Front bushing troubles...

[APEXi240]

Pulled out my tension rods yesterday to replace the bushings with polyurethane ones (Energy Suspension). Took it to the local machine shop to get the bushings pressed, and they couldn't do it because of how the bushing is constructed. The guy said he was afraid he'd break the bushing because it was expanding/getting fatter when he tried to press it in.

What the hell do I do? My car is on jackstands, and I need to be able to drive to work at 2:30 today. I guess if worse comes to worse I guess I'll pick up the Battle Version tension rods...

I don't know if any of you guys are familiar, but the stock rubber bushing is flush with the tension rods and protrude outwards where the bolt goes through. The Energy Suspension bushings are kind of oversized looking...they potrude out all around where they would be in the rod...can't really explain it well.

Any help would be appreciated.

[ricebike]

hmm, that's y i'm putting this project in the backburner... until i get an extra set of tension rods so i won't have any "down time"

does anyone know if the s13 rods are different than the s14 rods? i'm guessing in length since the bushings look the same?

[fASTdONKEY]

buddy... you just gotta keep going... the bushing looks like it is going to bust out of the seams but it will hold...

i pressed mine out no problem... but to get them in i used the poly urethane grease and lubed up the bushing (don't get this on your hands, it won't come off; but if you know of something to take off the grease; let me know) then press it in... it will buldge, but it should go in... keep pressing until the tapered edge comes out and the lip of the bushing (you should know what i mean if you seen it) sits flush with the tension rod...

a little more clearly, the bushing looks like this starting at one end the bushing is tapered (it gets bigger as you move toward the center) then there is a lip where the size of the tapered end drastically and abruptly decreases to the middle section where the tension rod holds the bushing. this leads to another lip and another tapered end (which also gets bigger as you move toward the center)

the reason for the lip and the tapering is to hold the bushing in place... hope this helps... just keep on pressing and if it breaks... blame energy suspension...

good luck and SPEED SAFELY kids...