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Front suspension:
Tension rod bushings - Refer to the service manual for the steps to remove the tension rod. You have two options for removing the old bushings, cutting it out or pressing it out. In my case, I have a hydraulic press in my garage and used this to press out the old bushing. I'm not sure what tools you will have at your disposal, but if you at least have a large vise and can find some large sockets (around 2" - I can't remember the exact size off the top of my head); one to press on the old bushing [sized to the metal sleeve of the old bushing,
and the other big enough to let the bushing pass through it while holding the tension rod in place. Whether you use a large vise or a press, the idea is to sandwich the tension rod between the two sockets where the smaller one will push the bushing through the tension rod while it is being supported by the other socket. If sockets aren't available, then look for scrap steel tubing (1/8" minimum wall thickness) in sizes as described above. Just make sure that the smaller socket/pipe isn't too big to the point that it gets jammed into the tension rod during the bushing removal.
If you decide to cut the old bushing out follow this procedure: you should drill as many holes through the rubber as possible to make it easier to take something like a reciprocating saw to finish the cutting job. After you've gotten the bulk of the rubber out, the outer metal sleeve still needs to be removed. Carefully cut into the outer sleeve with a hacksaw but try to avoid cutting into the tension rod sleeve - any burrs/cuts will damage the new bushing. If you inadvertently create a burr, sand it until it's smooth.
Pressing the new bushing in is easiest with a press/vise where you can get a mechanical advantage with squeezing it through the hole. I haven't tried it by hand, so I don't know how hard it is to do without the press.
Refer to your service manual for installation torque values.
Lower control arm bushings - The service manual describes how to remove the lower control arm - follow this as it is the best way to do the removal. I learned the hard way that it's nearly impossible to press the old bushings out and avoid damaging the lower control arm. 
Using a drill, I did as described above where I drilled as many holes through the rubber as possible and then went back with a saw and razor knife to remove the center bushing (where the bolt passes through) and as much rubber for the outer sleeve (which stays in place on the control arm - do not press this sleeve out. I also used a small wire brush chucked into my electric drill to clean out the remaining rubber that was still bonded to the outer bushing. After greasing up the new bushing pieces, it can be hand assembled. Be sure to reinstall the lower control arm as soon as you can otherwise the bushing pieces will slide apart (out of the sleeve) making installation pretty difficult.
Refer to your service manual for installation torque values.
Steering rack bushings - The driver's side bushing is the most difficult (compared to the passenger side) to replace because 1) power steering lines are in the way, 2) the oil pan is in the way, 3) the knuckle (u-joint) that connects the steering rack to the steering shaft needs to be loosened, and 4) there is not much room to get your hands in this tight area. To make things as easy as possible, remove the clamp on the passenger side (but do not replace that bushing yet), loosen and remove the bolts that clamp the knuckle which connects the steering rack to the steering shaft (you may need to spread the knuckles so it can slide on the splines). (again, using the manual will help out a lot here). Remove the two bolts and the upper clamp that holds the driver side bushing in place. Here is where long, angled needle nose pliers came in handy......after working the new bushing as far into place as I could I took the needle nose pliers and worked it all the way around until it was in place. The hard part on this side is that the bushing has a pointed end that has to be in the right place otherwise the clamp will not sit properly and it will be impossible to reinstall the bolts. [I think it was Guapo on tt.net who was sourcing some longer clamp bolts to make this installation easier - you might check with him on this for more details.]
Once you have the driver side bushing in place, you can install the passenger side bushing and reassemble all of the parts you took out. It took me almost 2 hours to do the driver side bushing and less than 15 minutes to do the passenger bushing. Don't be misled by the simple appearance of the bushings - this is an involved process. I've included a picture of the new bushings in place on my steering rack - sorry that I don't have any pictures of the process itself but I was doing this alone and pictures were the farthest thing on my mind. 
Sway bar bushings - By far the easiest part of the bushing job. Unbolt the clamps, remove the old bushing, grease the inside of the new bushing and install it. Retorque the clamp bolts per the service manual.
By the way, if I recall correctly, the order of doing this job works best as described above.
