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Here's what I did this weekend. [Poly Susp]

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lesingepsycho

Jedi Warrior
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Well, seeing as how I'm not expecting to get my hands on the wideband O2 sensor until Tuesdayish, I figured this would be a good weekend to install some new poly in the Midget's backside. We had some gorgeous weather for it and boy howdy did the Midget ever need some help back there!

It has always had a terrible back-end 'bump-steer' for lack of a better term. If you hit so much as a pebble in the road while going around a lefty the back end would shimmy and step out a few inches. Just enough to get the pulse up a beat or two but not really dangerous.

When I was plumbing in the return line for the EFI I got a close look at the rubber back. That and a blown out shock link. I don't know, see for yourself and tell me if you think these bushings needed replacing :devilgrin:

JACK
 

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That was driver side. Here's pass side.
 

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Here they are once they were removed.

I thought I took pics after the polys were in but since I don't have any on my camera, I must have thought wrong. Quite likely since I didn't button up the car until almost 2:00 AM. I know, I know. It involved a front eye, a bent mount, ruined threads on the bolt and making a thread chaser to fix things. I set such a good pace on the first side too, darn it! :nopity:
 

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Hey - why did you take those out? They were just getting broken in!

I was actually juts finishing up tightening the rear suspension up after rebushing it, and I did the top part with poly as well. Can't wait to drive her and see how she feels now.

So did you get the new poly stuff installed? What brand bushings are you / did you use?
 
I did get them installed but I don't think I could have done it without the bench-top arbor press I got from work. Also, I have more banged and bloody knuckles than I have had in a long time. :hammer: But I know the improvement will be worth it. How could it NOT be by looking at the stuff that came out?! :nonod:

I'll crawl under the car and take some pics of the install after work tonight. It looks like the brand name is "Prothane". I don't know anything about it, just what 'they' had in stock.

JACK
 

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Ok, here's some installed pics.
 

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Well, it doesn't squeak when I just bounce the backend up and down but as for the road, I don't know yet since the motor is still waiting for tuning.

JACK
 
Looks like you used a good amount of the enclosed lube (bet you still have some on your fingers too!), they'll not squeak for a long time I bet.
 
Just a thought: Why aren't there greaseable pins and shackles for these cars? When I installed a new suspension in my truck I was able to buy poly bushings that were slotted to accept grease
and pins and shackle bolts that were drilled and had zerk fittings on the ends. Grade 8 hardware too.
 
Yeah, I think I DO still have that lube on my hands. That stuff is WICKED STICKY!

But I was wondering the same thing; Once everything is installed, how do you lube in 30k, 50k, 100k, whatever the interval might be? I thought about the possibility of drilling and tapping grease zerks in, but it was just a passing thought.

JACK
 
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