I just received my axle pivot bushings and raduis arm bushings from Energy Suspension. I have a few questions for those who have replaced theirs.

The new pivot bushings are the type with the metal shell. I can figure out how to remove the old ones however I need to know the best way to insert new bushings. Do you just hammer them in? or use a press. The new ones came with a poly ring that I do not know what it is for, old ones did not have this. Should I use this ring or is it for another application?

The radius arm bushings do not look like the original rubber ones. They are shaped differently and appear to meet in the center of the raduis arm bracket rather than the one part passing all the way through with a plastic collar. The Energy Suspension one has a more pointed cone shape on the axle side vs the original that was flat to match the factory washer. Did I get the wrong parts or should I just install using factory metal washers and toss the factory plastic collar.

 

The Prothane bushings that I got did not have the metal sleeves; you left the old ones installed. If you got bushings with metal sleeves attached, I'll bet that you have to drive them in pretty hard or press them in. I'll bet it's a real PITA to drive out the old metal sleeves.

 

I used threaded rod and large sockets to make a press to push them in, I then bent the metal sleave over so it would work out.

 

On the axle pivot bushings I used a large hammer and chisel to collapse the outer shell in, then hammered the shell out of the arm. I couldn't figure out what the popy ring thing was for and didn't use it. For the radious arm I matched the most similar bushing to the forward location.
Good Luck

 

Thanks for the info. I got the old shells out and pressed the new shells in. Much easier when I took the guts out of the new part and inserted the shell by itself, then putting the guts back in.

I sent an Email to Energy Suspension to find out what the extra poly ring is for. I want to find out before I put everything back together, only want to do this once. If anyone knows for sure what the large diameter rings are for please let me know.

As far as the radius arm bushings go, even though they look different than the factory parts, I think they are correct when looking over the supplied instruction sheet and matching part numbers stamped on parts with the instruction sheet.

 

I used the large rings on the side of the control arm where the bushing pushs through, it was the only place it would fit.

 

Yes; the rings are used at the pivot bushings one one of the faces; it'll be obvious during reassembly. I should have taken pictures of everything when I did mine. Maybe since you've got yours apart this is a good time to take pictures?