[4banger]

Originally Posted by Turninconcepts.com

I've been thinking about that one for a good long while actually...

In fact, I did some reading recently.

OMG, a vendor who does math and reads. After Stretch, you are my biggest hero.

[rdubwood]

Originally Posted by Turninconcepts.com

Sure, you could have always replaced them in the past, but I've always felt that they were one of those things that one would do once all the other stuff is taken care of. You know, for those guys looking to shave the last couple of hundreths of time off. After reading about it, and doing a little more searching I'm thinking that this is something that should take place earlier in the upgrade cycle.

I agree with the notion that these bushings should be replaced sooner rather than later. I spoke with the guys over at Garage Tuning who seem to be very knowledgeable (know their subies inside & out) - and they recommended replacing the trailing arm and lateral link bushings due to the greatly improved response. According to them the rear end of the car will feel much more connected to the sways/road and gets rid of that rear end slop you can sometimes feel when cornering hard. I'd buy a set if TIC came up with something better than the stock marshmallows!

[4banger]

What would be really sweet is if they came with a tool like the Whiteline steering rack bushings that made it real easy to get the old bushings out.

[stretch]

I took my Whiteline 27mm bar off the car and measured it. Sure enough, 27mm and 29mm are accurate ratings compared to stock, at least by ruler. If anything, those ratings are conservative. (I measured a lever arm of 4-7/8 inches on the softest setting compared to 5" stock. Firm was 4-3/16 inches, IIRC.)

In regards to my original post where I said the front sway rate is, "well below what I calculate it to be," the error was in my motion ratio.

[thunderbird]

Strano 32mm hollow bar, short arms. Its so stiff it breaks the lower control arm if you push the car too hard (and tighten the joint too tightly)

[Turninconcepts.com]

Originally Posted by rdubwood

I agree with the notion that these bushings should be replaced sooner rather than later. I spoke with the guys over at Garage Tuning who seem to be very knowledgeable (know their subies inside & out) - and they recommended replacing the trailing arm and lateral link bushings due to the greatly improved response. According to them the rear end of the car will feel much more connected to the sways/road and gets rid of that rear end slop you can sometimes feel when cornering hard. I'd buy a set if TIC came up with something better than the stock marshmallows!

After looking into it some more those are a location where for a street car you want rubber. Best bet going on those is the Group N bushings. Heck, even if I went crazy and made really trick graphite impregnated bushings for those locations I couldn't hold a candle to the prices on teh Group N stuff.

[twiSTies]

Originally Posted by Turninconcepts.com

After looking into it some more those are a location where for a street car you want rubber. Best bet going on those is the Group N bushings. Heck, even if I went crazy and made really trick graphite impregnated bushings for those locations I couldn't hold a candle to the prices on teh Group N stuff.

how hard are they to replace? sorry stretch for the hijack.

[RaceComp Engineering]

Originally Posted by Turninconcepts.com

After looking into it some more those are a location where for a street car you want rubber. Best bet going on those is the Group N bushings. Heck, even if I went crazy and made really trick graphite impregnated bushings for those locations I couldn't hold a candle to the prices on teh Group N stuff.

I agree here....rubber is the way to go for those bushings. The Group N stuff is great, but the pillowball Cusco's are not so fun. I think Whiteline makes poly bushings for those parts as well, Myles has their complete arms kit on the GC Wagon and I didn't notice any extra harshness.


- Andrew

[RaceComp Engineering]

Originally Posted by twiSTies

how hard are they to replace? sorry stretch for the hijack.

With a press you're okay, otherwise....don't bother.

- Andrew

[SWortham]

This thread got me curious. And since I didn't know that group N lateral & trailing link bushings existed I did a little searching and found this install guide...
http://www.kickflop.net/wp/?p=39

and more install notes & impressions...
http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=393476

[twiSTies]

Originally Posted by RaceComp Engineering

With a press you're okay, otherwise....don't bother.

- Andrew

Ah ok, thanks man.

[4banger]

TiC - I read in a thread on the "other" board that you would never be able to make a rear trailing link bushing that was better and cheaper than the Group-N bushing, but have you put any thought into producing the tool that is needed to to pull the old one out/push the new one in? It sounds like the performance gain of replacing this bushing is significant and I bet a lot more people would do it if they could spend a few bucks to buy the right tool to make it an easy job. Just some food for thought.

[williaty]

I've done all the Group N bushings for the rear end. God, some of it was a lot of work. However, the lateral link bushings (all 8 of them), we easy enough to do by hand with a c-clamp style ball joint press. The change they wrought in the car was astounding. I did my car bass ackwards and did bushings before I did springs+dampers. Doing the lateral link bushings was as big or bigger positive change than increasing the spring rate by 60% and getting adjustable dampers. Yes, it's that big of a deal.

Stretch, do you think there's a way to calculate the extra roll due to bushing compression between the outer rear lateral link bushing, the endlink bushings, and the swaybar mount bushings? The reason I ask is that we just put mudflaps on my fiancee's i-wagon. Your spreadsheet says the flaps shouldn't touch the ground in a 1.1g turn. Yet driving WELL below the limit of the stock re92s, her flaps grind into the ground. Obviously, that must be due to bushing flex and must be a rather large amount. Mainly I'm just curious, I can't see any practical value for the information.

[JAYMAC10]

Sorry can someone tell me how much these suspension bushings are and where can you buy them?

Also, what benefit do they actually do?

Tried to google these questions but didn't find much...

Thanks,

Jay

[williaty]

Originally Posted by jaydow11

Sorry can someone tell me how much these suspension bushings are and where can you buy them?

Also, what benefit do they actually do?

Tried to google these questions but didn't find much...

Thanks,

Jay

Why don't you start a new thread with thread with this question. We should be polite and stop threadjacking stretch's thread.