Hey Guys,

So yesterday I was trying to install my Energy Suspension Compression Rod bushings. I spayed all of the nuts and bolts down with PB Blaster for 3 days prior doing the install. My driver's side compression rod came off super easy. Got the old bushing pressed out no problem.

The passenger side has been a f*ing nightmare! The oem inner bushing sleeve has rusted and seized on the unibody stud and will not come off. I was able to use a gear puller and press the bushing out of the rod with it still on the car. So now the compression rod is out of the way, but I have the inner bushing still stuck on the stud.

I've cut most of the rubber away with a saw-zall. So far I've been trying to use vise-grips and channel locks to break it free, but have had no luck. I'm afriad to try cutting the inner metal bushing sleeve, because I don't want to risk messing up the unibody stud. My next move is to try to heat it up with a torch and see if it will come off.

Does anyone have any other suggestions, ideas, or experiece with this?

 

*bump* for ya...

do you have any pics that you can post up? I'm trying to get a visual on the exact issue(s).

 

Here's a couple of pics:

 

You could try to use a pipe wrench and keep trying to get the pb blaster in there. If you can get the bushing to move just a touch, that might be enough to start getting it off.

If that fails then you could try CAREFULLY cutting a slot in the bushing with something like a dremel. Not something big like cut off wheel/grinder. Cut 90% into the bushing (not all the way). Then take a screwdriver and try to split the bushing open.

 

^Thanks for the quick reply. I'll have to hit up the hardware store on my way home and get a pipe wrench. I did try to start cutting a slot like you mentioned, but I gave up in fear that I would cut too much. I hope by heating the bushing and cranking with the pipe wrench it will come free.

 

Damn that's a mess.. probably going to install my own this weekend or sometime soon... hope I don't run into something like this...

 

You could try cutting a slit only about 50% in hopes that it weakens it enough to expand when you turn it with the pipe wrench

 

Get some PB blaster, if you haven't already. Start spraying the bolts at least once a day for a couple of days leading up to your install. Really soak the top of the CR bushings where it meets the body and at the bottom where the nut is.

 

If not a pipe wrench, how about some locking pliers? I'm not sure how heavily binded it is, but you should be able to use the pliers to counter against something while you turn the bolt back and forth with your wrench.


EDIT: nevermind, looks like you've tried vise grips

 

Are you able to put the nut back on and tighten it down to see if it will loosen the inner bushing sleeve?

 

There is a thread on this on my\350. I was very lucky and did not have this problem, but was thinking if I had this issue:

1) Try the pipe wrench method. Never heard of success but thought it's worth a try.

2) Sawzall. You wan to ride it up the side of the unibody stud but not into the unibody (as you already know).

3) Some kind of bastardized gear pulling mechanism. Maybe attach a collar on the stub and hope you could pull it off.

It's going to suck but don't give up. I bet you may even have it off by now. If you don't you just need to give it a little time.

For the future, coat the unibody stud and inner barrel of your bushings with anitsieze. Something I wish the factory did.

 

Thanks for all the help guys. Much appriciated.

So last night I really soaked things down with even more PB Blaster and let it sit overnight. This morning I went at it again with the vise grips and a pipe wrench. The pipe wrench kept slipping and the vise grips couldn't get it loose either.

So I took my dremel with a small cutting wheel and finished to cut a grove vertically down the center of the bushing sleeve. Then I used hammer and some chisels to widen the grove and spread the metal at the bottom working my way up. Finally I was able to open it up enough to get it loose with my vise grips.

Tonight I plan on cleaning up the stud with some rust converter and by tomorrow I should have the Energy Bushings installed. I'm gonna anti-seize the sh*t out of the studs before I re-install the compression rods.

 

im about to attempt this install due to some front end clunking. my only worries, is i don't want to break the stud attached to the body. i imagine if this breaks, you are pretty much SOL.

 

Yeah, breaking the studs would be suck really bad. I followed the DIY on my350.com and in the write-up it is recommened to use an impact gun on the compression rod nuts. Also, having a impact gun for the ball joints nuts really helps too.

 

it seems that most have trouble doing this install and im not sure why...I pulled off mine the other day to install my SPL bushings and man everything was a breeze for me. been lowered on my g35 for 2 years now......tossed alittle bit of PB Blaster on it about 2-3 hours before I started...I undid the bottom nut first on the front suspension knuckle to free up any tension against the compression rod.

Then I took my crow bar in between the compression rod and the body and just pried down alittle and both just slid right off. I didnt use any form of a power tool either. I broke loose all the bolts first with my breaker bar just to get everything started and then hit it with my air rachet on low speed and everything came off like a breeze


Note that whenever they came off there was def rust on the bolt and I can see where some can have problems but mine went pretty dang smooth.

not sure how bad mine were but they were all def blown.





Pressed in



Back installed


personally after looking through all of the compression rods available...hands down I would install SPL over any bushing into this particular spot.....The energy bushing I dont believe has any pivot angle like SPL since its just the center metal piece around the bolt with the Urethane bushings just set up in there since everyone seems to claim that you dont press them in.