Autobush bushings - installation report (longish)

[RotoFlexible]

This picks up on an old thread in the +2 section. I purchased a complete set of Autobush bushings and have now installed them, but not yet driven the car. The front bushings were straightforward to install. I used 1/2" stainless steel washers on each side of each bushing. It's important that the washer is a snug fit on the spindle so that it will bear on the steel crush sleeve inside the bushing and not ride over it. Greased with the supplied goo, and with the nuts torqued correctly, the Spyder wishbones can be moved by hand once the initial "stiction" is overcome, but they are stiff. I expect they will ease in the first few miles.

The rears - especially the inners - are another story, at least in my stock wishbones. With the bushes installed in the inner wishbone ends, their flanges make for a snug fit in the frame brackets. However, the brackets seem to be spaced just a little too far apart to allow both front and rear ends to be inserted at the same time - that is, with the front end in its bracket, the front flange of the rear bushing overlaps the bracket by a good 1/8".

I shaved a bit off the top edge of the flange so it could get started and attempted to jack the wishbone end into the bracket. This cost me the tip of my thumb when the jack slipped, my own stupid fault. Eventually (following surgery to repair the thumb) a friend, more experienced in the judicious use of force, was able to jack and hammer the ends into place, but it was a struggle. Once bolted in, the bushings feel very smooth and solid. The outer wishbone ends were no problem.

[elansprint]

I had the same problem at the front with the superflex bushes as the nyloks supplied by Sue Millar did not engage on the threads enough
Ian

[RotoFlexible]

See this post for more on the longevity of Autobush bushings, at least the rear inner bushings.