Full Version: Elephant Poly Bronze Bushing binding
Installed the poly bronze front bushings and noticed I have some binding, more so on the passneger side. No front end damage. The binding seems to be a fore / aft problem rather than an axis problem. I have pushed both front and rear mounts as far out as they will go. It seems the only solution is to extend the length of the openings on the front mounts to allow some more room for the bushings to move freely. Is this a reasonable solution? Has anyone else had this problem, and how did you resolve it?
This problem is fairly common. Elephant does sell a solution that helps make this easy but you can do it on you own if you want to take the time. It consists of stacking spacers to make everything even. You NEED to get these at zero bind.
yes spherical spacers are sued to even it up. takes a bit ot doing to get it right, but they shouldnot bind. we found spoacers totaly needed to get smooth running.
once doen they are nice, but there are a royal pain to get to that point. once done you should be happy
once doen they are nice, but there are a royal pain to get to that point. once done you should be happy
QUOTE
yes spherical spacers are sued to even it up. takes a bit ot doing to get it right, but they shouldnot bind. we found spoacers totaly needed to get smooth running.
once doen they are nice, but there are a royal pain to get to that point. once done you should be happy
once doen they are nice, but there are a royal pain to get to that point. once done you should be happy
Is this English?
QUOTE(Eric_Shea @ Apr 12 2010, 01:51 PM) 
QUOTE
yes spherical spacers are sued to even it up. takes a bit ot doing to get it right, but they shouldnot bind. we found spoacers totaly needed to get smooth running.
once doen they are nice, but there are a royal pain to get to that point. once done you should be happy
once doen they are nice, but there are a royal pain to get to that point. once done you should be happy
Is this English?
Blackberry English!
For my car what I found helpful was to turn the front bearing retainers upside down. One side has a welded on washer that normally faces the body. My washers face away from the body.
Andy, that could leave your control arm to rub the body at the lip of the front flange.
I mimicked the Elephant low friction mount. I added a longer bolt and 4 sets of self aligning washers to the front mounts .
This is just one of the 4 front bolts:
Click to view attachment
And on the rear mounts I machined the mount down to accomidate the self aligning washers on the top and bottom of each mount.
Here is a picture of the bottom of one mount:
Click to view attachment
The self aligning washers cost about $50 for all 12 sets (8 front and 4 rear). It still took some fiddling to get the arm just right, but not too much. I was mostly concerned with the movement in the suspension travel range.
I must say that stainless washers may hold up better than the ones I put in. Looking at my pictures my washers seem to have some rust and it has only been 9 months.
BTW I bought the washers from fastenal and on some other post I provided links (it may have been on the Club site).
Did I say that I love the bushings and my 914 is smoother than my Subaru!
This is just one of the 4 front bolts:
Click to view attachment
And on the rear mounts I machined the mount down to accomidate the self aligning washers on the top and bottom of each mount.
Here is a picture of the bottom of one mount:
Click to view attachment
The self aligning washers cost about $50 for all 12 sets (8 front and 4 rear). It still took some fiddling to get the arm just right, but not too much. I was mostly concerned with the movement in the suspension travel range.
I must say that stainless washers may hold up better than the ones I put in. Looking at my pictures my washers seem to have some rust and it has only been 9 months.
BTW I bought the washers from fastenal and on some other post I provided links (it may have been on the Club site).
Did I say that I love the bushings and my 914 is smoother than my Subaru!
Ooooh, Eric you made me check my work. They moved freely (dropped under their own weight) while in the air. No grinding sounds. I just looked and slid a pile of post it notes (like a feeler gauge) all the way the lenght of both arms. No less than 2mm clearance.
QUOTE(Ericv1 @ Apr 12 2010, 04:33 PM)
QUOTE(Eric_Shea @ Apr 12 2010, 01:51 PM)
QUOTE
yes spherical spacers are sued to even it up. takes a bit ot doing to get it right, but they shouldnot bind. we found spoacers totaly needed to get smooth running.
once doen they are nice, but there are a royal pain to get to that point. once done you should be happy
once doen they are nice, but there are a royal pain to get to that point. once done you should be happy
Is this English?
Blackberry English!
carefull! bobhasissues
QUOTE
Ooooh, Eric you made me check my work. They moved freely (dropped under their own weight) while in the air. No grinding sounds. I just looked and slid a pile of post it notes (like a feeler gauge) all the way the lenght of both arms. No less than 2mm clearance.
Cool. Sorry for the extra work. probably more of an issue with a rubber bushing in there. Just wanted to make sure.
Carry-On!
Awareness is good. Thirty seconds of my life down the shitter oh well. I work up a little early today to make up for it.
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