What's the story with Energy Suspension Bushings?

Silver ACR · Post by **Silver ACR** » Thu Feb 16, 2006 2:06 pm

OK, so I got a set of Energy Suspension lower control arm bushings and take them to the local dealer for installation. They refuse after reading the instructions -- something to do with heating up the metal casing with a torch to punch out the old rubber bushing.

What type of shop does this kind of work?

dblsg · Post by **dblsg** » Thu Feb 16, 2006 2:19 pm

a shop run by mexicans

quicksilvr · Post by **quicksilvr** » Thu Feb 16, 2006 2:44 pm

dblsg wrote:a shop run by mexicans

Most dealers won't. I've only heard of one that did. Most any run-of-the-mill mechanic shops will though. Just find one you trust. And if they're mexican, that's fine.

grambo · Post by **grambo** » Thu Feb 16, 2006 2:57 pm

Go to your local hardware store. Buy an adjustable torch tip for doing minor plumbing work. They will obviously be in the "Plumbing" section. In the same area look for a small yellow or light blue bottle. Buy a gas called MAPP gas. This stuff burns nice and hot. The tip screws onto the bottle and makes one unit.
Should cost around 10 - 20 bucks depending on the quality of you torch tip. (built in auto ignitor etc. = more $)
Put the parts in your BBQ, put on a mask or bandana over your upper resperatory parts and burn it up completely.

Strip, repaint, install bushings, tada.

Fun with fire AND cars AND, maybe, Mexicans....

nodestiny · Post by **nodestiny** » Thu Feb 16, 2006 4:27 pm

It took 12 hours for a friend and myself to completely install with a 12 ton press, torch, and using sockets instead of sleves. Figure, 2-3 hours was wasted in doing things wrong. I can probably tackle it in 6 hours all together now.

My recommendation:

Do the front first. with a vice/press, its the only part youll need a torch. Take off tire, take off strut, take off sway bar, take off ball joint connection. If this is the passanger side, the lower motor mount will have to, unfortunatly, come off. Unbolt the horizontal and lateral (lateral... that doesnt sound right...) bolts. Remove the C-arm completely (pulls out at this point). Using press/vice and whatever sockets (hope you got some big sockets laying around), press out the lateral bushings (damn it, doesnt sound right, is it lateral!?). Then, torch it to remove all the extra rubber (will take 3-4 times between torching a scraping). Clean it all up with a dremel or wire brush when your done (i used dremel with sanding rolls). Installation of new bushigns is easy, greese EVERYTHING up, pop it in.

The horizontal bushing is easier to remove and didnt require the torch. BUT it is in there tight. Press it out. Install new one, lots of lube.

when installing the control arm, make sure to clean up where the two new bushings will mount on the frame side. Dirt, gravel, grime, etc. Clean it good! Then, put great all over the outside of the bushing and all that area. This is because it is a pain to slide in without it! TRUST ME! I did one dry and one with grease, HUGE differance.

Just re-install everything. Tighten everything to spec! And relax, do the rears later, TRUST ME on that.

grambo · Post by **grambo** » Thu Feb 16, 2006 4:35 pm

Yep. The front lower control-arm bushings are a BITCH. Especially if you lubricate the interior surfaces = dont' do it!
Goop up the outside. I agree with doing the front first. Then you'll feel like a king when you get the rear done in an hour without cussing.

nodestiny · Post by **nodestiny** » Thu Feb 16, 2006 4:39 pm

The rear seemed to take longer for me, but there is also a TON more bushings to do! The press/vice is all you need for the rear though...

grambo · Post by **grambo** » Thu Feb 16, 2006 4:55 pm

nodestiny = You know, it just occurred to me when you sent your last message that the rear was kinda' a bitch too. In fact, without products from Golden, Colorado in a silver can. It would have been really shitty day on install day.

I really had the most trouble with those lower control arm bushings though. In fact, I hate them so much from that experience that I am going RageTek....

nodestiny · Post by **nodestiny** » Thu Feb 16, 2006 5:24 pm

What does the RageTek bushings do better?

Are you talking about pressin the bushing it, or removing it? The lateral arms were the easiest to push out, the front controll arms were the hardest. The rear controll arms were somewhere in the middle, but definatly wouldnt say it was hard! Lots of lube is your best friend (ummm. grease on the bushings! That is...)

Silver ACR · Post by **Silver ACR** » Thu Feb 16, 2006 5:39 pm

Next question: is the benefit from the install worth it? I've got Leda coilovers on the car now and big sway bars. Maybe that's enough.

grambo · Post by **grambo** » Thu Feb 16, 2006 6:36 pm

The higher durometer rubber is definately one of the best bang-for-the-buck items out there.
The lower control arm bushing I am speaking of is the two-piece unit, the really big one that gets pressed together. I had no press and had to improvise but, was an idiot and lubed every surface. I fought with it for over an hour before I cleaned it with alchohol and it all popped right together. Overthought that one.....duh....
The kit made a significant difference in road feel. The whole car has a more crisp feeling.
The Rage-Teks or PsiFi's are and aluminum version of the aforementioned bushing that defeated me. Diablo0 has them and recommends the Rage Tek units over the PsiFi's. They are designed to reduce "horizontal deflection" in that area of the suspension. They are both pricey though: $250 a set. Owee.
Maybe Santa will bring em.'

nodestiny · Post by **nodestiny** » Fri Feb 17, 2006 9:16 am

solid bushings up front? Ouch. I think there is a reason they dont make them solid

Anywho: My thoughts on it. First, lemme say i have done so much suspension work in a single week, it would be hard to say how good it actualy worked. I can say it did put a little more force into autocorrecting the steering wheel. Outside of that, i felt little to no differance. Also note, i only had 30K miles on my car, and the stock bushigns really were not in bad shape.

soul_sword34 · Post by **soul_sword34** » Sat Feb 18, 2006 9:05 pm

mmmm.....fire

burning rubber mmmmm

2GN.ORG

What's the story with Energy Suspension Bushings?

What's the story with Energy Suspension Bushings?

Geeeez