Guys I am looking for a poly kit for the rear of my car. Just want the rear. Anyone have any part numbers?

I also want to know whats included with the kits. And any tips for installing them.

Any idea how long it will take?

Looks like the rear gets to come out again Might as well put a zipper on this thing.

Thanks for your help.

 

Don't have the part number on hand, but I bought a rear kit from Corvette Central and I like it. It comes with everything for the rear except the diff. mounts which are another $35 I think from them. The install was fairly easy. The removal of the old pieces can be a pain though. In the end, using a propane torch to melt the old rubber pieces out worked the best for me. Also, use plenty of grease or it will squeek like all hell.

 

I just completed this task. Couple ways to remove the old bushings. I purchased a 6 ton bench press from Harbour Freight for 60 dollars and my my life easy. The second way I found was quite intresting. If you soak the bushings in parts cleaner, the cleaner expands the rubber and you can use a vise to remove the steel pins. The rubber then just falls out.

 

I used a four inch vice and a 1/2 to 1-1/2 pipe reducer with sockets. Works great. Not messy. Some WD40 helps to get the rubber moving. THe poly parts hand press in. No need for special tools or additional expenses. The hard part is removing the rubbers. The easy part is driving.

-JRC-

 

Heheh, I think you got that right JRC!

Ski, is the spool not working?

 

Not totally helpfull, but I purchased the Energy Suspension master flex kit (includes the front busings, too) from summit. The black ones are impregnated with graphite. It included the diff carrier mount bushings, control arm bushings, camber bar bushings, hmm, as I recall, all of the rear bushings.

I drilled holes through the old bushings to relieve the tension and used a 6" puller to push the metal insert out. It was relatively easy on my '90 w/ ~130k mi. (april '03). It took me 4 weeks to do it, but I was really taking my time . I had my FX3 shocks rebuilt by Bilstein at the same time, so I did all the bushings while the shocks were in CA.

One thing that really slowed me down in the beginning, the diff carrier mounts have a metal sleeve (reduces the inner diameter where the factory bushings go). You need to remove the metal sleeve for the ES replacement bushings. I used a hacksaw to carefully cut the sleeve, then pried it out.

--steve

 

http://www.energysuspension.com/pages/corv1.html

Make sure to get a little tub of their lubricant to grease everything up. To remove the dog bone (uppper and lower spindle control rods) bushings drill a series of holes around the metal sleeves, cut the rubber bushing flanges off with a sharp knife and they'll press right out in a shop vise.

Summit and Jegs carry the Energy Suspension line.

 

Any of the diff carrier poly bushings will work fine. They will make a dramatic effect on tightening up the whole car, especially the steering. (true) If I had it to do over, I would have some made for the batwing out of Delrin. The trailing arm polys WILL squeak over time, even with a boatload of the "elephant snot" lubricant. Make your own trailing arms from Heims and alum tubes. Easy and cheap.

Given what you do with the car, if you don't already have the camber rod relocation brackets, I would recommend getting them. Along with them, get the heim jointed camber rod kit as well. These two together will keep the tire flatter when you launch because you will not be changing (gaining) negative camber. It also eliminates the camber bolts, which have a tendency to move. Lastly, to improve weight transfer, get the trailing rod relocation brackets, it will lessen the amount of anti-squat built into the rear suspension, which allow more weight to transfer to the rear wheels on launch.

 

Guys thanks for all the great replies. I am still a bit unsure about what all I am going to need. I called Summit last night and they recommended this kit.

http://store.summitracing.com/partde...N=120%20307088

But looking at it. It looks like it will only have enough for the control arm. Right. Two sleeves per control arm times 4 = 8 sleeves for just the control arms. And that is all that is shown.

What about the batwing bushings?

Also are these the same size as the ones that Autozone has on their shelves. I am starting to think that the bushings might be all the same size for GM cars? Right/wrong?

I am right in thinking that you guys did replace the bushings on the batwing also.

