Rebel Bushing Install, also yet another reason I dont let "pro" shops touch my cars |
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Rebel Bushing Install, also yet another reason I dont let "pro" shops touch my cars |
JamesM |
May 28 2013, 05:04 PM
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#21
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 1,916 Joined: 6-April 06 From: Kearns, UT Member No.: 5,834 Region Association: Intermountain Region |
I have never really documented the work I do on my cars, but figure this might be a good place to start as I have not seen too many people out there running these Rebel Racing Bushings.
Start with a little back story: A long time ago, in a state far far away... or at least as far left as you can go on the map. 13 or so years ago, before I did much work on my own cars I had some failing front bushings replaced with poly ones by a local alignment shot. They were ok aside from squeaking all the time, but then I really didn't push my car to the limit on a regular basis back then. Fast forward to today, been autocrossing for 5 or so years, always felt like the car has pushed really bad in the tighter stuff and always seems to lose traction in the front WAY to easy under breaking. Came to the conclusion that a lot of it is probably the poly bushings in the front sucking major @$$ and binding all the time. I had not planned on doing this upgrade this year but a failed rear bushing meant I had to get an alignment anyways so I figured might as well just do them all. Decided to go with the Rebel front setup as I like the design and don't like having to lube bushings all the time. Crapy phone pics to come... |
JamesM |
May 28 2013, 05:15 PM
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#22
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 1,916 Joined: 6-April 06 From: Kearns, UT Member No.: 5,834 Region Association: Intermountain Region |
Snag #1:
Never fun to have a sway bar mounting tab break off in your hand 1 week before the next autox. Thankfully I have a spare control arm, and it even has a decent balljoint. I suspect this was due to a combination of the mechanic who installed the polys losing the spacer for the end link on this side, combined with the amount of force required to move the stuck control arms, and also the fact that I had adjusted the swaybar to full soft in an attempt to compensate. Angle +force = SNAP |
JamesM |
May 28 2013, 05:26 PM
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#23
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 1,916 Joined: 6-April 06 From: Kearns, UT Member No.: 5,834 Region Association: Intermountain Region |
*sigh* really? This is how ONE of the control arms looked when it came off. I could understand maybe if they put them both on backwards, but just one side?!! Half @$$ crap like this is why no one touches my cars but me anymore
Also want to point out that these are poly bushings, they don't flex like rubber, so I would expect to be able to get at least some movement out of the control arm when I apply force. Stood as much weight on it as I could without shifting the car of the jackstands and NOTHING, no movement at all. think that pretty much confirmed I may have not been getting as much as I could out of my front suspension. |
JamesM |
May 28 2013, 05:31 PM
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#24
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 1,916 Joined: 6-April 06 From: Kearns, UT Member No.: 5,834 Region Association: Intermountain Region |
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JamesM |
May 28 2013, 05:43 PM
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#25
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 1,916 Joined: 6-April 06 From: Kearns, UT Member No.: 5,834 Region Association: Intermountain Region |
So, this was just going to be a quick job of swapping the bushings, and plan on powdercoating the arms this winter, but as I had to replace one of the arms, the patina didnt match between the 2, and I can be a bit obssessive....
Figured I could a least protect them a bit for now and make them match Clean & sand: Primer: Paint: was going to get some flat black but I had some left over Rustoleum "Hammered" that I just love the look of. |
JamesM |
May 28 2013, 05:46 PM
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#26
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 1,916 Joined: 6-April 06 From: Kearns, UT Member No.: 5,834 Region Association: Intermountain Region |
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JamesM |
May 28 2013, 05:56 PM
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#27
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 1,916 Joined: 6-April 06 From: Kearns, UT Member No.: 5,834 Region Association: Intermountain Region |
Purdy!
Install was quite a bit easier then disassembly. JB weld the races to the arms and the races just slide in the housings. Where I had ZERO movement with the polys, these things are like sex lube on ice! Completely dry as well, zero grease needed ever so I don't expect their performance is going to change much over time as I don't have to worry about grease drying up. |
JamesM |
May 28 2013, 06:08 PM
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#28
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 1,916 Joined: 6-April 06 From: Kearns, UT Member No.: 5,834 Region Association: Intermountain Region |
Should be able to finish getting everything back together tonight. Hopefully the forecast was wrong and it doesent rain for the next 3 days as I really want to try these out. I am somewhat concerned that I will need to wind up going with bigger torsion bars now as i think the polys were massively increaseing the stiffness in the front end. Either way I am super excited to see how they feel as I know they will be an improvement.
Something I want to point out on the poly bushings, these were the older, soft compund polys, installed with a hammer by a bunch of idiots. I actually installed Erics polys as a replacement in my rear control arms, and when properly fitted for both the diamater of the control arm axle, as well as its length, then lubed with 508 copper antiseize, they move freely and are so far quiet, so I think it depends a lot on how they are installed. |
914_teener |
May 28 2013, 06:33 PM
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#29
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914 Guru Group: Members Posts: 5,205 Joined: 31-August 08 From: So. Cal Member No.: 9,489 Region Association: Southern California |
Should be able to finish getting everything back together tonight. Hopefully the forecast was wrong and it doesent rain for the next 3 days as I really want to try these out. I am somewhat concerned that I will need to wind up going with bigger torsion bars now as i think the polys were massively increaseing the stiffness in the front end. Either way I am super excited to see how they feel as I know they will be an improvement. Something I want to point out on the poly bushings, these were the older, soft compund polys, installed with a hammer by a bunch of idiots. I actually installed Erics polys as a replacement in my rear control arms, and when properly fitted for both the diamater of the control arm axle, as well as its length, then lubed with 508 copper antiseize, they move freely and are so far quiet, so I think it depends a lot on how they are installed. Can you explain what properly fitted for the length and diameter means........I have to do this one and want to get it right. I haven't seen a thread that pictorially shows this.......for the rear bushings ....I mean. |
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