S14 Subframe bushing install question

[Opey240sx]

Ok, i don't post on the forums much, but I am here and could use a little advice please. Purchased the energy suspension subframe bushings, and everything went pretty smooth on the tear down actually.

Ran into a wtf moment when getting the new bushing's in. The 2 toward the front of the car in front of the diff are in and perfect...but the rear ones, just slide in and out. outlined in the pic below, cell phone quality sorry.imagine the front of the car toward the ground

rear bushing hole...no metal ring/lip like the fronts have to hold the bushing in place.

If ur still confused on what i mean, here a video link, didn't know how to embed so this will do hehe. http://s193.photobucket.com/al...0.flv

So my question is pretty much, if I put it back together as is, am I still gonna have the famous clunk? Anyone else run into this, did u rig it up a certain way? anything will help. This is also my daily driver and it has to be running tomorrow, so no pressure on quick answers

[sx moneypit]

I had the same deal with one of mine.There is a ring in there but you did like i did and drove it out .I thought about pulling mine back out and welding some kind of washer in there but i think i will just get a new subframe.I don't know why Nissan did the bushing set up that way, it's a piss poor design.They could have done the bushings like my old Z31.It doesn't clunk because the weight of the car is on the subframe but like i said only one of mine is f***ked up.

[MR.chris]

I am not sure if I understand exactly whats going on but thats weird because if I remember correctly on my S14 I had to cut the metal sleeves out and it was a real PITA. I installed the SLP aluminum ones though.

[DuckyD]

Energy Suspension warns to not remove the metal tabs.http://www.energysuspension.co...6.PDF

[sx moneypit]

I know ,but when they are buried under rubber its easy to make a mistake. I should have used heat (per instructions) but i chose to use an air hammer and chisel and screwed one up.

[Opey240sx]

well thx for the posts, i got it all together. And yea i think the screw up was me taking out the metal sleeves which probably had the tabs on it. Weird though, the front had the metal tab on the sub frame it self, not on the bushing sleeve. Ohh well

Car feels so much better now, and did my leaking gas tank at the same time. Now i don't swerve when someone throws a cigarette but out lol.

[sx moneypit]

Like i said,it's a bad design in my opinion.

[DuckyD]

Yea I have a set of Energy Subframe bushings waiting to go in my car, I just haven't had the will to drop my subframe.

[sx moneypit]

Dropping the subframe isn't too bad, the bushings are a PITA. My front bushings were all broken up , but the rears were intact and thats what made it a b***h. Take your time!
Modified by sx moneypit at 12:18 PM 3/31/2010

[Opey240sx]

Dropping the subframe isn't to bad

+1 to that..wasn't bad at all. only took about an hour.

Leaky oil pan is next for me..see how that one goes, hear it sucks on an S14.