Re-bushing R32 Front End

[30detkiwi]

hay there the caster= radius bush can be pressed out on a small 20t press using a 36mm socket as a guide when pushing rubber out,as if you don't the rubber tends to split more and rip the center out. they are available in nz for $72.00 each (nolathane).when you take into consideration how much you mite spend on putting factory parts or small rubber upgrades in.you should go & get after market adjustable caster arms with the rose joints you'll never have an issue again unless you buy crap Japanese 1z.do it once a well with quality parts

[Birth]

What type of grease do you use for Noltec bushes (one of mine is squeaking). Is general purpose automotive grease ok or is there something better? Thanks, Ben.

[blue_vl_t]

there is a proper grease for suspension bushes, fairly sure normal grease affects the deterioation of rubber components

[simpletool]

it'll be some kind of silicon grease. A silicon spray can also help between greasing, it'll help liquefy and redistribute the existing grease. Silicon can also be used on rubber.

I sprayed my joints a year ago and the squeeking still hasn't returned after 20,000km.

Edited February 24, 2011 by simpletool

[Birth]

It turns out my Noltec bushes are dead - they are kind of crumbling away, I am guessing it is a shot of degreaser that I used a little while ago that didi it (so much for them looking shiny blue!). Anyhow, the run down on a replacement so far is as follows (looking to get the car on the road i.e. no adjustment).

Nissan don't sell replacement bushes, they sell replacement contrl arms - $432 for both sides

I called UAS, John sais they are supplying Superpro adjustable bushes (SPF1659K) now (not Whiteline like on their website) - $260

UAS also supply Nismo bushes - $360

Supercheap supply the Superpro non adjustable bushes (SPF0723K) - $283

Nolathane non adjustable bushes (45142) are being sold by Online Performance Autos on eBay - $126.72 (plus postage) http://www.nolathane.com.au/product_detail.php?part_number=45142

Whiteline are selling an adjustable set (KCA336) for $355.70 http://www.whiteline.com.au/product_detail.php?part_number=KCA336

It seems like it's going to be hard to pass up the Nolathane option at 1/2 of the cost of the next cheapest option; is there anything that I need to look out for e.g. I can see that some kits come with bolts, which the Nolathane kit doesn't seem to have - will my existing bolts work (normally I woudl assume so, but I wonder why bolts are supplied with some kits?)

Thanks, Ben

[Duncan]

Ben most of the adjustable kits come with bolts because they are designed of the offset bushes that provide adjustment. Standard replacements like the noltec ones you mention are the standard size but harder so factory bolts are fine. My guess is any kits that require bolts come with them.

As for whether you need adjustable.....only if you want different camber to what you have....

[Birth]

I bought the Nolathane bushes because of the price. They provide brief instructions on how to fit them. Regarding removing the old bushes Nolathan writes "Remove the original bushes from the arm. (These bushes are 4 half-shell bushes, which can be removed easily when hit from behind the flange)".

I think that they have gone over-the-top with the use of the word 'easily' beacuse it is NOT easy - in fact I can't do it. Looking at the posts above I can see that you guys are talking about using a press. How exactly would that work - beacause of the flanges it looks like using a press would just push them in further?

Here is a picture of my passenger-side arm with the brass inserts still in!

[Duncan]

umm yeah....not easy at all.

I've done it 2 ways:

1. use an air chisel to bash them out. you put the chisel under the lip and bash them (move around the lip) until they come out. I guess that is what they mean by the "easy" method. Its not. especially if the bush cocks a little and jams on the way out.

2. cut the end off one end with a hacksaw, then press out.

despite using an air tool for #1, I found #2 easier

[Birth]

Nothing is easy. I've got one of the arms together and have attempted to put it into the car. It turns out that the outer mount is 2mm narrower that the inner mount. I have checked that I followed the provided instructions but it turns out that I think that I have pressed the bushes into the wrong side. The arms are marked with an 'L' and an 'A' on what I believe to be the outer end of the arm. Can anyone confirm that the marks are on the outside?

[Duncan]

ideally you would have an "L" and an "R". A goes on the outer end. the bolt is end specific too.

