[jr85mk2]

I ordered the front kit and the rear control arm bushings in polygrphite and they have arrived. Has anyone replaced the front control arm bushings, lower ball joint, etc? The ball joint has a snap ring and I presume the old one comes out in a similar fashon? TSRM doesn't tell removal instructions for the ball joint. Chris E. any Imput?? The control arm bushings should just press out I hope.

 

[CJSREDPRA]

Hey Josh,

No answer on this one... The frame/alignment/suspension shop that I took the Redpra to last year for all of the suspension work, did the install on all of the PST bushings.

And yes, the TSRM won't have any information on how to get the lower ball joint off of the lower control arm. Toyota's "DUMB" answer to this, is if you need to replace the lower ball joint, you also get to purchase a new lower control arm... The shop that I took the Redpra to, had a press to get the lower ball joint out & replaced it w/ the new one.

On your rear control arm bushings, check to make sure that the inner sleeve is in the new bushings!!!!! On one set, the inner metal sleeves were missing, thus some had to be fabricated. Actually, check ALL of the bushings that should have the inner metal sleeves, if they are missing.... Sometimes PST's quality control can go slightly astray at times.

 

[FWDsux]

Concerning the control arms.....
I just put poly bushings in my friend's Mitsu Starion and the instructions for the rear (haven't done the front yet, but basically the same) were to completely remove the lower control arms, then burn the old rubber bushings out, saving the metal sleeves inside to be cleaned and reused in the new polys. I haven't even looked under my car, but I was thinking of doing the same thing (burning the bushings out), where applicable. No pressing required. When I get the bushing-ball rolling, I have a complete spare car so I'll be experimenting on it. I'll post my experiences.

Nick

 

[SupraFiend]

I've had luck with just heating up the outsides of the rear trailing arms where the bushings are pressed in with a torch. This greases them up good and then they pop out really easy. You still have to get the new ones in though, which can require a press, but oftet a good mallet will do it, just be careful not to damage the bushing while doing this.

Josh, how much did you pay in all for all of that and where did you get it from? PST direct? Thanks.

 

[SupraWes]

I paid 20bux at a machine shop to have my old bushings and balljoints pressed out and the new ones pressed in. They even put them in the bead blaster so I had nice bare metal to paint. And all I had to do was stand there and watch. I did it the hard way on my Celica, my advice is pay the 20bux.

 

[CJSREDPRA]

Seamus,

I ordered my PST polygraphite kit, while I was on the phone with them. $179.00 USD for the complete front suspension kit, another $30.00 for the rear control arm bushings. Free shipping (at least in the US, not sure about shipping to Canada).

 

[Voyn238]

do the PST rear control arm bushings require you to re-use the metal sleeve from the outer bushing, like the energy suspension bushings do? I recently popped out the outer bushing from one of my spare control arms, and it seems that someone either screwed up the design of the replacement bushings, or just don't care that it's going to really suck to get their bushings to work. You've got to carve the rubber off the old bushing, but leave it in a perfect cylinder of the same diameter of the end caps of the metal insert. This will mean having a very thin layer of polyurethane over a layer of rubber, which doesn't seem very sound to me. Seems like the poly layer will just slide right out...

Where can I find these PST bushings, anyways?

 

[Supra Bob]

pst suspension

 

[CJSREDPRA]

Vern,

I "think" you do have to reuse the outer sleeve's on the rear CAB's. Was trying to remember what the rear CAB's looked like when they were still in the original packaging, but this was over a year ago. I just went out to the Redpra to look at it & I could not get a good view of the CAB's (I either need to take a wheel off, or jack the car up).

Best thing to do in this case, is to call PST & speak to a human.

The suspension shop that installed the PST kit was able to get everything to work. Again, their only complaint, was that on 1 set of rear CAB's, they were missing the inner metal sleeve's.

 

[jr85mk2]

Chris,
In the set of rear control arm bushings there are 4 total. 2 of them with the large diamater innner hole are without the sleeve. I think this is the way they come for some reason.

If I find a decent suspension shop I can trust then I might have it all done there.