What is involved in installing a complete bushing kit (like Energy Suspension for example) into a 1989 coupe?

How many labor hours are expected? What about special tools?

I'm a big DIY'er but after reading some of the instructions, it just might be worth biting the bullet and paying a professional.

I see that a lot of my bushings are in need of replacement. Any suggestions or experiences out there?

Thanks!

 

I've replaced the rear bushings and it took me a whole Saturday (7 am to midnight). Once you do one side the learning curve helps you do the other side. My rear link bushings were shot and I was eating up rear tires quickly. Now my tire wear has settled down. I used an arbor that is part of a balljoint press kit to press the bushings in and out. I also used plenty of lube on all the bushings. I have no squeaks (knock on wood). I used polly and had a 4 wheel alignment done. My front bushings are fine, as my front tires are going on 4 years (the backs are going on 1). The car runs on rails now,

Larry

 

The hard part is getting the old ones off. I've cut off the lip on the edges and used fire to soften the old bushings first. This helps to press them out. I'm talking about the front here, I have not done the rear. You can also drill holes into the bushing around the inner sleeve to help press them out. Just don't drill into the control arm.

To do the front upper control arm bushings you need a press. It's difficult with a bench vise.

The new lower control arm bushing can be installed with a bench vise. Unlike the factory bushing that is a one piece with both ends having a high lip, the news ones are a two piece that meet in the middle instead. Very easy to install these. Don't overdo the lube on the inner sleeve. If you do this scrapes excess grease in the center as you press both halves together. The grease won't compress and your bushing outer lips won't sit flush against the control arm, causing binding when installed in the car.

You want to make sure the bushing sits flush or barely below the level of the inner sleeve's outer edges. If the bushing is higher the arm will bind. You won't have free up and down movement once bolted to the frame. If the bushing is too low, you'll have back and forth play. The outer edges of the inner sleeve are the pivot points when the mounting bolts are torqued down. You want easy up and down movement, but no front to back.

 

I have a complete set of trailing arms and camber braces with the energy flex bushings installed. If you are intersted send me a PM and I will give you a good deal on them. It would make installation very, very easy.

 

Are the rear controll arms symetrical, mine seem to have a slight bend in them. are they bent or do they have to be installed the same way they came off. Dummy me did not mark top or bottom on the arms before removing the right side arms. Thanks Wayne

 

Drill holes in them and then use a freinds press

 

I installed the energy kit a few years back. Its a big job but I did it all with a large bench vise. Like someone else said getting the old bushings out is the hard part. The hardest part was the two large bushings on the bat wing because they have a metal sleeve on them. If I did it again I would not have touched that part. All in all its a good kit and the poly is holding up well. Be sure to take the car in and have an alignment done on it when your finished.

 

After completing part of the first arm on my bench vise with much effort and cussing, I gave up. Instead I dropped everything off at my local shop and for $30 they did the rest with their big press in no time.

 

For the A-Arm bushings and ball joints I took them to a machine shop and had them done.
IIRC it was less than $100.

Everything else I used a C-Clamp, C shaped ball joint tool, hammer, screwdriver, drill to remove the old bushings. Installing the bushings was easy except the ends of the rear camber arms. Took a little ingenuity to get the bushing in and then get the arm in place.

Took me 2 weekends to get it all apart, three weekends to clean it all up and put the new bushings in the parts, four days to put it all back together. This included new Hubs on all 4 corners, new upper and lower ball joints, new outer tie rod ends, new shocks.

 

i did the whole car myself, its a big job with only a bench vice. if i were to do another car i would buy a press from harbor freight and make my life alot easier. i used a floor jack and the tow hitch on my dodge megacab to do the front a-arms. alot of work. my stuff was shot. now it rails