Fitting a full set of poly bushes

[imoyes]

This is yet another idiots guide, 'cos it's written by an idiot. :cheeky:

Over the years your rubber OEM suspension bushes lose their resilience & your entire suspension system starts to rattle a little. This causes some "slop" in the cars handling. A common solution to this, which is said to improve your cars handling, even beyond what it was brand new, is to replace the old bushes with new, polyurethane, ones.

WARNING FOR THE FAINT HEARTED. DO NOT DO THIS JOB! IT'S A RIGHT B@$T@RD, IT'LL COST YOU A FORTUNE!

If you didn't bail out then.
Arnout at www.supras.nl sells a full set of bushes as follows:
Front & rear suspension arms 450 euros
Front & rear anti-roll bars 60 euros
Front strut towers 60 euros
Steering rack 60 euros
Or the entire kit can be bought for 600 euros. This is all plus P&P of course.

When the kit arrives check all the bushes carefully against the diagrams here:

Front
http://www.cygnusx1.net/supra/library/EPC/MKIII/291210/4802_1.html
Front Anti Roll Bar & Strut Cap
http://www.cygnusx1.net/supra/library/EPC/MKIII/291210/4803_1.html
Rear & Anti Roll Bar
http://www.cygnusx1.net/supra/library/EPC/MKIII/291210/4804_1.html
Steering
http://www.cygnusx1.net/supra/library/EPC/MKIII/291210/4505_1.html

You should have the following bushes:
4 X Lower Front
4 X Upper Front
4 X Upper Rear
2 X No1 Rear
2 X No2 Rear
2 X Strut Rod

2 X Front Sway Bar
2 X Rear Sway Bar

N.B. There are no bushes for the front or rear hub carriers (they're really more kinda ball jointy kinda things anyway)

2 X Front Strut Cap

1 X LHS Steering Bush
1 X RHS Steering Bush
Look carefully, they are different!

Check that you have everything you're supposed to have and get Arnout to replace or supply anything that's wrong, before you start the job!

All of the bushes come with metal inserts but don't come with metal sleeves. You'll have to reuse the OEM ones, be easy with the air tools. Remember you can't buy new OEM sleeves, only new bushes with sleeves fitted.

Make sure that you lay aside extra money to replace, at least some of, the suspension bolts, nuts and cam washers because you may have to end up grinding some of the old ones off.

Coat everything you're going to remove with WD40 for days before you start the job, so that you can reuse as much of the old hardware as possible. As motivation, keep in your mind that a full set of suspension bolt, nuts and cam washers weighs in at around £300!

Expect the car to be off the road for at least a couple of weeks.

I was advised to get a garage to do the job and I'm glad I did. Some of the bolts and nuts had to be ground out. The bushes had to be cut out with air tools & burned out with a torch!

If you're going to get a garage to do this get TC to do it. Nick told me that "Once the job starts to get expensive you have to compromise with people on the hourly rate a bit". :notworthy The garage I went to say "You were told it's £35 and hour (+ VAT) before we started the job." :crybaby:

"Is it worth it" I hear you ask. Honest answer is, I don't know! I picked the car up this afternoon at 5:30. It was raining so hard that you couldn't see to drive faster that 30MPH. When it was dryer I took her out for a spin (the road was still wet) and found out that they've put the front wheels (225/40ZR18) where the back ones (255/35ZR18) should be and every time the boost kicks in she goes sideways! :flush: AT ANY SPEED!

Christ knows how all you guys with 225's on the back axle of a turbo have survivied this long!

[Bondango]

Christ knows how all you guys with 225's on the back axle of a turbo have survivied this long!

We are Real men :happy3:


Yeah its a bitvh of a job and one i wouldnt do myself, especially seeing a Oxyc. Tourch is probably the most useful tool on some of them :rant: :

get those wheels swapped and get out on the twistys....that should convence you it was well worth it :yes:

[SCORPIONIK]

I replaced the front lower arm bushes with poly ones. I only did the 4 of them and that was enough. I ended up burning the rubber out and then twisting the sleeves out, what a nightmare. If any more need doing I think it may be time for a visit to the soop doctor. :D

[imoyes]

Sorry guys, I don't think you've got a clear measure of this thing guys! Thanks for trying to cheer me up but!

The car went into the garage with a full set of polybushes that I supplied & a set of Koni's and Eibachs that I supplied. The job they had to do was replace the bushes & fit the shocks & springs whilst they had the stock ones off (so, basically, that job is free).

The car was in the garage for 17 days & they asked for £1540 & change when she came back yesterday! :flush: :rant: :banghead: :crybaby:

When the car had been in for a week I asked how much it was likely to cost and they told me it would cost between £750 & £1,000 so I told her, yesterday, I wasn't paying double, & to think again. I asked her how much they'd spent on parts, £165 + VAT. We settled on £1280 & change!

