Subframe question (pic)

[sean350z]

Ok here's the deal. I bought subframe spacers from SPL before I took the subframe out. I cleaned/painted the subframe, installed solid differential bushings, ES bushings in knuckles, etc. Today I was going to bolt the subframe back on and install the collars when I noticed the bushings toward the front were cracked.

http://img250.imageshack.us/img250/2922/bushingss6.jpg

So my question is...if I forget about them being cracked, add the spacers, would the spacers do any good or do I just sell the spacers and get solid bushings and be done with it?

[MadScientist]

OK sub-frame spacers are actually designed to use fluid or hydrolic dynamics... basically the more pressure you apply to a fluid filled container the stonger it becomes with-in the confined space.
There are a few different verions of Spacers... some have slits to make easyer to install, usually only the top one is slit... the bottom one should be solid and more cone shaped... the cone will apply pressure to the bushings fluid and make stronger. Now if you have little to no fluid from a bad bushing then the spacer will sit on the Wall of the bushing and the center ring will be held in place... like a solid bushing.

I'll take a pic of mine later...

peace
Drew

[sean350z]

Now if you have little to no fluid from a bad bushing then the spacer will sit on the Wall of the bushing and the center ring will be held in place... like a solid bushing.


So Drew you're saying the collars should be good to use even if my bushings are cracked like above. I mean, it doesn't bother me to burn out the cracked bushings and install a set of solids since the subframe is already out of the car, but if the collars on cracked bushings aren't any different than using solids I might as well just work with what I have. This is an AutoX car so little to no movement is very very key to retaining suspension setup and handling.

[Dr.Baby]

they work perfectly fine if your current bushings are cracked. the solid bushings eliminate what the rubber bushings are doing almost completely. go for it.

[S14DriftstaiN]

Yeh the ones on my 98 had bushings in the same cond and all is good. they sit flush.

[projectRDM]

Exactly. 9 out of 10 subframes I've dropped have the front bushings completely torn apart, the spacers negate the need for bushings since it solidly locks the subframe to the chassis. The only reason to use full replacement bushings is to still allow for that little bit of 'give' in the rear, allowing the subframe to move up/down on the pegs but not flop or twist.

[sean350z]

Thanks Russ...Now that I've heard it from you and everyone else says the same thing, it looks like I'll be installing everything tomorrow. If I had to burn and hacksaw another bushing and get that fucking rubber all over the place again I think I would freak out.