mt_goat

I've heard of guys burning the rubber off. Why can't Energy Suspension make or sell what's needed with their bushings???

Sosborne

You would think they would. When you purchase a replacement part you shouldn't have to fab parts to make it work.

I have used Energy stuff before but I am really disappointed with these bushings.

Sosborne

So do you guys think if I sandwiched a washer where the old end cap was would I be ok???

BTW has anyone had any problems with the quickness of Downeys shipping? I have been waiting two weeks for my stuff!

Scott

ewong

I have lower urathane bushings

If I had to to it over - OEM or custom derlin

Urathane i smade by the aftermarket beause its cheap to do.
Rubber is better becuase it "twists" instead of acting like a bearking and slides. Thats why the urathane will squeek.

In my case I got some metal sleeve parts made out of stainless by a metal shop.

Ya still need the measurements?

IFS parts should be CHEAP to find in the yards BTW...

BLKNBLU

iTrader: (1)

You're probably getting the idea by now that none of us are too happy with the Energy Suspension bushings (at least for this application) I was lucky here in AZ that everything came apart in one piece. I ended up shaving the old bushing off the sleeves as close as I could with a box knife then sanding the rest off with a sanding wheel on my angle grinder. Of course in your case the sleeves are shot as well. I would echo what ewong said on getting the OEM ones and ditch the Energy stuff if I had it to do over again. Personally, I would just eat the cost on the Energy's or dump 'em on e bay. But it's not MY wallet we're talking about here either.

edit: My Downey stuff came in a reasonable amount of time as I recall, but it was a couple years back.

Sosborne

Well after some serious torching I go most of it off. I took the rest off with the grinder. I am putting tons of the Energy lub on everything to stop the squeak if I can. I am going to just sandwich a big 3/4 fender washer on the sides that broke off during extraction.

I will try to get some pics up tonight.

I was going to just trash the stuff.....But that doesnt fit with my DIY mentality. I would sooner spend money and time fabing a solution than give up on something (Probably to my discredit)

Scott

ewong

Basically to get the inner metal sleeves off you PRESS or BURN them out of the control arms.

In your case since the control arms are trash - CUT them off th control arms with a sawzall.

I have a set of sleeves here so I can measure em up so you can get em made by a machine shop...

BLKNBLU

iTrader: (1)

Not at all. If you think something still has life in it and you can make it work, by all means, go for it. I'm old enough to remember when most things got fixed rather than discarded. Rock on!!

Sosborne

BLKNBLU, I am a depression era throw back....Learned it from my grandfather.

BLKNBLU

iTrader: (1)

Ha! That thumbs down pic is classic. Thanks for the laugh.

Mike

Sosborne

So....Will my modded sleeves work??

I have access to a machine shop and could have the parts made with relative ease.... I would like my truck back asap, but i like to do things right the first time

Ewong, I will take those measurements

Sosborne

Will my sleeves with the washer worK??????

Need opinions

Thanks
Scott

ewong

Contact this guy?

https://www.yotatech.com/forums/showthread.php?t=115152

I didnt see this till this AM... I'll get measurements and pics tonight... I think I have the parts here in my house (as opposed to sitting inthe 4Runner thats in storage)

IMHO - the washers will work ONLY if the fashers are AROUND the tube.

The metal sleeve is what the suspension cam bolts clamps against between the ears. If you stack washers int htere -then its more likely that the syspension arm bolt will move around - putting ya out of alignment... I know - the first sleeves I had made were "too short"... Also the OEM ones have a "serration" to give the assembly some "bite" in the ears....

Sosborne

Come to find out I know a machinist who can wihip up the parts in a couple of days....Just need a print or measurements.

Thanks
Scott

ewong

Its kinda hard to measure the width (diameter) of the rubber as its - well - squishy.

w/o squeezing too hard I get 1.580"
I dont have a lower A arm handy to measure the actual arm hole diameter.

Its kind of an odd measurement as the washers have serrations on them. But as far as I can tell a tube of length 2.720" should do it. Thats the critcal measurement anyways.

Note that the washers are on BOTH ends of the OEM bushing. The washers are captured via a thin tube sleeve that gets "peened over" and retains the end washers.

The poly bushings appear to have a POLY "washer" to keep the A arm in place.

The washer outer diameter isnt critical, but mine is 1.640"

You have a poly bushing and can get a press fit number for the outer diameter pof the sleeve better than I can.

I havent sawed the rubber off of these.
At the end I measure 1.030" as a diameter for the sleeve.

Inner hole diameter is less critical - it just needs to be a hole that the bolt passes through. I get 0.640" on mine. I'd measure a cam bolt to double check..

I found a cam bolt (can you tell this is a LONG standing project for me?)
0.627"

Hope that helps

Sosborne

Ok.....I have the parts being machined now....The machinist wasn't sure how to do the serrated Knurls so I told him to just put in a band of diamond knurls.

I had to bend back the drop arm for the A-arm so I figured I would pick up one of these to make the job easier

Got it setup and it was working great. I had about another 3/8 to go to get it back to factory dims when...BAM the Ram sprung a leak where the input nipple meets the body.....What a disappointment. I would assume they will take it back since it broke the first time and I wasn't even close to 10 ton of pressure.

Scott

ewong

Diamond knurs should work.

Its just to keep the sleeve from moving around too much after the bolts are tightened.

My first attempt at this - the sleeves were TOO SHORT so I have stacked washers in there and of course... it moved around too much.

These days - post SAS invention - arms are everywhere and cheap too.
So I have a few lying around...

For my next project (Total Chaos LT) I plan on doing derlin bushings with zerks

Sosborne

I broke down and just ordered the factory bushings.....$60 a pop (Owww my ass). I cant wait to get my truck which is my DD back. Its hard to cart the family around in my F-350, not to mention its the work vehicle and always dirty.

I would like to say that Harbor Freight is awesome. They exchanged my puller with out ever questioning me.

Hopefully I will be done this weekend.

Scott

Sosborne

Don't know if you guys knew but Friday was Inventory day for Toyota USA. I wont be getting my parts till tuesday.

hodgepodge79

Any update?

Also, when you say "$60 a pop", you mean $60 x 8 bushings = $480???