I just bought a set of ES bushing for the vertical or traction bar but dont know how or what position they go in?
for the factory crossmember ?
I have a set in my 92 gsr. but i have not installed them. they were in there when i bought the car a loooooong time ago .
They go hourglass shaped like in your picture. Quick picture to help.
thats exactly how I had them on the radius rod but noticed thatthe washers were squeezing into the bushing when torqueing them down. The washers are flared at the ends kinda like a cup so do I jest install them the same way so they face the bushings or out so they slide into the bushings?
Hopefully this will help you. I don’t think the hand drawing above is correct. It looks like the washers are supposed to kind of grip the bushings. You can ignore the message about the thicker bushing, if I remember correctly, the ES kit bushings are both the same size.
Yes they do compress, this is normal. The bushings are designed to allow the radius arm to move freely (that is why they are cone shaped and also why they should be placed hour glass shaped). It does kinda make sense to put the washers inwards. I’m just following the OEM way, where the washers are facing outwards. In the end, I doubt it will make much of a difference.
If you look closely at the picture, the washers are still facing outwards. Yes on the OEM bushings, the there is one bushing that is thicker and one that is flat and thin. But on the ES bushings they are all the same.
I think I might have turned the bushings backwards when I put everything back… I must of placd the thinker one in the back cuz I now have play on my steering wheel ex: When I accelerate steering wheel pulls to the right and when I brake if pulls to the left.
Ill post pics later of the install tonight.
Your caster will be slightly off after changing out the radius arm bushings. I suggest an alignment be done after changing the radius rod bushings. However, If you messed with the lower control arm or any other parts of the suspension you will most definitely need an alignment.
Ol so I got a chance to install the new bushings today and I this is how you guys mentioned to do it.
Yes that looks correct. Just remember to torque to proper specs. The bushing will look like its squeezing out, but as far I know that is normal. The nut can only tighten into the rod a certain distance anyways. Remember to grease the bushing with the provided grease or use another heavy duty grease (marine grease works well).
This is some good info to know. I was wondering if there were radius rod bushings available from ES.
Why is it that so many people choose to remove the crossmember subframe? It seems to me like kind of
stupid to do considering that is a major part of the frame. Does it help reduce front end impact in the event of a collision?
The crossmember is the bracing that goes underneath your oilpan from front of the car to the rear and is connected to the front subframe. Don’t get this confused with the subframe itself (which is also sometimes called the crossmember, but for the purpose of this thread I will call it the subframe). The subframe is a required component of your suspension unless you have a traction bar which replaces it entirely.
The crossmember can be removed and the car can still be driven safely, but it is not recommended. To me, there are only two valid reason to remove the crossmember and that is if your are installing a traction bar setup or to solve header clearance issues.
There are people who remove it purely for aesthetic reasons, but to me I find that stupid. However, it’s good to note that GSR’s did not come with a crossmember from factory. The crossmember was most likely designed for safety reasons, and it provides some extra rigidity so it should be left on unless it is totally necessary to take it off.
just a quick follow up on the es bushings, I took the car out the other night to test my launch and it seemed to help the tires hook better from a stop. I have a lsd tranny and launch my car at 3k rpms at the line, drop my street tires air pressure from 40 psi to 20 psi. the wheel hope was still there but it was reduced by 40% or so, I would recomend these as a cheap and good basic bolt on mod for everyone.
Do you have a traction bar setup?
I believe this is all wrong. I am too in this process and found this on H-tech and believe this is the right way. When I tried to insert em like the hour glass way up there. Heck no does this bushings even stay in place.
Anybody?
It all boils down to how “freely” that bar is supposed to move around the pivot that is created by where the bushings meet.
I don’t know shit about suspensions, but based on circumstantial evidence (aftermarket traction bars have heim joints in that spot) pivoting in all directions freely but resisting motion forward and back and laterally is probably the ideal model. Because the bar isn’t bound to the bushings, which direction you put the bushings in won’t affect how much compression is available front to back but will affect how much rotational movement is allowed.
So I’m saying that, despite my earlier doubts, the hand-drawn image above is probably the most ideal configuration.
Viewed from a different perspective though, if you put the bushings the other way, the radius rod will help cushion additional slop in the lower control arm mounting points and will act as a very mild additional spring rate.
I will say this: if I were to install a set of those bushings today I’d do it the hourglass way…unless it was a total pain in the ass and then I’d just tell myself it probably won’t matter that much and do it the other way. If I really cared, I’d find something like this and make it work.
Shouldn’t ES be able to clear this whole thing up instead of speculation?
I decided to install it the other way where it fits snug in there. Installing it the hour glass way there is not even fitted right. Just look at that pic above and compare the oem pic way up there. Looks more like the way I thought it would be. I even called up es manufactured place and dude had no freaken clue on how these go…This piece right here really sucks…
Only to find out is for me to test it how I placed em. My passenger radius rod was a bitch to put them two 17s bolts in. I think the machine shop probably bent it when they said they couldn’t get it out. Bastards didn’t even tell me. But I figured a way to put em in.
Ever get this figured out>??