-----------------------

The spool is working GREAT. I love it. I did Corkys the other week for him and he is reporting some awesome 60' times also. Going to be doing a 3rd one for Ralph pretty soon also. Its really the way to fly when you start getting serious power through these things. I think it pretty much makes the rears bullet proof for the most part. on wood. And man is it positive. And the best part is on the street the only times its noticable is when your making extremely tight turns in a parking lot or something. Other than that its transparent.

On the weight transfer, I think my car is getting too much transfer. This is a picture of the car after it touched back down and is out a little way on the track.



I am actually looking into trying to limit the front end travel, as excessive upward movement, can hurt the 60' times since your using power to move upward, and not forward. Notice how far out on the track I am from the cone and I am still staring at the sky. It becomes a balancing act of getting enough transfer of weight to maintain traction, but not limiting it to become a traction issue.

Let me know about the kit I listed above, and how you guys did the batwing.

 

First of all, they are mis-using the term "control arm" the only links that kit could possibly fit would be the "trailing arms". (the four longitudinal links) These were the ones I suggested you consider making up yourself out of Heim joints and alum tubes.

There is no mystery on replacing the batwing bushings once you remove it from the car. I doubt that there is any other car that uses these...they are huge. Again, a picture is worth a thousand words. Re-read my post on all this stuff, as you look at the car, it will make more sense.

As far as you're getting too much weight transfer, what type of shocks are you running, front and rear? Looks like you need more rebound control up front, and maybe more jounce in the rear. Sway bar sizes?More info will help figure that out.

Given that in drag racing you guys kill for a 1/10th, you may be surprised at what you can "find" with the proper suspension setup.

 

That kit only has the trailing arm bushings. To complete the rear, you'll need (summit part #'s):

ENS-3-1103G
Bushing, Differential Carrier Set, Chevrolet 1984-96 Corvette, Black Today
$24.99

and I believe,

ENS-3-8101G
Bushing, Rear End Links, Chevrolet 1963-96 Corvette, Black Today
$10.69

I like h-rocks idea of makeing Heim jointed trailing arms.

I looked around and found great pictures and titles over at http://www.exoticmuscle.com/webpage....SEL=SUSPENSION

They have pics of the individual packages for poly bushings, and of the Heim jointed trailing arms.

 

[QUOTE=Raistlin]....
I looked around and found great pictures and titles over at http://www.exoticmuscle.com/webpage....SEL=SUSPENSION
QUOTE]

EM/Merle is a great resource, and a good guy to work with.

 

[QUOTE=h rocks]
Thanks Guys I will order the parts this afternoon and get them installed in the upcoming week. Like I don't already have enough to do.

One last questions, then I have a pretty funny story about Exotic Muscle for you.

On the , not sure the exact name of the arms or not. But they are the ones that come off the lower portion of the differential, and run underneath the 1/2 shafts out to the wheel. They are used for the camber control, and have the cam type thing on the differential side. Anyways if you know what I am talking about, does the energy suspension kit have these bushings also. My one is tore up pretty bad. GM said you have to buy the entire rod, which I ordered, but if these bushings are included, then I will not pickup the rods he ordered me in, and he can send them back. Thanks.

Now for the story. Happen to me about 6 months ago when Exotic Muscle wanted me to do a tune for one of their 383 motors they built. Anyways I did the tune and took it to the post office and went to mail it. Without even thinking about the name clearly written on the box "Exotic Muscle" the post office clerk picked it up. I saw her eye when she saw the name on the box. Obviously she was thinking something else when she read the box. Her and I have had some pretty laughable conversations there prior this encounter. Anyways, she says to me, " So you have that much, you can afford to ship it off?"

When I tried to explain, it just sounded worse and worse. She closed the conversation with a smile and comment, "I knew there was something interesting about you!"

So ever since then, she always asks, "So how much you shipping today?"

