Al Subframe Bushing Harshness?

[Thoughtful_One]

I know that the full aluminum bushings that have to be pressed into the subframe will cause the ride to become stiffer due to reduced slop from the old worn bushings, but if I recall, Hondas affixes their rear suspension pieces to the chassis, elimating any type of subframe.

If that's the case, the Al bushings would act like a solid connection, and any and all roughness would have to come from the differential (I'm talking about S13's with solid diff. mounts).

For those of you with severe harshness, have you checked/replaced the fluid in the diff., or checked for excessive play in the differential itself?

Did you re-torque the subframe nuts after driving on them for a while? Aluminum deforms easily, and if not re-torqued, there will obviously be play between the subframe and chassis and cause clunking and NVH.

The only reason I'm posting this is that I want to swap in a new subframe, and go the Al route, but everybody has had different experiences with them. I'm not going to pay a ridiculous price for Nismo pieces, or purchase collars. I have access to Al and lathes.

[E7-S14]

I'm actually going the AL route for DD/Track car..so ill pretty much suck it up for increased performance.

ill be doing this in a week or 2 so i should have a lil review when i get em on..

but keep in mind.. With the AL subframe bushings i will also have FULL polyurethane Bushings and Megan Tracks.. so my cars already a lil on the stiffer side.. so my opinion might be a little bias.. but we'll see.

[Thoughtful_One]

When you take the subframe down, make sure to flush the differential fluid, and properly re-torque the subframe nuts. If you can, try to get a jack under each corner when you're re-torqueing them. Tell me if you get the harshness that others describe.

If you don't get all of the vibration and such, I'll go ahead and do the same.

[E7-S14]

yeah.. i usually forget to torque to spec.. which is bad....with the 4 corner jack thing we have a transmission jack(the tall jack).. since im using a lift.. i don't know how ill have a jack under each corner when i torque them.

i should order them sometime next week or the week after that,( im waiting on my paycheck...)so yeah when i get em on ill keep you updated

[Thoughtful_One]

yeah.. i usually forget to torque to spec.. which is bad....with the 4 corner jack thing we have a transmission jack(the tall jack).. since im using a lift.. i don't know how ill have a jack under each corner when i torque them.

i should order them sometime next week or the week after that,( im waiting on my paycheck...)so yeah when i get em on ill keep you updated

Have you pressed in aluminum ones yet?

How do they feel?