The parts included £30 for an air saw they wore out doing the job & £60 for a new set of OEM rear No1 bushes 'cos they f!cked up the sleeves on the old ones with the air saw they burned out on the same sleeves!

I am sure that one of the members of the group will come along soon and point out, as I did to the garage, that I could probably replace my car for the amount of money they charged!

I'm very pleased with the way the project on the Supra is progressing but this was a mistake!

On the suspension system, I have paid:
600 euros for polybushes
300 euros for used Koni's
350 euros for Eibach's
£30 for shipping on the bushes, springs & shocks
£90 for rear suspension bolts
£1280 to have the bushes, shocks & springs fitted
£110 for a Cusco rear strut brace

To finish the, suspension, project I have to pay:
$250 for a four point front strut brace
£235 for a pair of Whiteline sway bars
99 euros + P&P for a JIC front under brace

I will have, literally, spent more on the suspension than I paid for the car!

Before anybody says "You're off your fricken' head!". No, I'm not, I just made a mistake!

But it was a big one!

[G.T]

Nope, I bet we'll all stand by our convictions, Mr. Moyes, you are insane :D
Although, I also think you'll have the best and most solidly handling, non creaky Mk3 Supra in the world :D

[Dillinger]

good post!
i keep reading about people putting polybushes on cars and it having a miraculous effect, so ive absently considered doing it on the supe.

but, after reading his i think i'll knock it on the head! i didnt realise they were so hard to change. I certainly couldnt manage it if you need blowtorches and air hacksaws, and i dont fancy paying 2 weeks of labour, like yourself!

i think i'll take the easier option.. springs, dampers, and possible ARB..

seems a bit cheeky of them to charge you for replacing their tools, and their screwups. is that standard practice?

[adi]

yep well cheeky to expect you to pay for their tools.. thats part of their equipmment and one of the reasons why you pay them in the first place...

[G.T]

I missed that, I'd suggest you go back and tell them, they have forgotten to supply said tools, as you couldn't find them anywhere in the boot :D

Hmm, with what it cost, I hope they included a new race-spec engine into the deal too.

[darket69]

£1280 to have the bushes, shocks & springs fitted

OMFG

[imoyes]

I missed that, I'd suggest you go back and tell them, they have forgotten to supply said tools, as you couldn't find them anywhere in the boot

The air saw they killed doing the job WAS in the boot!

[imoyes]

I've swapped the front wheels onto the front axles now, and vice versa.

More gripes. They've laid my wheels down on their faces & chipped the finish on all 4!

They didn't route the brake hoses through the clips on the front shocks and they were rubbing against the shock bodies!

They've completely bolloxed the key for my wheel locks!

All that aside. If we can put aside the F!CKEN' MASSIVE amount of money they charged me. I know, it's hard, but ignore the money for a moment.

The handling of the car is amazing! There is, virtually, no squat when you accelerate and, virtually, no dive when you brake hard. She corners VERY flat.

I'd expected that the ride would be hard, course & lacking in finesse some how, but it's not. Yes, it's stiffer but it's a poised & very competent feeling. I thought that the car was slower, some how, so we timed the 0-60 & it's right around 6 seconds-ish. She just seems to do it in a more relaxed fashion.

Never-the-less, it's the worst value for money I've had in my LIFE! :crybaby: :flush:

[damo_mk3]

Nope, I bet we'll all stand by our convictions, Mr. Moyes, you are insane :D
Although, I also think you'll have the best and most solidly handling, non creaky Mk3 Supra in the world :D

:agreed: and im prob going to join you on that one to :banghead: got the sus but need the rest

damo

[Adam W]

In there defence, it is a frickin' horrible job to do and I can well imaging it took them bloody hours! However, if their tools aren't up to the job that isn't your problem, I would have told them to stick that portion of their bill at least.

[RichardMA70]

More gripes. They've laid my wheels down on their faces & chipped the finish on all 4!

Never-the-less, it's the worst value for money I've had in my LIFE! :crybaby: :flush:

I'd send them a bill for refurbishment. Any pics of the original condition?

And you want horrible VFM? I was once charged £1100 to get a 1985 Nissan Laurel through an MOT and the bastard hadn't even repaired the rear valance - I found out too late, when the filler fell out - and I spent £2,400 on engine rebuilds on my Sera.

:crybaby:

However, if I had the money, I'd be into the bushes and suspension/brakes upgrade. I just want to know my Supra's engine is alright for a year or two of driving and the body isn't going in unpleasant places - if I was into big money body repairs I'd rather start with an aerotop and make something really special.

[imoyes]

In there defence, it is a frickin' horrible job to do and I can well imaging it took them bloody hours! However, if their tools aren't up to the job that isn't your problem, I would have told them to stick that portion of their bill at least.

I did manage to talek them down from £1540-ish to £1270-ish.

I didn't notice anything about the air saw until I got home, opened the boot and went "WTFIT?!?" Then I checked the bill. Before then I was in shock!