2GN.ORG

Does anyone have any pics of the Energy Suspension lower control arm bushings installed? I recently installed a set and I'm trying to figure out if I installed them wrong, because it looks like they are starting to shift possible pop out. Thanks guys

Spacemanchiff's old Neon.

Thanks Jason, that how mine look, or pretty close to it. Might have to pull them out sometime and mabye re-set them as I think I could have done a better job of fitting them in there. The driver's side was looking like the lower half was wanting to pop out before I jacked up the arm and poped it back in.

I have a question about this although it an older post, my understanding is that you will need to keep some piece of your old bushings (the metal core, but i'm not sure) to re-use with the new ones, is this correct ?

how do you get the old one out and the new one in ?

also, how long will these last? i can tell that the stock ones don't last for long.....

thanks,

Yes, you will need the metal core, typically what people do is use a torch and burn it out as the rubber is pretty hard and cutting it out and making sure all the rubber is removed is a little hard. Burning typically removes all the rubber or makes it soft enough that it can be removed easier.

To get the old bushings out it's best to have a press. I used an arbor press I got from Harbor Freight to get my stock ones out when I put my solid bushings in. I've heard people using just a vice to put the energy bushings in though.

Not sure how long they will last but I can say that spacemanchiff ran his for a good 2 years or so and I'm not aware of him having any probs with them

thanks, exactly what i wanted to know

LOL mine are upside down according to that. Mine dont seen to pop out though and Im not having any problems so they are gonna stay LOL

SlvrACR wrote:LOL mine are upside down according to that. Mine dont seen to pop out though and Im not having any problems so they are gonna stay LOL

LoL yeah those pics are correct so if yours isn't you installed them wrong....but I cannot see how that would hurt it....I am just saying that thats how the instructions say to install em.

Well they work and i have no problems so they stay wrong
Here is what they look like


[/url]

HaHa yeah their upside down....oh well. Like you say if it works go with it.

Well this way seemed to fit better and stay in place plus the other way looked to close to the sway bar.

Yeah I know I almost did it that way till I read the directions. The reason its harder to get in the proper way is so that the suspension is more firm....which is what poly bushings are used for.

I didn't even press out my old bushings, I got out my torch and burned them out of the control arm.

No i dont mean install was hard I mean once installed they stay inplace and not all over like the above pics. Either way fit the same when installing. I never got instructions also so i have no idea what ones you got.

LOL the torch was the best part

My Prothane bushings sit alot nicer than those Energy Suspension ones. They don't look all flim flam.

Anyway, latief, to be even more specific on the "burning" part, this is what I did and learned from. I pressed mine out first, and then set them in the driveway and started blasting them with the torch. It wasn't working as well as I thought it would, so I stopped blasting them with the torch and simply let them sit there for 20 minutes and burn by themselves. After 20 mins, all it took was a douse of water, and a couple turns around the wire brush on the grinder and the metal sleeves looked brand new.

Pics??

Hm. I'll have to take some. I'll remember to get a couple shots after I detail the car on monday and clean her up.

Here's a couple of my vertical Prothane control arm bushings

Maybe this will help clarify the supposed 'correct' way that energy wants their bushings installed

Ah, I see. Energy uses a completely different design for their vertical bushings. All I know is that if the bushings were upside down, whether it was hurting anything or not, I would have to change it because it would drive me nuts.