Bushings Again.

jsa330 · Post by **jsa330** » Tue Jun 22, 2004 6:34 pm

The mechanic who works on my car is working on locating the eight new rear suspension control arm bushings that I need. He also told me that the old ones are rebuildable, because these bushings are made with an exterior steel ring, an interior steel ring, with a rubber donut between them that can be renewed. He was going to check into this as well, as he has done it in the past.

Anyone ever had this done? I trust my mechanic but thought I would ask around here as well.

Regards,

Scott

Post by **tyang** » Tue Jun 22, 2004 9:16 pm

Hi Scott,

The bushings you are looking for are called silent bloc bushings. They are available from the usual suspects that supply Ferrari parts. Partsource has them. I also know tha silentbloc bushing may be had from other sources, but you'll have to make sure the measurments are the same as the ones you're replacing.

Rebuilding the old shells may not achieve the same effect because the silenblocs were vucanized to these shells, and anything you put in their place will turn inside these shells. It's your call.

Be aware that if he's in there, I hope he's going to replace the rear spring eye bushing.That's the one that really craps out. Do a search on the journal entries for leaf spring, and you should see how I machined teflon bushings for mine.

Tom

Stephanm · Post by **Stephanm** » Wed Jun 23, 2004 5:47 am

Make sure to keep all the bolts going through the silent blocks until you lover the car to the ground allowing it to settle on the suspention. If you tighten the bolts when the car is in a "droop" position and tighten the bolts, it will possibly damage teh silent blocks, and screw up your ride height.

Stephanm · Post by **Stephanm** » Wed Jun 23, 2004 5:49 am

I meant to say, keep all the bolts LOOSE,

jsa330 · Post by **jsa330** » Wed Jun 23, 2004 9:44 am

Tom,

Thanks for your reply and the info....very helpful.

I will definitely talk to the shop guys about the leaf spring bushings - they didn't say anything about them. They are probably in as least as bad shape as the control arm bushings. The rear suspension does clunk on certain bad bumps. Might as well face the inevitable.

I had assumed that some kind of heat bonding process was used in rebuilding bushings but I will ask more specific questions.

I did talk to Partsource, as well as others. The mechanic took measurements with a caliper and is shopping around.

Stephanm - I've been there. I had a BMW 635 and the guy who installed new control arms (BMW control arms and bushings come as a unit-$$$) tightened them down while the weight was off the wheels. They lasted about 10,000 miles. I appreciate your reminding me...you can bet that it won't happen this time!