installed the labrecks w/o grease fittings and they squeaked. He didn't have a storage cover in the trunk so it might not be so bad with that installed.

 

http://home.earthlink.net/~jimlab/
Did you notice the second sentence at the top of the page which reads "Please direct all inquiries regarding information or availability to Jim LaBreck." with a link to my e-mail address?

The answer is that I have a couple sets left from the last run of 12. Price is $650 a set, which includes shipping. I have no intentions of making any more, because it's not cost effective to make fewer than 12 sets at a time, and even then, the price is still relatively high. I also doubt there will be enough interest in the future to make another group purchase possible, so for all intents and purposes, these are the last two sets.

 

ahh, I emailed you a while back, maybe the mail got lost in junk, or what's more likely is that your reply got lost in junk, and I heard things about you not doing any more runs so I figured you didn't check the mail anymore and didn't bother to mail again, thnx for the info.

 

Definatelty install grease fittings. If you don't, you'll have to take it all apart every time you need to lube them. I made the mistake the first time and they started clunking like a ****. I used the smallest grease fittings the autoparts store had. I also used a hand drill with no problems. You just need a sharp drill bit. A center punch helps as well to mark the hole and keep the bit centered. I used some straight, some 90 degree, and some 45 degree fittings. Just use whatever looks easiest to reach when you go to grease them. I used Mobil 1 grease, but have a tube of Redline I plan to try next. Also, load the suspension with a jack ,or something before you tighten the suspension bolts. This helps keep the grease from being squeezed out. Another thing I did was cut a shallow groove the length of the bushing across the grease fitting hole. I used a small hand help sawzall. I figured this would help destribute the grease better. I still have some clunking from the front upper a-arms. I plan to space out the bushings from the mounts with some washers.

 

YAY, I get to ask a STUPID QUESTION:

Jim, if you aren't going to make any more of these (or have them made, I suspect), can we get dimensions and materials if we were FOOLISH enough to try and make these ourselves (he asks as he warms up his lathe...)

 

Sorry, but nope. If you've got a lathe and know how to use it, then you're probably bright enough to figure out how to make your own bushings.

I'm not willing to make my design "public domain" for just anyone to use. A lot of work went into designing and refining the bushings, and I will continue to hold the "right" to produce them if I see fit, and prevent others from doing the same. At least using my design, that is.

 

Do not pass go, do not collect $200!

 

Has anyone ever used the type of grease that comes with Energy Suspension bushings? That stuff is borderline adhesive is sticks so well. Also, how often are the bushings needing grease to all that have drilled?

 

While yes, they are tedious to make and mine are by no means perfect, with some patience and/or skill, it's definatetly doable.

I am an amateur machinist and I spent at least 12 hours on the nylon alone. Luckly, nylon cuts easy.

My main problem was making the OD too large, so when it was pressed in, it made the ID too small and the pins fit very tight. An adjustable reamer took care of that, but didn't give me as nice of a interior finish as I would have liked. Live and learn I guess.

Sorry Jim, I just couldn't justify paying for something that I could make, with reasonable accuracy, for 1/5th of the price and a weekend of my time.

Anyway, back to the original question, yes, install the zerks. It made a world of difference on my bushings anyway. Just make sure they are installed in an easy access location.....I have one where i went stupid when I was installing it and it is a PITA to lube.

BTW, I love them. I can run softer settings on my shocks and still have a very responsive ride.