I would like to replace all the bushings in the rear of the car. Has anyone done this and if so any problems or suggestions? Also could anyone tell me if there is a "kit" available that has them all? I see in Ecklers and Corvette America that they are sold separtly; carrier, strut, control arms and sway bar. I also see that these are mostly two piece bushings, I guess they are alot easier to install. Thanks


Bob

 

PST sells a nice kit. $100. or so 18 months ago.

Since I suck at the interweb I can't get the link to work.
Google Performance Suspension Technologies. The current price of the rear rebuild kit is $90. Excuse me whiole I go study up on creating a link.

 

I've done the whole car (84). I bought mine individually. The two piece are quite easy to install. Here's how bad mine were.



I recommend a bench vise and large sockets for pressing out old bushings, and a dremel with a small wire wheel (goggles!) for cleaning up the control arms, etc. The old rubber can fuse itself onto the aluminum and be a bear to remove, the dremel makes it easy. Plus you can clean up everything to be nice and pretty when you put it back together.



Now, the only thing I had to farm out was the front upper control arm bushings. I don't have a press at home, so I took the arm off and had a brake shop press them out and install the new ones, and press in the new ball joints while I was at it. Cost me about $25 per arm. The rest I did in my garage.

Drop me a pm or email if you run into any snags and need help. It's not a difficult job, just time consuming.

Oh....one other little hint I want to pass on before I forget. When you do the rear trailing arms (dogbones), you'll notice there is a small hole in the frame adjacent to the upper arm. The arm has a nut that you have to remove right next to this hole. Put a piece of tape over the hole, or you WILL drop the nut into the frame and you WON'T be able to get it back out! You'll see what I mean when you look. I was lucky enough to read about this on the forum before it could happen to me.

Have fun. You'll be amazed at how much better the car drives with new bushings.

 

Wow thanks for the help & pictures, the tape is a good idea as to when I had the knuckle off I dropped the nut in that hole, then thought I could get it out w/ a magnet and I lost that in the black hole as well, so I went to GM to get a replacement. I think I will go ahead and do this project.

Bob

As a side note I see different diameter options for the sway bar do I just use calipers for the diameter then convert it to millimeters? TIA

 

It's not difficult, and it sure as hell isn't worth paying someone else to do. And you'll be amazed at how much tighter the car feels afterward.

Also remember to use the silicone grease they supply with the bushings. I've heard lots of complaints of poly bushings squeaking, but so far mine haven't.

Have fun.

 

I replace all of my bushings with energy suspension polyurethane bushings and I have no suspension squeeks. It was relatively easy to remove all of the parts and to install the new bushings, however, I have a small hydraulic press that made bushing removal a breeze.

Mike

 

If your going to be in that far to replace bushings you might as well do suspension components as well. The cheapest kit I found was at www.powerperformancemotorsports.com. Look for your year car and the kit has upper and lower ball joints, tie rod ends, and poly bushings. It doesn't include the rear differential carrier bushings or the sway bar bushings but as others have suggested pst carries those and are very good to deal with. I did not use the grease that comes in the kit as I didn't feel it was enough grease. I went and bought synthetic marine grease and applied liberally and two years later there are no squeaks. Might as well pick up some aluminum polish as well as there is nothing cooler looking than all that polished aluminum when you are done. Lots of good info in this thread and many have done it so if you have more questions don't be afraid to ask. Good luck!!!

 

I just finished the rear of my 84, new ring & pinion, bushings,u-joints, bearings and KYB shocks. The job was a breeze except I had to learn the hard way to remove the metal sleeve from the sway bar ends for the bushings to fit correctly. As mentioned above a press is a great help. Good luck.

 

I got the kit from Energy Suspension. The install was un-eventful other than having to buy a small press to complete the job. Removing the old bushings / sleeves from the differential was probably the worst part of the whole job.

Be sure to get an alignment after you're done. No matter how good you think you are at putting it back the way it was, you won't. Also if you've ever had an alignment done with the worn components, it will likely be wrong after you install the new parts.

 

Thanks everyone for the help, I have access to presses but my one question is, is it best to remove the differential cover completly from the diff. to but the new bushings in? I think I just will take this one step at a time and work slowly. Thanks

Bob

 

Just take the main carrier bolts out and the diff will drop far enough for you to get the bushings out. I drilled around the rubber on these then drove the bushing out. Keep in mind that on these factory rubber bushings that you will be leaving a thin aluminum sleeve that you will have to remove before the new bushings will go in. I used a hacksaw blade to carefully cut a slot in it, once you get that done you can knock it out with a punch.

 

I removed the diff in order to change the gear oil and installed new bushings in the batwing while it was apart. Actually, my stock bushings were in good shape but I was doing a D36 to D44 swap and figured that I might as well do everything I could while the rear was apart.
The oh-buy-the-ways are the reason I always take my estimate and double it!

 

Ohhhhhh is that what that is.......the oh-by-the-way's. This last phrase has cost me BIG in the 4 years I've owned this car. Isn't if funny how they ALWAYS creep up out of the blue?

 

That is FUNNY azz stuff about the tape over the hole! I dropped the bolt in that hole as well! You would not think it would go in there, but it seems to be the "black hole" of nuts!

I was able to get mine out with a strong magnet taped onto a coat hanger. The time spent getting it though would have been better spent working on something productive.

PUT TAPE OVER THE HOLE!

 

Not oh-by-the-ways its Oh- buy-the-ways! Since your in there you might as well buy....!

 

 

I'd say it's one of the most labor intensive jobs you'll do on the car, aside from prepping for paint. I'd rather pull the motor.

Definitely don't pay someone else to do bushings, unless you remove the suspension parts and batwing yourself and bring em in. You'll pretty much need a press to do the upper control arms and batwing. A 6" vise and assortment of sockets or home depot pipe fittings will do the rest.