martini

When installing the differential mount bushings, do the new bushings need to be machine pressed into the mount?

I'm trying to figure out how much downtime I'm gonna have installing these. I don't want to get everything out and realize I have to take these suckers to a machine shop..It's a sunday. :P

How hard is it to get the OEM bushings out? Can it be done with limited tools, and a little bit of ingenuity?

Red Rotary Rocket

I had hoped that I could r/r the diff bushings myself, but I ended up haveing to take them to a shop to get them pressed in and out.

Removal of the differential mount was pretty easy...just unbolt it and let the diff hang. Then pull the mount out...probably a 30 minute job to get it out.

After I got the mount out, I tried using a combination of high grade bolts, washers, and very large sockets to "press" the bushings out. After about an hour of trying, the only thing I had succeded in doing was busting two knuckles and snapping 8 bolts. A lot of washers also died in the mayhem The old bushings were NOT going to budge.

I just gave up and took the diff mount down to a local Napa which offered a press service. They charged me $15 per bushing and had my old ones out/new ones in very quickly...about 20 minutes.

Reinstalling the diff mount was just as easy as removing it...about a 30 minute job. If I had it to do all over again, I'd just skip the sockets and busted knuckles and go straight to the Napa.

martini

thanks..thats what I needed to know..

I was thinking of fabricating a hydralic press that incorporates my old shitty fllor jack.

Another day, perhaps.

weaklink

So you guys got your bushings??? WTF? When?

Neo

iTrader: (4)

Guys,

I have to tell you something that could prove usefull. In no way am I giving these bushings a bad rap but this is my experience with them to date. And again, I don't know if this apply's to everyone but it has happened to me.

I've had all the bushings installed about 3-4 months ago. The ride got extremely stiff and the handling got very nervous. It was very precise.
However, I didn't have a very good alignment job done the first time around and the inside of my tires were being eaten alive. So I went to get a proper alignment job done. Now this was after 1-2 months of having the bushings on and I started to notice a bit of squeaking after you've driven the car for about 1-2 hours. But it was fairly minor so I just lived with it.
This is where everything starts to go wrong. After I get a "proper" alignment job done the car was fine for about a week or so but the squeaking got louder as the days progressed. It's until about the 2nd week that the whole car started to make awfull creaking and snapping sounds that I started to become concered. I drive my car daily so I immediately took it back to my mechanic to see what was up. He told me that it was the bushings that were causing that noise. I refused to believe him because clearly Jim has pointed out that these bushings don't squeak. So I took the car back to the alignment place and they too told me that they could do nothing, that everything was tight and it was the bushings that was making those awfull noises.
So I got a third opinon. By this time the car sounds like the suspension was going to break. People could hear the suspension over the exhaust and I have an Apexi N1 duel so you know how loud it must have been. I took it to a place that one of my buddy's use to work at and know's that the people there aren't bullshitting you.
They inspected the car and found numourous things wrong with it. First there was a bolt that didn't have a nut to secure it with and was dangaling by the edge. Another bolt just fell out. So I thought this could be the reason that the suspension could be sounding so awfull. But that was not the case. The shop inspected everything and found a few more things wrong with it. They noticed that my ball joints, after 7 years, are completely worn out and if I didn't replace them soon the suspension will give and the car will just collapse. So of course that part is attached to the arms so I had to order brand new arms for the front and back. The good thing was that the arms come with bushings so this would be an excellent way to experiment.
The shop figured out the results and now I have a great handling car with a "smoother" ride. They found out that the bushings that connect the arm to the frame are the ones making all the noise. So I have a mixture of bushings. Certain spots of the suspension have Jim's bushings and the others are stock. I think of the 18 piece set I got I'm using about half of that.

I'm just letting you guys know in advance about the expectations. It might not happen to you but it has happened to me....
I think I can sell the other bushings that I'm not going to use. Right now the car is perfect and I don't want to touch the suspension again.

Just a warning guys....
Sorry about the long post....

Later,

martini

I've had these differential mount bushings sitting on my shelf for 3-4 months. There WERE bushings made before the group buy, you know.

Red Rotary Rocket

Yeah, I participated in the previous group buy....sure I already have my bushings...but you guys still waiting on the latest group buy are getting them cheaper than I did....bastards!

As for Neo's observations, I would have to say that my front suspension clunks now, where before it did not. My rear suspension is also clunking, but I know that I have bad pillow *****, so I am not going to blame Jim's bushings yet...besides, my rear suspension clunked before. The only time my front suspension clunks is when I have the steering wheel turned near full lock. I have not had any problems with tire wear, though, and I have had the bushings in since July 4th. The car is my daily driver, and I have put about 7,500 miles on it since then...my tires are Potenza S-02s.

I lubed up my sway bar mounts for the first time in at least 50,000 miles...that seems to have helped the clunking issues to some extent....YMMV.

DK

iTrader: (5)

Uggggghhh ... jimlab bushings ... blood money.

Red Rotary Rocket

I think we should make Jim promise that he won't spend any money from the sale of bushings to promote his Frankenseven project

jimlab

And why not??

weaklink

Did you try Jim's bushings with the new arms? I think to make a fair comparison you would have to do that.