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Had a day off today so i thought I'd start on my Bushes install.

went to Suprecheap to pick up that H frame bench press for $110 and when i got there .....of course the sale was off. They loocked like they'd been assembled before & scraches all over them so I thought I'd try my luck.

But they wouln't budge. $ 240 they wanted for it. So I told them to stick it.
For $100 more i can have the whole lot installed. By someone else.

So I thought i'd have a go just to get an idea what i'm really in for.


Holy sh*t

Man..... I decided just to attack the front & rear sways & link ends.

My god the link ends can be a real pain without the proper tools
firs one must have taken me an 1.5 hrs

i got at it with a hammer & screwdriver. By the time i got to the last bush on the 2nd end link it took me a toatl of 5 min.
talk about a steep learning curve.

I used a camping stove to initially burn the rubber. Then removed the top ledge of the bush on both sides. then got one big socket & a smaller one & clamped the whole lot into the $12 work bench whicjh has been rusting to bits in the yard. & screwed it tight. came out clean & in no time.

Who said you can push those bushes in by hand......Far out. No way in hell.
I ended up using one of those blunt brick chissels, using all my body weight to squeeze those suckers in.

so 2 full link ends at the front & sway bar bushes front & rear were installed today.

so i took it for a small spin.

Wow......I can't believe the difference.....and thats just with the sway bar stuff done. sooo much more solid & reduced heaps of rattles. When hitting bumps it feels like new. I'm stocked......I wsa thinking..... mmmmm i like the way it is now....its only going to get stiffer with the rest of the stuff done.

But I want to do this properly. So I cant wait for the STM Dodgy Day.


Very Happy Camper

Did you put some grease on them before you installed the bushes into the suspension arms

Ohhh yes....did i ever. It was sooo damm slippery too. Sliperyness was probably half the battle.

The end links are just for practice. Wait til you get onto the lower control arms. I can see the camping stove's going to get a real workout.

I suggest you invest in a can of silicone spray if you already haven't.

And yes those end links can be very tricky, I got them in and realised the urethane dosn't like to stretch to the adjustable sways so I ended up changing them within a week to ball style links anyways!!!

I happen to have silicone spray. But didn't use it. I used that stuff which comes with the bushes. Are you saying to use silicome spry instead of the grease or use it some other way?

Stefen! WHERE ARE THE PICS???

You should have had the co-pilot taking happy snaps the whole time for those whose squeaky suspension is giveng them the heeby-majeebies.

I need new bushes.

Boags

How do you know if the bushes are gone? I hear a \"clunk\" coming from the rear when I go over inperfections in the road (those black silicone strips, covered up potholes etc.)

How do you know if the bushes are gone? I hear a \"clunk\" coming from the rear when I go over inperfections in the road (those black silicone strips, covered up potholes etc.)

Probably your rear brake pads rattling in the calipers.

They can be fun
I'll bring my gas torch on the day, it will make it a lot easier.

I have replaced the bushes with superpros on both Smurfette and Tweety. Both times took abou 1.5 days. For all of the bushes except the front lower ones I took the suspension component off the car and used a big solid steel bench vice to force the old ones out and guide the new ones in. I used thick, blue marine grease on mine. I didn't do the end links as I have removed the rear ones due to the tein springs and I want to put adjustable end links on the front.

The Vic club has a bushes re-furb kit that I think we got from the states. It includes a big 'C' clamp as well as some short steel piping. The short piping is slightly bigger than the bushes and is placed over the end of the bush you whis to extract. You force the bush out using either the bench vice or the 'C' clamp into the short piping.
J

thats the one Matty Used on his write up.....

A link to said write up would be great...

Boags'MX5 wrote:A link to said write up would be great...

link

Boags'MX5 wrote:Stefen! WHERE ARE THE PICS???

Boags

Well.....i couln't do both at once. But on the dodgy day....be sure there will be pics made of the caveman type methods. but since Andrew has given you the link..... that should be enough for a while.