When installing POLYURETHANE BUSHINGS

[npor]

I may be wrong, but I thought that white lithium grease was the best thing to use for polyurethane bushings, and I also thought that PB Blaster was alot more corrosive to plastics than WD-40.

I edited the post.

At first, I think I only recognized that "WD-40 is corrosive" part. I didn't even think about how much stronger PB Blaster is!

[blizzard335]

Dont petroleum-based grease attack the poly?

[casterX]

Also, When removing stock rubber bushings to replace them with urethane, sometimes you have to reuse the metal shell. Guys like us have been known to try and remove the rubber bushings with everything like steak knives, drills, screwdrivers, picks and half the stuff in the kitchen or garage. Forget all that. Use a small plumber’s torch to heat the outside of the shell evenly. You'll know when you're done by two signs: the rubber will begin to crackle and shoot out from between the bushing and shell in thin little streamers. Take a hammer, hold the bushing over an empty garbage can and whack the bushing hard until it pops out.

i'm currently in the middle of installing the ES urethane front bushing kit for the CB. and i got 2 questions..

-after heating.. when you whack at the bushing, does the metal shell come out with it?
-"sometimes you have to reuse the metal shell." when is sometimes exactly?(on a CB application)

[Cam]

i'm currently in the middle of installing the ES urethane front bushing kit for the CB. and i got 2 questions..

-after heating.. when you whack at the bushing, does the metal shell come out with it?
-"sometimes you have to reuse the metal shell." when is sometimes exactly?(on a CB application)

I couldn't get the metal outer shell to bash out with a hammer. Used the torch to get the inner collar out then hacksaw the outer shell to relieve pressure.

You don't need to reuse the outer shell with the ES set at all.

[Camurai]

cool freezer trick! ive never thought of that.

too bad i dont have a torch... drilling lots of holes works too, but just giving them to oneoffaccord to do at his work for me is even better lol

You can pick up a propane/MAPP gas torch at the hardware store for under $15. They typically come with a built-in igniter. Look in the plumbing section.

[accord2nr81]

???? i got energy suppension bushing master kit installed on my car.... took maybe 2 hours to do everything...... i used a 10ton press.... popped the little ring sleeve out that held the rubber in... new bushings didnt use the metal sleeve so they slid right in after i greased them and pressed them back in.....

[lowakkord]

Freeze polyurethane bushings before installing them. This shrinks them and makes them a lot easier to install. They have a lot less give than rubber bushings and can fit quite tight.

Also, When removing stock rubber bushings to replace them with urethane, sometimes you have to reuse the metal shell. Guys like us have been known to try and remove the rubber bushings with everything like steak knives, drills, screwdrivers, picks and half the stuff in the kitchen or garage. Forget all that. Use a small plumber’s torch to heat the outside of the shell evenly. You'll know when you're done by two signs: the rubber will begin to crackle and shoot out from between the bushing and shell in thin little streamers. Take a hammer, hold the bushing over an empty garbage can and whack the bushing hard until it pops out. This is pretty stinky, so you'll want to do this outdoors, or at least open the shop doors wide. The bushing will bounce all over the place and the melted rubber will get into everything it touches including your clothes, interior, everything - this is why I say to do it directly over a garbage can. You know if you have your carpet laid out on the shop floor, it's gonna head there first! If it does get anywhere you don't want, varsol will dissolve the rubber. Also works good to clean up the metal shell before reuse.

Another tip. Try using White Lithium Grease, or just regular grease to help ease them in, both getting the bushing in, and to prevent it from squeaking. You'll want to stay away from WD-40 and PB Blaster as much as possible though, because they both tend to be a bit corrosive.

1. I used the grease that came WITH my bushings, slid in absolutely 100% problem free.

2. I simply used a press (we have a 40-tonne at work) with the same size socket as the metal shell to push it through.

3. Grease comes with all Energy Suspension products, in reality...you should have absolutely no problem squeezing the bushings in.

[bcjammerx]

mmm...I'd try astroglide...shit's so smooth you wouldn't even feel it go in!

so what type of lube/anti-squeak component comes with the bushings when such lube/a-s is included?

[kit-to-lip]

thats badass i need new bushing bad but have been putting it off do to this so i might attempt this sooner then i thought

[GreenMadness]

the lube is this weird shit, like a mix between liquid slicone, super glue and silly puddy. all i know is that the shit likes to STAY, weather it be on your hands or car where ever it goes its a pain to remove, from whati understand its a good lubricant when used with the polyurathane/graffite even though it feels sticky to us, and also it has enough weight and resistance that if you sprayed your underside with water it wouldn't wash away or knock of the lube you applied.


-note: i freeze normal bushings with the collar but the polyurathane went in fine... in the dead of winter under 30 degrees....

[casterX]

*point of concearn with regards to the torch/heat method as posted by the OP

-would it weaken and stress the metal enough and cause it to fail in the future since the anchor bolts and LCAs support a lot of weight?

[GreenMadness]

unless you are using an asetalyne torch you should be cool... i have used the MAPP torch like he did and the heat didn't seem that intense, the arm is cast iron by the look of it.

- the little bit of heat shouldn't be able to penetrate because it wont be on long enough, which as long as you dont hold that middle section red hot i dont see a problem.

shear wont break that arm, the worst stresses will be somewhere around the middle of the ball joint / shock mount... and in the middle of the shock mount and body mount

due to the ability to rotate the arm dosn't resist bending much, rather it just compress the strut/spring and moves with it, so the stress is really caused by how much your strut/spring resists being pushed on.

Putting a set of racing shocks + springs would cause more stress in that arm that hitting it with a propane torch ever could. but luckly they are designed much stronger than needed, normally 3+ x stronger than need for a worst case impact loading