My bushings on my s4 tii are getting pretty old and tired, but I’ve been told replacing bushings is time consuming and difficult especially without the correct tools. Because of this, I figured I’d replace the whole arm but I’m having trouble finding a good replacement because I’d rather not replace it with another old OEM part from a scrapped car.

I have three questions, first being is replacing the suspension bushings as hard as I’ve been told and is it DIYable? If it is doable, what are some good bushings for a streetable car that can still hold up to track use? And if its not worth the trouble, what are some good places to look for replacement arms that will last?

 

welcome to the board.

the right tools make the job easier for sure, but most (if not all) of it can be done without them. you need to be a little creative is all. i went with the Energy Suspension kit for my car, but my car has not turned a wheel yet, so i can't give you my experience with them on the street. if you choose to replace them, you'll probably have to check with the usual suspects (Mazdatrix, Atkins, Ray Crowe, etc.)

 

Installed a full energy suspension kit without any of the proper tools and it was not fun. Took me 4 weekends. Totally recommend using the correct tools.

totally transformed the car though and it felt much more crisp, probably better than when the car was brand new. I dailied the fc for years with the new bushings no problem. Old oem bushings are worn and distorted. Most I’d remove looked like a coke can with the middle crushed in.

The bushings were installed over a decade ago. I’ve since upgraded other bits. Battleversion rear lateral links, pbm camber adjusters, mazdatrix main camber link, pbm spherical rear control arm bushings, spherical links for rear sway bar, solid diff mounts, basically 0 rubber in the rear. This setup transformed the car again into a different monster, but now it’s a dedicated track car. Surprisingly rides well at speed where the only play comes from the rear coilovers doing their job.

I’m going to go with a whiteline bushing kit (no reason for whiteline vs energy suspension, just have whiteline bits on the sti) for my 06 sti and I’m hoping that will have the same result as new bushings on the fc.