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Old 11-21-2004, 10:01 AM
NC240D76 NC240D76 is offline
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Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Eastern NC
Posts: 338
Driver side sub frame bushings.

Got them on last night.
The drivers side subframe bushings showed a little wear and moved a fair amount with a prybar, the rear more than the front and more than the pass side.
I took the top bolts off the shock and the bolts out of the sub frame bushings and started easing the car up (I used a lift but a jack should work the same) I keep an eye on the motor and I turned the fan so it would have max clearance. As soon as the tire clears the floor by an inch stop and put a 2 x 4(6-8 whatever) on the top of the spring hump, using a long crowbar for leverage and a sturdy flat head screw driver, pop the old bushing out and slide the new one in, I started in the rear but I do not think it matters.
The kit I got from Phil did not have instructions and the repair manuals on cd suck so I had to guess where the parts went.
My kit had a new bolt, lock washer, big washer, rubber doughnut(these mount from underneath in the order listed), a small white plastic funnel looking thing, the main bushing, a nut plate and a clip for each mount (4 of each).
The only use I could see for the white plastic piece was on the bottom of the bushing, it seemed to fit there fairly well, there was nowhere else that made sense and there was none in the parts I removed. Anyway I slipped the plastic piece over the nipple on the bushing and with a very little prying got it started back in the hole with the cup or large alum hole on top, I did not worry about forcing it down in the hole just made sure it was lined up right and did not spray or grease it. I put the new nut plate in, flat side up and started the bolt with the washers and doughnut in the order listed.
Ditto for the front, no harder to do just make sure the nut plate goes in far enough, it seems to like to stop about a half inch short.
Let the car down while guiding the shock back into the hole and the weight of the car should press the bushings into the correct position.
Tighten subframe bolts, replace shock top bushing, washer, both nuts and finished.
From start to finish and without a manual or knowing what the heck we were doing aprox 60 mins. Extra parts, those little clips listed last above, anybody know what they are for?
The new bushings have very, very little movement and although the old front bushing looked good and I thought I was wasting my time changing it, there is alot of differance in the new ones. This would have been a great time to change shocks but I did not have them so they will get changed with the upper and lower control arm bushings and the subframe bushings on the pass. side.
I also changed the steering coupler last night but I will walk you through that pia process later.
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Ncnetman
1959 Chev 3100 Fleetside
1965 Mustang
1968 Torino GT fastback
1969 Ranchero
1974 240d 4-speed -for sale
1976 240d fresh paint- on hold
1978 300cd fresh paint and new rearwindshield rubber
1990 6.2 Suburban 194k-getting a 6.5 turbo
2008 Duramax Silverado
2015 VW Passat TDI
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