Suspension bushings: a diy job?

jerrah · Postby **jerrah** » Tue Feb 22, 2011 4:03 pm

I just ordered those energy suspension bushings. I hope they're of reasonable quality since they're so cheap...

Thanks for the tip.

zossy1 · Postby **zossy1** » Tue Feb 22, 2011 6:01 pm

manga_blue wrote:Go to 949 Racing for the Energy Suspension bushes.... Don't even think about their diff mounts though.

Not disputing what you say, but why? Have you had a bad experience with them? I have a set I have not yet installed yet, was wondering if I should bother.

manga_blue wrote:I needed to make a press and also use heat from a plumbers gas torch to get my old bushes out. Total prick of a job. The old rubber bushes were bonded onto the arms and you had to get just the right amount of heat to melt a thin skin against the arms without turning the whole lot into a gooey mess. If I didn't use heat then huge chunks of rubber were left behind and they were much harder to remove than whole bushes.

Your experience is probably at the extreme end of the range. I have done this job a few times with MX5s and many more times with other cars, and only had this experience once (with a 1991 Toyota Soarer). But yep, when you get a set that want to stick in there, they can be a right b*tch to get out.

I lol'd at the gooey mess reference - have had that happen once or twice!

zossy1 · Postby **zossy1** » Tue Feb 22, 2011 6:03 pm

jerrah wrote:I just ordered those energy suspension bushings. I hope they're of reasonable quality since they're so cheap...

Thanks for the tip.

They're great - just try not to get too much of that goo on your hands when you do the install. Yuk.

Steampunk · Postby **Steampunk** » Tue Feb 22, 2011 6:17 pm

zossy1 wrote:
manga_blue wrote:Go to 949 Racing for the Energy Suspension bushes.... Don't even think about their diff mounts though.

Not disputing what you say, but why? Have you had a bad experience with them? I have a set I have not yet installed yet, was wondering if I should bother.

manga_blue wrote:

1red5 wrote:
manga_blue wrote:Don't even think about their diff mounts though.

x2
... NVH goes through the roof. ..

I exaggerate a little, but with the ES diff bushes in place you DEFINITELY feel and hear them.

timk · Postby **timk** » Tue Feb 22, 2011 8:56 pm

1red5 wrote:I exaggerate a little, but with the ES diff bushes in place you DEFINITELY feel and hear them.

They'd be fine in a track only car, but for a street car they drove me insane and I reverted back to the stock bushes. Interestingly they're not as bad in my friend's SE, but my LSD had pretty serious pinion bearing issues going on at the time I had the diff bushes fitted.