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View Full Version : Just rebuilt the rear suspension (long with pics)


dave45056
07-02-2008, 03:40 AM
I FINALLY got my club sport back on the road.
It has been in my garage for 3 weeks.
I had been collecting parts to make the rear toe and camber adjustable IE style, when my rear wheel bearings started getting load. Then my car started consuming coolant, so I decided it was time. I'll get into what happened on the coolant loss issue in another thread.

So this is what I did. I fabricated 8 brackets for the rear subframe and had them welded in. Then I used 5 series eccentric bolts, washers and nuts.
The arrangement looks like this:
http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k192/dave45056/Rear%20Suspension/CAMBERPLATE.png

I knew I needed to have a way to get the old subframe bushings out, so I made a puller which looks like this:
http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k192/dave45056/Rear%20Suspension/subframebushingtool.png

It worked well. There is a nice thrust bearing which takes the load. It too so much force to pull one of the bushings out that I bent one of the blocks at the top. Remember, I was going to do some welding on the subframe so I took the whole thing out and removed the bushings in my basement.

Now I am not anti Ireland, but I don't like Urethane bushings, so I replaced the subframe bushings and rear trailing arm bushings with stock parts. There is something I did not like about the stock subframe bushings however. There are air gaps built into the bushing at the top and bottom and relieved areas in the middle. I ran into a thread by Randy Forbes and he described making stuffers to fit in the bushings. So I followed his lead and made a set of my own. The parts look like this:
http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k192/dave45056/Rear%20Suspension/stuffers.jpg
My first attempt failed as I made the mold from a used beer case. Next I made an aluminum mold and filled it with liquid urethane from McMaster Carr. Now I know I already said that I don't like Urethane, but in this case the rubber is what is doing the work, the urethane is filling in the air gaps only.
This is what mine look like installed:
http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k192/dave45056/Rear%20Suspension/S6302981.jpg

Next I had to replace the growling rear bearings. They were bad for sure. And if I didn't use an 8 ton press, they would not have come out. I had originally designed the subframe removal tool in a way that it could be used to do the bearings too (with some other tubes and plates), but there was no way. I could use the tool to re-install the bearings, and to pull the hubs in, though.
While I had the subframe out I painted it and cleaned up the diff cover, and replaced the diff fluid with Royal Purple and a LSD additive.
http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k192/dave45056/Rear%20Suspension/S6302983.jpg

Overall the job was a pain in the a$$ but the results are amazing. The rear feels so planted now, and the bearings are silent.

dave45056
07-02-2008, 03:43 AM
I forgot to show a pic of the eccentric installed. Here it is:
http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k192/dave45056/Rear%20Suspension/S6302991.jpg
Right now I have them centered in the slots which feels good, I will get an alignment shortly, though.

Moose
07-02-2008, 04:23 AM
Amazing. That bushing puller is pretty cool with the bearing and all. Looks like you have some serious skills

. Did you heat the subframe while you were 'pulling' the bushing? I hear it comes out like butter with the right amount of heat and a homemade tool.

Also the spacers you made are awesome. I'm about to do all this and more later this week. LSD Diff, Wheel Bearings, Trailing arms bushing, Sub'frame bushings, SS bar etc,

You wouldn't want to whip out another set of those super pimp daddy' spacers for my project? That would rock and I'd pay you $$

campaiar
07-02-2008, 05:21 PM
Dave I think what we need to do is meet up and install your bushing additions on my car and document the process. Then you can sell them with full installation instructions. I'll provide the testbed free of charge, in fact I'll pay you to use it.

Looking forward to seeing this work this weekend. I'll post up my impressions next week.

Let me know when you want to get together.

campaiar
07-02-2008, 05:24 PM
Man I just remembered that we haven't settled up on the radiator... Hmmmm, this may work out well.... :biggrin:

dave45056
07-02-2008, 06:38 PM
Man I just remembered that we haven't settled up on the radiator... Hmmmm, this may work out well.... :biggrin:

I did not forget... It appears to be holding water so it's a done deal