 

Those are the camber rods. You can get the bushings for them, but you would better off just eliminating the camber cam bolts. When you launch, especially with slicks, the torque first slams all of the areas of the suspension with any compliance before the car moves forward. There is a tremendous shockwave if you will, thoughout the driveline, and everything connected to it. With the stock parts poly or rubber, it still gets compressed. In the case of the camber rods (check out the size of those bushings as well) to move. ie more toe change and camber change as well. They HAVE to flex with the way that the rear suspension is designed. To illustrate it, when you start to unbolt the rear suspension to remove the batwing, remove the spring nuts and the shocks. Jack up one side of the rear suspension and watch the path that the camber rods take. They are not a straight vertical movement, they actually arc as they travel. If you go poly there and in the trailing arms, you actually create a bind effect untill you pound out the poly bushings. If you use the Heim jointed camber rods, you eliminate the cam bolts and allow the suspension free travel without camber change and any binding, as the spherical ball allows a certain degree of rotation. Anyway, if you are determined to use stock, a friend of mine has a whole bunch of really low mileage (25k)suspension and other take-off parts from his '85 when he converted it to a track car.

 

Hrock.

Thanks.

Yeah we play with that camber quite a bit to get our cars when they launch to keep that tire as flat as possible on the track.

I don't see how going to a different arm will make the travel any different though. Perhaps I am not think, or following your description properly though.

In either situation, the inner differential mounts will be fixed. THey have to be in the sense that the case itself is perminately mounted. Therefore for the suspension to move, either connecting rod has to generating an arching motion on the wheel side with suspension movement. Right?

I can see that the other ones would be maybe stronger and eliminate that cam design. I have my cam thingy marked so I can see any movement if it occures.

I have also noticed some changes between Jim and Corkys 85s to my 89. Their shocks are on angles, where mine are straight up. Their front shock mounts are also much different.

There are quite a few differences when you really start looking.

thanks for the offer of your buddies equipment. But by the time I would pay him something for his, and pay shipping the new ones were only 65 dollars.

Thanks again.

 

I think, but am not certain, that the ENS-3-8101G bushings I posted above are for the camber rod. I'm not to comfotable with that, because it says "rear end links, 1963-1996". It just doesn't sit well with me.

The master kit I bought from Summit had everything we've talked about, plus the rear spring bushings, front bushings, and steering rack bushings. (everything except anti-sway bar bushings)

ENS-3-18122G
Chevrolet: 1984-95 Corvette, black, Hyperflex bushing kit Today
$175.95

That's a great story

 

Sorry, I thought yours was a pre-'88...definitely suspension geometry changes. Heck I have mine with the poly's already installed on the shelf in the garage if you want them cheap.

To draw an analogy, you often point out to those attempting to tune (& accurately so) that they are "missing" the point of your very detailled explanation...again, not to thump your chest, but to get them to try to digest something that they are having a hard time grasping...same thing with the geometry in the rear of a C4. It's a very sophisticated 6 link (some argue more) setup. The revised/modified center attachment brackets on the diff limit the amount of camber pickup when the suspension goes full bump. (compression) When that happens, the camber and toe changes. Your static alignment values just went out the window. In order to minimize the bumpsteer, there were many tricks (mostly illegal at the time!) that the Corvette Challenge guys came up with. Being that there were no radical mods allowed back then, every minor tweak added up to a 1/10th of a second here and there. As in drag racing, every fraction counts. So re-visit your shocks, bars, bushings, bumpsteer, alignment settings and my bet is that you will shave some time that would cost you thousands to achieve with purely horsepower.

 

Thanks for the offer. IM me what you would want for them.

I am listening to you explinations I just had that one questions about the travel. I also forgot to mention that I did buy the lower camber brackets you mentioned and installed them last year. Unfortunately I did not get any better 60's like hoped.

I think the poly bushing will stiffen everything up a little and might make it respond more and maybe gain me a little. But I am going moreso to ease my mind of the obvious wear that is present on the current ones. (you know the old reverse thinking trick. WIsh for one thing and another will result.)

Installed another spool tonight. This time in Dads 12 bolt. He needs it for his 555 ci motor we will be dropping in this upcoming week. Gotta get some grub now.

 

Jesse
I have an extra set(used) of poly bushings for the batwing
say the word and I'll send em your way