How hard is it to replace the subframe bushings?

[gdsqdcr]

I was just told that my drivers side front strut mount is cracked. It was a police bushing .... I can replace that, as I put them in originally ...

They also told me that my subframe mounts were messed up as well. How hard is to replace them? Can I replace one corner at a time, or does it require me dropping the whole subframe at one time? What would be a good source for Aluminum mounts? What else do I need to get? Bolts? Nuts? What?

I can wrench, though I do not have a hoist ...

Thanks!

Anthony

 

[shojuan]

Anthony,

It's pretty easy to replace the subframe bushings. You'll need jackstands and some jacks. A floor jack and a pair of tire changing scissor jacks makes it easy...actually there are several ways to go about changing those bushings. I've changed subframe bushings twice, once on my MTX and once on an ATX and I used a slightly different approach both times.

For my MTX installation I used the shonut aluminum subframe bushings. For the ATX, MidwestSHO aluminum subframe bushings (the same as netviper's) were provided for me. I much prefer the shonut subframe bushings for the simple reason that the washers in the subframe recall kits fit without modification. It's a good idea to get two subframe recall kits just for the bolts and washers alone.

The midwestSHO subframe bushings cost less than the shonut bushings and that's great, but honestly it wasn't worth my time to grind the raised center shoulders off the recall kit washers. If it was for myself that would be one thing. Doing the job for somebody else I would insist on shonut bushings or charge AT LEAST the difference in price between the bushings EXTRA LABOR for grinding those washers. I'm sure I'll hear from Bruce something like, "just pick up some washers from the hardware store." or "you don't even need to use the washers" Screw it, redesign those bushings to accomodate the recall kit washers out of the box! As somebody who studied ergonomics from the best in the field during my undergraduate studies I must say that I have a low tolerance for bad design when there was a better design out there to copy!

 

[gdsqdcr]

Rick

How long should it take me to do this?

Anthony

 

[shojuan]

Probably a couple hours.

 

[SHOtimer]

Originally posted by shojuan:
The midwestSHO subframe bushings cost less than the shonut bushings and that's great, but honestly it wasn't worth my time to grind the raised center shoulders off the recall kit washers. If it was for myself that would be one thing. Doing the job for somebody else I would insist on shonut bushings or charge AT LEAST the difference in price between the bushings EXTRA LABOR for grinding those washers.

Really? Didn't know that......
Doug

 

[shojuan]

SHOtimer:

Originally posted by shojuan:
The midwestSHO subframe bushings cost less than the shonut bushings and that's great, but honestly it wasn't worth my time to grind the raised center shoulders off the recall kit washers. If it was for myself that would be one thing. Doing the job for somebody else I would insist on shonut bushings or charge AT LEAST the difference in price between the bushings EXTRA LABOR for grinding those washers.

Really? Didn't know that......
Doug

I didn't know that until after I did your bushings! Well, I knew I would have to grind the washers. I just didn't know what a pain in the ass it would be with the tools I had at hand. Next time when somebody wants to install parts that cost $30 less because the vendor skips a manufacturing step that eases installation (which saves the vendor time and money in manufacturing) I'm charging an extra $60 to install them!

 

[shoinoff95]

I did not know that you would have to do anything to get the recall kit to work with AL SFB? What exactly do you have to grind off and why do you have to do this process. I am needing to buy a set of new SFB's and I was thinking about getting aluminum ones, so what exactly has to be done, any pics perhaps?? Also did the venders selling AL SFB's make everyone aware of this situation, or do you have to find this out on your own?

 

[Shoaz]

shoinoff95:
I did not know that you would have to do anything to get the recall kit to work with AL SFB? What exactly do you have to grind off and why do you have to do this process. I am needing to buy a set of new SFB's and I was thinking about getting aluminum ones, so what exactly has to be done, any pics perhaps?? Also did the venders selling AL SFB's make everyone aware of this situation, or do you have to find this out on your own?

The rework is only necessary if you want to use the big washers that come in the recall kit and put them underneath the ASBs. It is not absolutely necessary to do this, so YMMV. The recall washers are convenient to use if you don't mind grinding the ****** off, but if you do mind, either don't use washers (there are tons of them out there without washers, mine don't have washers, I think Bondurant's didn't either) or use some other suitable hardened washer (there are tons of those out there, too).

So don't worry too much about it unless you want to use the washers from the recall kit. If you do, get them ahead of time and just grind off the flanges when it's convenient (when you see them it'll be obvious what I'm talking about).

 

[SHOZ123]

I agree I used a regular washer under the bolt head. No need for the big ones on a solid metal bushing.

 

[Bizzy]

A redisign was done back before the convention (07/14/03) the new ones have a counter-bored hole that is a a hair wider than the shouldered washer included in a recal kit.

Any old big washer would work fine, but I've seen some ppl with them installed without any washer and that digs into the aluminum and could put a little extra stress on the head of the subframe bolt.

The original design wasn't cheaper due to omitting that step, it was an oversight on the design and was corrected on the 3rd run of bushings I had made up. The price didn't change with the slight redesign, I'm just blessed to have a machine shop that produced these for me so that they can be sold at that $100 mark.

<small>[ September 20, 2003, 10:47 PM: Message edited by: netviper ]</small>

 

[Shoaz]

netviper:

Any old big washer would work fine, but I've seen some ppl with them installed without any washer and that digs into the aluminum and could put a little extra stress on the head of the subframe bolt.

The bolt is much harder than the aluminum, so I don't think the SFB is going to stress the bolt head by letting it gall into the SFB. The downside of not using a washer is that it can make it difficult to set the torque on the bolt. If you're the sort that doesn't mind rechecking the torque on those bolts a couple of times, it is essentially a non-issue.

Mine has no washers and I've checked the torque a couple of times since installation with no changes necessary.