This covers the front bushings - if you're still awake here's the rear bushing procedure:
Refer to the service manual for removal of the rear subframe (in the rear suspension section). The manual says to remove the upper spring bolts but I just removed the bolt that attaches the shock to the hub assembly (this saves from having to remove all of the interior panels just to get to the upper nuts). By the way this is a tricky process if you do not have a lift because the rear of the car needs to be high enough to allow you to remove the subframe assembly. If the car is supported on jack stands then you need to be sure that the car is secure and stable as well as being high enough to provide enough ground clearance. I have a lift, so I was fortunate to not have to figure out how to support the car on jack stands while removing the sub frame. Please be very careful if you try to do this on your own. Also, be sure you get the ABS sensor connector that is on the top-rear of the differential (and secured on the subframe nearby) before lowering the subframe. Note, I did not remove the HICAS actuator with the subframe...
Once the subframe is out of the car, the first thing to do is remove the differential from the subframe and set it aside for now. With the subframe supported a few inches off the ground with wood blocks you can begin working on removing the four main bushings that attach the frame to the car body as well as the rear differential mounts that are on the subframe.
Differential mounts (ON SUBFRAME)- As with the front bushings, your best bet is to cut out as much rubber as you can and then come back with a nice, sander, wire wheel, etc to clean off the remaining rubber. The bushing instructions state to reuse the inner metal piece of the original bushings.
After removing the remainder of the bushing from the subframe, wipe out the hole with a clean rag and apply some grease to the hole and the bushing. I used a large C-clamp and a metal plate (or equivalent) to install the new bushings. Install the inner metal cup from the original bushings and this job is complete.
Subframe mounts - This was the hardest part of the whole job as there is no easy way to get the old bushings out. The original bushings sit in a hole that has a flange at the bottom - you want to be careful to avoid bending/damaging this flange during the removal of the old bushings. In short, I drilled/cut out the rubber portion which left me with the outer sleeve still in place. Next, I carefully used a chisel to catch the edge of the sleeve and with a sledge hammer I pounded on the sleeve to collapse it into itself. The idea here is to attempt and make the sleeve become smaller (in diameter) to make it loose enough to be pried out of the subframe. The problem here is that you can easily gouge the subframe hole that the new bushing mounts into, so try to be as careful as possible. Because there is a flange at the bottom (as I described above), the sleeve cannot be pushed through...you will need to collapse it and pull it out from the top. I used a round grinding stone and a sanding disc on my drill to dress up the gouges so they wouldn't cut up the new bushings. Also, you will need to cut off the little rubber ring that is bonded to the bottom of the flange that I referred to above. I cut as much off as possible, and then came back with a wire wheel to get the remainder. Once you have the old bushings/sleeves out and everything is cleaned up, grease up the new bushing and slide it into place (goes in by hand). If I remember correctly, there are 2 different sizes of the rear bushings - be sure to follow the instructions on where each on goes.
Differential mounts (ON DIFFERENTIAL) - To remove the old bushings, you will need to start from the top side of the differential and locate the two forward mounting tabs on either side of the input shaft (where the drive shaft connects). Next take a close look at the top of the mounting tab and you should see the flange of the bushing. You will need to carefully work a chisel between the bottom of the flange and the top of the mounting tab (using a hammer to get things going). As soon as you can catch the edge of the tab - continue tapping the chisel under the flange and the bushing should start to work its way out of the mounting tab. Keep working it with the chisel, until the bushing comes all the way out. Since the mounting tab is cast iron, use caution when hammering the chisel to avoid cracking or breaking the mounting tab. Patience is the key - don't rush it. You will need to remove the rubber from the upper mounting washers (I gently clamped it in a vise and used a wire wheel on my drill). Follow the instructions for installing the new bushings.
Sway bar bushings - After tackling the subframe mounts, these are relatively simple. No special tricks other than closely observe the way the old bushings are oriented and be sure to duplicate this with the new ones. Since the sway bar is attached to the subframe you can do this with the subframe in or out of the car (it's easier with the frame out though).
Rear subframe installation: I reinstalled the subframe without the differential to make it easier and lighter for maneuvering into place. This is a two-man job so you should line up some help for this. Installation is the reverse of the removal process. After the subframe is in place and torqued down, you can install the differential (again a two-man job) and finish the installation by reversing the removal steps. 
I hope this helps make the job a little easier to understand. Make no mistake about the difficulty and time involved with this project. Good luck, Dave N.
Sig Quotes:
"Or he's having a rough week like the rest of us and decided to take out his agressions of not being breast fed on me." BigTDogg 15:45, 09/25/03 "Pick her up from day care and take her to Dairy Queen for a snow cone." YugoBernie 1/7/04 of course those are canadian bannings and beatings, which after the conversion rate is really only a "hey! stop that!" Chris(NJ) 1/14/04 |
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