Polybronze Install Problem
 

Installed the polybronze spring plate bushings in the passenger side and everything went perfect. Too easy I guess. Now, when I installed the bushing in the torque tube on the drivers side, it sits too far inboard. The ride height adjusting bolt on the spring plate rubs against the inside of the fenderwell. There's nothing wrong with the bushings, they're a marvelous piece of work, the outside lip of the torque tube just sits a little farther inboard on the driver's side.

Options:

I could weld up the outside lip of the torque tube about 1/8 - 1/4 inch or shim the bushing.

I would rather not try to add that much metal around the torque tube lip. Mucho heat buildup and possible burn through. I weld OK but I'm not sure if I want to attempt this. If I screw up I've got a major mess on my hands.

So, anybody know of where I could locate suitable shim for the bushing? I could try a local machine shop of course but the shim may be difficult to build i.e. large diameter, thin and flimsy.

Or: Anybody got a better way. I'm open to suggestions.

Mike

The information you've supplied indicates that your car may have a non-spec component. I'd suggest contacting Elephant Racing, whom I assume made your bushings, to see what they can supply to help you out. They've probably seen your problem before, and if not will likely work with you on a safe & permanent solution.

That seems really odd! I'd definitely shim rather than weld... Definitely give Chuck a call and have a talk.

Those torsion bar tubes are sometimes installed pretty sloppily by the factory (or perhaps your torsion tube was replaced?).

In your case, it sounds like the tube is not centered in the car width wise. I've seen non-centered tubes before, but never so bad as to cause interference with the bolt. Yours must be at least 3-4mm off.


You could weld with little danger of burn-through, provided you keep the weld on the torsion tube itself which is thick. You would then have a challenge trying to grind the weld flat and perpendicular. But in practice the facotry welds in that location are pretty sloppy, so you needn't be perfect either.

A spacer could be fashioned. Take a slice from a pipe of appropriate diameter. Or maybe use a hole saw to punch through some aluminum stock. the spacer would ride between the torsion tube and bronze flange.

A steel spacer could be welded in place, probably the best solution of all.

Good Suggestion
 

Chuck,
Excellent suggestion about using a slice of matching ID pipe. I must be getting more senile than I realized. It's so simple it just plain eluded me. Tacking in a .25 inch "pipe slice" shim should do the trick nicely without welding massive gobs of metal around the lip.

Thanks,
Mike