Quote:
Originally Posted by ajsalida
OK I installed the yellow Strongflex tension strut bushings today. Wow do they ever wake up the steering and tighten up feel in front.
Some notes on install:
I tried several things as receivers on the hydraulic press that did not work. I went to my buddy with the welding/machine shop and he had some scrap 3" steel box tubing. So square OD 3", about 5" of it. ID was perfect, just a hiar bigger than 71mm, for good support at 4 points around the TS hole, and the bushing fit right inside when pressed out. I used the Home Depot 2" conduit thing that PhaseP mentioned as a press tool, but just with a 2" pipe cap/plug. Those suckers were in tight though, used every bit of the 12 ton press getting them out. Took multiple huge pops at full force to get them out. No way you could do this with a hand wrench type tool.
Pressing in the Strongflex bushings I used a metal jack pad/cup off of a floor jack, upside down. Worked perfectly. Word of caution: when you lube up the TS outer lip, inner surface, and the bushing to press it in, be super careful to not stand in front of the press, or have anything you care about within about 50 feet of it. I knew this ahead of time so I set it up on my deck with all the cars and bikes far away, then stood well to the side while pressing. Good thing too, one of them let go while pressing and the bushing + jack cup shot out about 30 ft. That would have hurt standing in front, and would have dented the shit out of my car or bikes had I done it in the garage where the press usually sits. All good though, put the car back together and the test drive was bliss.
Now I just hope that liquid squirting everywhere was from the bushing and not something else. I did not have time to replace the control arms, mainly because the ball joint tool I have sucks and I barely managed to get the TS off its ball joint using it. I need a better tool for the ball joint on the CA.
Anyway highly worthwhile mod. Steering on my XI is now approaching the feel of my mildy modded E36 M3 (koni/eibach pro-kit springs and bars)which is saying something. No squeaking or harshness at all. I did make sure to carefully lube both the inner side of the TS hole + lip, outer surface of the bushings, and the inner bushing hole sleeve surface with the supplied graphite lube.
Other mods on the XI are Koni Yellows + Eibach pro kit front/ZSP rear springs, UUC front bar, M3 rear bar and bushings, Powerflex yellow upper rear shock mounts, and whiteline rear subframe bushing inserts. I only drove it about 20 miles but already thinking the rear now feels a bit more compliant than the front. At some point will do real subframe bushings and some other tweaks. For now very pleased with this mod.
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What end links are you using on the UUC front sway bar?