[Birth]

Duncan, thanks for getting back so quick. The L is on the passenger side arm and there is an R on the drivers side arm.

This means that I have got it right so far. I have contacted Nolathane to see whether they have got their instructions wrong (I doubt that I am the only person to have bought the kit) or that they have supplied the wrong crush tubes (unlikely but something is wrong)!

I did notice that the bolt is end specific as the inner bold tapers just after the thread. The diameter of the bolts (and therefore the inside diameter of the crush tubes seems the same though).

Any more insight would be super. Thanks.

[Duncan]

no problems. your question time matched well with my drinking time

actually I don't have much more to add....I think maybe some of the brands have same size end to end because some times it is a absolute pain to get the inner end in, other times it's not. lots of bashing involved.

when they are tight, bash the arm in with a hammer until one end is close. then work with something thin (eg big screwdriver) up to something medium (eg 3/8 drive extension), up to the bolt to get the inner end located. bolt on loosely. then outer end, always seems to be easier. not much help really, just confirming some brands are really tight.

[baas]

I have a 1994 R32 GT-R with origional suspension. I want to start to replace all the bushes and have been looking at Whiteline.

Basic question first - do I go for standard replacement or for adjustable. Not planning on any track work just spirited street driving.

Seconly Whiteline or something else - there are a huge array of brands available.

[Birth]

I found the Nolathan product ok once installed - but it turns out that there instructions were wrong - they sent me a replacement kit and all!

Installation at home was ok.

1. Remove the arms

2. Bash the existing rubber out of the arms

3. Use a hacksaw to evenly cut the brass shells out of the arms (you might need to chisel them out afther you have cut them / use multigrips

4. Press the new shells that come in the kit into the arm (use a press or buy a long bolt and some washers to press them in).

5. Put the new pushes into the arm, grease and install

[vifer]

sorry for bumping this thread but im interested in changing my front bushes on my R32 aswell.

Im going for the std , non adjustable type. Its a daily driver so dont have the need the camber adjustments.

one q tho. For those that have done this recently.

The nolathan kit appears to contain 8 bushes, 4 crush tubes but only 4 cups. Kit 45142

Whereas the SuperPro contains all the above but with 8 cups. Kit SPF0723K

For the nolathane kit are you meant to reuse two of the cups, if so , which ones? inner or outer?

[Birth]

One end of each control arm has the shells. On the other end the bush presses in without shells.

Also, to clarify on my point about removing the old shells; I used a hacksaw, I removed the hacksaw blade and inserted it into the control arm end. I reattached the blade to the hacksaw and cut out the old shell from the inside while trying to be careful not to cut into the arm too much. This actually worked quite well.

[vifer]

so the nolathane kit is correct as a straight replacement whereas the Superpro kit gives you an extra two shells to replace them all. ( with the added pain)

The hacksaw blade hack sounds neat and I may have to use the threaded bolt trick to press them in. I have no press and my experience with workshops is that they want you to leave it with them the whole day.

[GTSBoy]

The shells are a good thing. The original Whiteline kits had urethane bushes that were really fat. They took up all the space between the inside of the arm and the crush tube. But that meant they had heaps of squish in them, and they in fact shit themselves very quickly.

I put a set of these into my R32 when they were first released (yes, many many years ago) and they failed in months. By the time they failed Whiteline had already had so many fail that they had redesigned them with the extra alloy spacer part that means the urethane parts could be a lot thinner. This meant they worked better and didn't fail. That set is still in my car, many years later (actually, I tell a liem I think maybe we had some failure of the bushes after a while and Whiteline gave me another set, but that set has definitely been in there for many years).

Adjustable is essential. It is very nice to be able to put on some extra camber or, or better yet, dial it out if you're wearing tyre edges a bit too much. Worth every cent.

My last point is that it is essential to drill a little hole in each end of the arm between the two bush halves, in a place where you can access it while it's on the car. Install grease nipples in the holes, and enjoy the ability to crank some fresh moly grease in there whenever you hear a noise or suspect that they might be drying out. THIS is the reason that mine have lasted for many years. I grease them a couple of times a year.