correctamundo! the dremel is to cut the outer sleeves out. OEM TA bushings > ES TA inserts
Yes, but over time, the oem replacments are just going to crack & dry rot like your origional ones did, so why not go w/ something that’ll last forever like poly? I just put my poly ones in tonight & it took all of an hour a side ( I am, however, using a lift & a mapp gas torch (way hotter than propane) and I didn’t have to remove the trailing arms from the car. so, they’re cheaper, easier to install, last longer…
you dont understand. Its got to do with range of movement, not longevity (sp).
And If your poly bushings are squeaking they are binding. Binding is baaaaaaaad. I will never have poly bushings.
Ben
Well I won’t really get to give the bushings a decent test 'til next summer when the car is dropped & I start doing auto x’s w/ it, but one of the premier members on here (shenre) has them on his car ( that has more suspension work done than any other car on here) and he said he’s had no problems at all, and he autox’s all the time…
I’m switching to DC trailing arms, in the future I’ll get the Mugen bushings. I was specifically interested in the rear UCA and sway bar bushings at the moment, I’m not sure if I will replace more of them or not.
And seriously, how many of us will still have our cars in another 14 years for the TA bushings to need replacement again?
I know shea (well, a little bit) and I think his driving skill makes up for any negative effects from his suspension or anything else. That thing is like 3000lbs and kicks alotta ass.
Ben
Yes, but he works at ISS, why would he bother w/ something not optimal for his car?
cause he didnt know about the movement restriction. You really should read the bigass TA bushing thread.
Ben
Question
Mugendude- I saw your write up I did that same thing… burned out the bushings and all… I cleaned out the hole… left the OE outer shell in place… a buddy of mine helped me burn out the old oe bushings and then we tried forever and a day to press the new Energy SUspension bushings in place… nothing worked… we put two pieces of steel on either side with a nut and bolt through it to crank it down with a rachet and it didn’t work… even my mechanic couldn’t get it in using a shop press… he said it just looked like it was going to tear the bushing in two. ANYONE KNOW WHAT TO DO?
Need help car is on jackstands… anything to help would be greatly appreciated. THANKS
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Tim
Which bushings are you talking about. The only one that you keep the stock sleeve for is the rear trailing arms. All of the other bushings get completely pressed out(sleeve and all) before the poly bushings slide in(not that much force is required to get them in once the old bushings have been pressed out). If you’re talking about the rear trailing arm bushings, then yes those need to be pressed in and are kind of a pain. I used a 3 ton press to get mine in and it wasn’t too bad.
-nino
rear trailing arm bushings.
Yeah they are the rear trailing arm bushings… my shop tried to put them in using the shop press and he said that it just looks like the press was going to tear the bushings in half. Energy suspension told me that this is normal and that you have to press the shit out of the bushings to get them in. So I am not sure what to do… are there any key points to cover when pressing them in?
even my ES shifter bushings took some freakin oomph to get in. just lube the hell out of them and go hardcore. 
Hmmm, I think we just put a flat piece of metal on top of the bushing and just started pressing it in. Eventually it started going into place and popped out of the other side. Did you lube up the bushing/sleeve before trying to press it in?
-nino
my prothane shifter bushings weren’t too bad to get on, didn’t even have to cut the front one in half like the teg tip suggested. I did use most of the supplied tube of grease up though.
I never liked that teg tip. Seems to me like cutting a bushing in half is defeating the purpose of a harder bushing. With a little creativity or brute force you can get the bushings in there. I used a couple big washers and big bolt and just cranked it into place. Of course, the shifter bushings didn’t have to much of an effect for me anyway.
I just bent the lip in and then pushed the bushing through. I did a lot of shifter work at the same time though, so I can’t comment on if they helped or not.