Energy suspension bushings - Not that bad

dare i say it?

damaging bush housings, burning rubber, peer pressure... my specialty

errm, ok when i was still a man

wow this thread brings back k@k memories. Burning out the rubber bushings was the fun part for me. Except for the mess it made I enjoyed watching the inner metal sleeves project 2m far out of the rubber bushings when heated nicely.

Hacksawing and pressing out the inner sleeves is a $hit job. So is all the work on the two rear spindles.

I removed my suspension bits, burnt out the rubbers, realised the hacksawing was a $hit job so I took everything to a suspension shop who charged me 2 hours labour to hack and press the sleeves out.

I then clean sanded and pressed in the new bushings at home wih a vice. Was the best compromise for me.

OK OK The back bushing are a Bi@tch, but I will say they are not a R2000 rand or even R 1000 worth of bi@tch. The hardest part is the cutting but also getting those damn Bolts loose.

Also Veecee did you fit the sub frame inserts? Did the front ones fit? Because On my car there in no slit in the rubber (As bad as this sounds)

Also the kit comes with three sway bar bushing kits two for the front one for the back, I have a spare front kit but it’s a 24mm not a 25mm but the end link bushings can be replaced anyone want it?

its definitely worth the money you pay to have someone else do it!

how long did it take you to do the whole car??? then mutliply that by some hourly fee, and tell me what you get to!

yes there is an extra set of front sway bar bushes, but there shouldnt be extra end links!!!

the front subframe doesnt fit. i actually dont understand it, but on all the cars i've fitted i cut the extensions shorter and they went in!

Didn’t need to cut any of the rear inserts but the fronts don’t fit. So I cut off the fingers and inserted them with the washer.

Not sure if it’s called the end-links you will have more knowledge here. The Item that holds the Sway-bar the chassis those round bushings sounds really stupied cant think of the name.

im pretty sure thats what they called. the end links are the 4 little pieces that go on each side of the swaybar.

i know you get two front swaybar chassis mount bushings like you mentioned! the USA cars had different swaybars depending on the model. i think the difference was whether it was a J or Q car, or a K car - where the K's got thicker front swaybars! but im not entirely sure about this!

those 24mm bushes could be machine out by 1mm to make them fit though! although those little machined ridges on the ID hole are important for lubrication - so you would have to make a plan to somehow keep channels for lube!

just wondering now..

i also got the energy susp. kit for the s13, which we all know has INSERTS for the four big subframe bushes (which was not really what i wanted)

but in the set i got for my z32 300zx , there is four proper replacement bushes for the subframe.. as far as i know, the s13,s14 and z32 subframes
are nearly identical, i wonder if a set of z32 subframe bushes would fit a s13? anybody tried this yet? 😕

They do that allot in the states you just have to cut down the bushing a little to my knowledge, they say the Z32 Sub-frame is a bit taller

Well anyway I have a spare set if anyone wants it

Well anyway I have a spare set if anyone wants it

spare set off? z32 subframe bushes?

i think he meant the spare set of 24mm front swaybar chassis mount bushes.

cos the complete sets usually cater for the s13's with either the 24 or 25mm swaybars!

i think he meant the spare set of 24mm front swaybar chassis mount bushes.

cos the complete sets usually cater for the s13's with either the 24 or 25mm swaybars

ah, ok.. think im gonna try and get another set of z32 subframe bushes and see if i can fit them to my s13.. 8)

hey 300,

you're quite new here.

before your time vlade posted up tech drawings of solid subframe bushings for the s13. you can have them cut from aluminium.

provides a very accurate ride at the cost of some harshness!!!

go searching the forums my friend and be strong!!!! 😂 😂 😂

After thinking about this Energy suspension install, I have come to the conclusion.

All the guys out there that want the Kit go out and get it and Install the front bushings and the sway-bars and the inserts a single weekends work why because after cleaning up all my old bushing I can tell that you front bushing are going to be screwed because of the steering but the rear bushing look very very good in comparison.

I don't think its critical to install the rear as you can buy the kit in separate bags from energy but I sure that installing just those bushings will make a huge difference to the handling of the car.

Also if you want to install the rear you can go do so at a latter time because I have confirmed a suspension place will charge you almost half the original quote to do the rears

totally true - the front part of the kit is really easy and shouldnt take more than a few hours!!!

and the fronts will usually be in a much worse condition than the rear because the bushes are so much larger and they probably take more strain from the steering inputs.

and if you can get it that cheap then definitely take it - its such a kak job that i would easily pay more than 2500 (actually i wouldnt cos im such a miser!) but at half that cost, just DO IT! DDDDOOOO IIIIITTTT!!!!

before your time vlade posted up tech drawings of solid subframe bushings for the s13. you can have them cut from aluminium.

provides a very accurate ride at the cost of some harshness!!!

cool, will check it out, thanx 8)