installing new rear suspension bushings

azhodge · azhodge's Garage

I am about to install elephant rubber suspension bushings on the rear. their video shows the options on how to push on the front bushings as part of the removal video. I enjoyed and used the video on how to remove the rear suspension bushings. By the way forget buying the special tool to cut the rear bushings unless you are a rich person. with proper heating mine came off fast with one cut down the length and a pull. BUT!! I can not find the info on how to install the new rear bushings. I have cleaned the old rubber off. I read I have FIVE seconds to get them on and correct.. video for front bushing shows using clamps to push them on which makes sense. but I am looking for advice from those who have gone before me on how to I put on the super glue and push the pushing. No easy method comes to mind. thanks in advance, atlanta.

cashman · 11-10-2014, 07:03 PM

You just push them on by hand. Make sure they are clean and act quickly.

red77911s · red77911s's Garage

I used my drill press, put a block or plate on the end of the bushing, or you could probably put it on the floor and press down on it using your weight. as far as the glue goes I slipped the bushing on just a little, then with the bushing side of the spring plate facing down squirted the glue all over the tube and on the bushing, then press the plate down on (thru) the bushing, you'll need a couple inches of PVC tubing or something to back up the bushing and get it all the way over the torsion tube on the one side, then I flowed more glue into the joint at the outboard end, it'll soak right in. The glue can start to stick almost right away, just push harder it'll bust loose. It can take 20min or more for a thick coat of superglue to fully dry. I used teflon tape around my bushings to get them in and lube them in the torsion tube and cover.

azhodge · azhodge's Garage

are you saying that the bushings are going to rotate in the housing and end cap? is that what the original ones do? I remember seeing a Utube video with an english guy who actually lubed up the bushings with grease before before pushing the spring fork into the body. any thoughts from anyone on lubing them?

gtc · gtc's Garage

The rear bushings are easy to slide on.
The front are a bit tougher. On a friend's car we used the clamp method... kind of a PITA.
On my car, I just whacked them on with the elephant bushing tools and a dead blow hammer. Piece of cake.
You can lube them with a bit of dish soap.

DaveMcKenz · 11-11-2014, 03:32 PM

I did this last week. I was worried that they would hang up before going into position. It turned out to be very easy. I cleaned up the spring plate shaft very well. I put glue on both parts then pushed it home. The glue will act as a lubricant until it sets up. No problems, nothing special, no tools, just put on the glue and push firmly.
Good luck,
Dave

azhodge · azhodge's Garage

anyone want to sell their elephant racing special tools for installing the front control arm bushings?

red77911s · red77911s's Garage

Yes the bushings are glued to the spring plate tube and rotate in the torsion tube, thats my take anyway, there is some controvery about this and you should search for other threads on this subject. Lubing is another matter and just as debated, my take is that grease will degrade the rubber, soap is acidic and will contribute to rust. A Pelican CSR suggested baby powder I though great idea, NOT!. it helped getting them on but then with no other lube it felt like the swing arms were not moving at all. hard as a rock, had to take it apart. The idea of using teflon tape just came to me, glad i used it, rear end is smooth as a babys' behind, something else to factor in is the condition of the torsion tube, is it rusty and rough, I scraped mine and painted them smooth.

azhodge · azhodge's Garage

the teflon tape is a neat trick. I was thinking silicone grease might also be an option. What I don't understand is that if soap is the recommended lubricant to install the spring plate into the body then that would mean that the intention is for the soap to go away and the bushings outer area not rotate. Looking for other opinions from others who have gone before us.

ddinham · ddinham's Garage

azhodge,

Don't want to sell but would be glad to UPS them to you to use for a while.

Dana

wdfifteen · wdfifteen's Garage

There is a good thread about it here.

Can a normal knucklehead DIY'er swap out spring plate bushings in an afternoon?

Flieger · Flieger's Garage

For the zillionth time, rubber bushings are not supposed to turn. They are meant to be a tight press fit into both the tube and onto the arm. The arm moves by twisting the rubber. This is how Porsche eliminated the friction of other joints like Heim joints and polybronze type ones. The same concept is used in nearly every new car sold today. The rubber bushing stiffness can be tuned to be radially stiff but torsionally soft or to be axially compliant but radially stiff, radially soft for NVH isolation, etc. as pioneered by Porsche on the 928's Weissach axle.

The rubber bushings contribute a not insignificant amount of spring rate but they do so with nearly no friction, which is a good thing.

red77911s · red77911s's Garage

Just reread some of the threads on SP bushing replacement that I read when I was trying to make my decisions on how to approach it and I am still skeptical that flexing Neatrix bushings is even possible, the OEM rubber which is softer maybe.
All I'm sure of is that on my car the first time I installed them with virtually no lube the ride was so hard as to be impractical, maybe good for track use but as a DD no way. If the bushings wear out from slipping in the Torsion tube I'll just replace them in 20 yrs. I still say Teflon tape or maybe silicone.

DaveMcKenz · 11-12-2014, 04:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flieger

For the zillionth time, rubber bushings are not supposed to turn. They are meant to be a tight press fit into both the tube and onto the arm. The arm moves by twisting the rubber. This is how Porsche eliminated the friction of other joints like Heim joints and polybronze type ones. The same concept is used in nearly every new car sold today. The rubber bushing stiffness can be tuned to be radially stiff but torsionally soft or to be axially compliant but radially stiff, radially soft for NVH isolation, etc. as pioneered by Porsche on the 928's Weissach axle.

The rubber bushings contribute a not insignificant amount of spring rate but they do so with nearly no friction, which is a good thing.

This is how your ER rubber bushings were designed. The instructions tell you how to install them. Installation is easy. They work great as designed. What's the real problem?
Good luck,
Dave

Flieger · Flieger's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by red77911s

Just reread some of the threads on SP bushing replacement that I read when I was trying to make my decisions on how to approach it and I am still skeptical that flexing Neatrix bushings is even possible, the OEM rubber which is softer maybe.
All I'm sure of is that on my car the first time I installed them with virtually no lube the ride was so hard as to be impractical, maybe good for track use but as a DD no way. If the bushings wear out from slipping in the Torsion tube I'll just replace them in 20 yrs. I still say Teflon tape or maybe silicone.

If you are going to do that then do it right and get the Rebel Racing ones. Otherwise you're just another hack mechanic. You'll have all the compliance of rubber with all the friction of the sliding/turning type bushings, and all the dirt from the greased ones if you do the silicone.