My lower shock bushing died. That was a big clunk over bumps! Any suggestions on where to find a replacement? Shock is still good. I searched the forum and my usual vendors and no luck on just the bushing.

If I can't find a new replacement bushing...I'm thinking about buying a new base non-magnetic shock and seeing if the bushing will transfer over. Probably not but I'm going to look at it since they are only $50 at the parts store. Or I'll stuff it back in there with some large metal/nylon/rubber washer combination that I come up with from the farm store. Those washers will be installed up against the control arm and what is left of the bushing to keep the shock eye from slipping off again until I can find a blown out shock to rob the bushing from. Yeah I know that won't work probably, but hey, it's a cheap try. Any help is appreciated!



Dead lower shock bushing

 

Interesting. I've had a clunking sound for a bit and haven't been able to locate it. I have checked EVERYTHING other than that bushing. Just may be my problem.

I also have some old shocks in my garage. I'll see if I can get the bushings out and if so, one of them is yours

 

dcollins - That would be cool, my experience trying to get this partial one back in tells me I'm going to have to make a heavier duty tool to get one back in there...so don't try too hard at getting one of them out, you might just mess it up. If you don't find this to be your issue...check your computer below the battery too. And the plastic cover/trim piece in the opening in the body right next to it (the vent on the side of the car). And check the brake duct vent in front of the wheel. All of those were not secured on my car. I added some pickup truck camper shell sealing tape/foam around the computer mount. Much better. I zip tied the side body vent. The brake duct I just twisted back to where it looked like it was supposed to be

So here's some pictures of my efforts over the last few days. I drove it about 12 miles this morning and it seems to be holding just fine. My farmboy got the best of me. Sorry for the purists out there! My next step will be to machine a bushing to go into the stock shock eye that will take a standard off the shelf bushing from the parts store. That's going to take some more measuring and investigating.




Computer with camper shell foam around the black clamp, and zip ties to the black vent trim piece. Less Clunk.





Flashing tool, used a hose clamp to compress, funnel to try and squeeze it together. Used my shop press and some grease with both. Fail. Fail. Home made horse stall mat bushings cut with a hole saw and trimmed with a utility knife. 12 miles, so good so far.





Stall mat bushing with back up 7/8" washers, used 4 washer eventually. Used shop press to insert these into the shock eye.






Stall mat bushing squeezing out at the top. Had to give it a little compression from large channel locks to get it in there, then a little tap tap tap with a hamper to line them up.





IOh boy. Yes that's a small c-clamp. No more clunk though. I bought a bolt and washers to try to clamp onto the large washers and squeeze it together, too small, so this is what I dug out of the tool box late on Friday night. Added my next favorite thing to baling twine, zip ties, and well hopefully it holds until I make the reducer bushing for a standard shock bushing. I did check that it didn't impact anything with the steering turned both ways, no issues there.

 

You get this fix from Bill ?

 

Try Prothane or Energy Suspension and take a look at their bushings. You might find one that would fit the hole. Each supply some shock eye bushings that work similar to that one.

If you do find a bushing, you need to source a shock trunnion or t-bar that has washers and c-clips to replace your bar to keep the trunnion centered in the bushing.

 

If he can use a cutoff wheel to cut the metal "eye" on a dead shock, then remove the bushing. Then the bushing can be sliced into two pieces and inserted; washers on each side.

Bushings made for shocks are a much harder, more durable rubber.

Food for thought.