strut noise

[stephen newberg]

Why?

pax, smn

 

[Mr. SHO]

Because the aluminum bushings are way too harsh on the roads around here. I had to back off my tire pressure too much to cut down on the harshness, which in turn negated the handling benefits of the solid bushings. With the rear bushings, I still get the much improved turn-in w/o the death rattle. I don't miss the Al SFBs one bit. If I autocrossed regularly, I might consider them, but no way would I use them on the street.

 

[stephen newberg]

Interesting. Where are you at? I only put my ASFBs in just before we started our trip across the country, so I never used them in Nova Scotia, which has very rough roads. Here in British Columbia the roads are in remarkably good shape, and I have not found them harsh at all. I do recall a section in New Brunswick during the trip where things were pretty rough, and another in Northern Quebec. Definately a hard ride at those locations over very broken road with the ASFBs, but otherwise, I have not found them a problem at all. Of course, the sidewalls of the tires I am running are -very- stiff already, and I find the SARC is often running at full hard already, so perhaps it just does not bother me as much.

pax, smn

 

[racr16]

ok, I'm totally confused... i called one ford dealer and they said that there are rear, front-upper and front lower

the next dealer said there are rear-upper and rear-lower and front lowers


are the rear bushing the ones that sit in the back of the fender-well under the firewall and the fronts are on top of the frame by the radiator...

somebody please help, or point me to a frame diagram

 

[ncfirefighter]

well mine started to make a popping sound when taking off and finally lastnight it started to shake real bad so i am betting on the cv joint is busted so i am tearing mine down in a few mintues to find to source of the problem i am hoping if it is the cv joint that the 98 se with the same tranny uses the same cv joint. and i hope some of the other parts will interchange. if i need them.

 

[ncfirefighter]

yep bust cv joint at the transaxle is the problem on my end here

 

[Mr. SHO]

ok, I'm totally confused... i called one ford dealer and they said that there are rear, front-upper and front lower

the next dealer said there are rear-upper and rear-lower and front lowers


are the rear bushing the ones that sit in the back of the fender-well under the firewall and the fronts are on top of the frame by the radiator...

somebody please help, or point me to a frame diagram

There are 4 complete bushings--2 front, and 2 rear. However, there are two halves to each bushing, and upper half and a lower half. If you look up from under the car, you can see the subframe rails on either side of the car inboard from the wheels. At the back corners of the subframe (just about where your feet are when you are sitting in the car) on each side, you will see a 3-4" round bushing with a big 18 or 19mm bolt head in the center. That is the rear lower part. The upper part is on top of the subframe, between the subframe and the car chassis. When you lower the subframe by removing the big bolts, the bushing halves are sandwiching the subframe. The front is the same way, but the lower part is also bolted to the subframe itself with 4 small studs and nuts that you can only see from above the subframe. Also, you can't see the front bushings until you remove the lower splash shield.

So basically, neither dealer is right. You can look at it two ways--there are either 4 bushings (2 front, 2 rear) or there are 8 bushings if you count the upper and lower halves as seperate bushings.

 

[racr16]

ok, i have decided to go this route to try and fix my problem.... i am staying with OEM parts.... what do i need ????? 8 bushings or do they come as a set???

 

[stephen newberg]

If staying with OEM parts, the best solution normally suggested to add stiffness is to get 4 sets of rear bushings, that is 4 rear uppers and 4 rear lowers. Then you install two of the sets, each set being of one upper and one lower, in the spots for the front bushings, and the other two sets in the normal position for the rears in the back of the subframe. Now you have rear type sets at all four corners and will be a bit stilffer.

pax, smn

 

[Mr. SHO]

If staying with OEM parts, the best solution normally suggested to add stiffness is to get 4 sets of rear bushings, that is 4 rear uppers and 4 rear lowers. Then you install two of the sets, each set being of one upper and one lower, in the spots for the front bushings, and the other two sets in the normal position for the rears in the back of the subframe. Now you have rear type sets at all four corners and will be a bit stilffer.

pax, smn

You mean get 2 sets. You already have 2 sets in the back!

 

[stephen newberg]

If you want new ones in the front of the subframe and old ones in the back, yup, that will certainly work.

pax, smn

 

[Mr. SHO]

The rears generally don't go bad unless they are abused. There have been some failures in heavily salted areas on higher mileage cars, but for most SHO owners this is not a concern.

OTOH, the fronts are garbage from day one, and get worse over time.