Complete front end rebuild. Poly bushings

[spinningheadboy]

I'd thought I'd share my pain now that the job is finished.

A little background first, I've owned my '91 supra for 6 years now and the front end and steering rack have always given me problems. I had movement in the rack and the DS rack mount and nut broke off and had to be welded back twice. I knew what was coming, a full subframe replacement. I drove it the last two years without being able to keep a proper alignment and tire wear finally drove me to trying to swap and rebuild the entire front end.
This car was wrecked at some point before me and the subframe was not replaced as it should have been.

I bought a used but very straight 89+ subframe for $50
I stripped it down, cleaned and painted everybit of the unit.

This subframe had 103,000 miles on it and was in great condition after clean-up.

 

[spinningheadboy]

I bought Ronnie K's full poly kit for the front end, and looks like I'm the first one to have the front subframe mounts installed. Ronnie is first rate and I highly recomment him, considering he's the only one who makes the full poly kit. Here's the parts from him.

The upper arms with the poly bushings are now drilled with zerk fitting as well as the lower units. The upper arms are easy, the lower arms are a pain in the ass to remove the old bushings from.

 

[spinningheadboy]

The front subframe bushings were easy to remove, just some good hammering on the metal inner sleeve and a few knocks with a large screwdriver, and they popped harmlessly to the earth

Here they are installed with out the inner sleeves. Much stiffer than stock..night and day actually.

After removing the stock suspension, I made an engine support to hold the engine from crushing my mortaged skull from a 4X6.

This and a tight engine chain with nice hooks held the engine up, while I lowered the subframe. The subframe without the susension is not that heavy.

 

[supradan22]

Very interesting good pictures also taken this is something I will also be doing to my supra my subframe is bent blah.

 

[spinningheadboy]

Here is the subframe installed with one of Ronnie's bushings. What I ended up using as a washer is the stock bushing's bottom cut off and flipped over, as the new washer....perfect fit. This was just a test fit.

Here is the suspension back together and boy does it go together tight. The rebuilt steering rack was the hardest thing to install, everything is very tight with the poly bushings now.

Here's the damage to the subframe DS rack bushing clamp area.
This was really messed up and somebody at a Fresno, CA bodyshop must be killed!

Here is the pile of junk from the swap. Anybody want anything?

The total cost for this rebuild was near $1500.
New parts include.
2 tems Tokico struts,
2 ball joints
2 steering end links
Full poly bushing kit
New strut bump stops
Newly rebuilt power steering rack
new rack boots
used subframe, paint clean and undercoat.
wheel alignment
New tires as the old ones were toast
New steering hose crush washers

This was not an easy job, I have about 24 hours of labor into the swap.

I have the car home from the alignment shop and it drives so nice and tight, it's amazing. I was old enough to test drive a new supra when the A70 was out, but I never did. I suspect that my '91 drives as nice or even better than new, with the improved bushings. Next up in 4 weeks.....5 spd swap. Pedals and master are already installed, rebuilt tranny is waiting for me in WA. state.

Chris D.
Idaho

 

[IJ.]

Chris: Well done!

I agree it's a HORRIBLE job but Ronnies kit will give you great service.

One thing I did do based on past experience is to use Moly Grease in the bushes to prevent squeaks, 4 years on it's still nice and quiet

 

[spinningheadboy]

Chris: Well done!

I agree it's a HORRIBLE job but Ronnie's kit will give you great service.

One thing I did do based on past experience is to use Moly Grease in the bushes to prevent squeaks, 4 years on it's still nice and quiet

Thanks IJ. Ronnie advised me to use moly grease also. I have every moving poly bushing greased and nipped fitted. No squeaks!

The differance in this car is amazing and I've only driven it 4 miles so far!

CWD
Idaho

 

[csnow]

Very nice, how much are the bushings alone if you dont mind me asking? How come you didnt pull the motor so you could spray the bay black to match the car?

 

[spinningheadboy]

Very nice, how much are the bushings alone if you dont mind me asking? How come you didnt pull the motor so you could spray the bay black to match the car?

PM Ronnie in his thread for a price.

Pull the motor just to spray it? Crazy talk.

I like my engine bay red, thank you.

cwd

 

[adampecush]

very nice...how difficult was it to remove those front A-arms? (mine are still on my original subframe...probably sitting in some scrap yard somewhere lol)

 

[spinningheadboy]

very nice...how difficult was it to remove those front A-arms? (mine are still on my original subframe...probably sitting in some scrap yard somewhere lol)

They are not hard to remove, if you mean the uppers. The top ball joint is a bitch to remove if there is no weight on it. The bushing removal is the hard part.

cwd

 

[adampecush]

sorry (I was a bit sick and...out of it...yesterday) I meant the lower control arms...An impact wrench made those ball joints pretty easy to remove for me.

 

[spinningheadboy]

sorry (I was a bit sick and...out of it...yesterday) I meant the lower control arms...An impact wrench made those ball joints pretty easy to remove for me.

It's not hard to remove the lowers if you have no rust.

The bushings are a pain to get out, and you want to leave the metal race in the arms for the new bushings mount into.

cwd

 

[Sawbladz]

Ok this thread has pretty a bunch of great information but I'd like to ask a few questions.

I currently have my engine out and would like to install the front subframe bushings. I already have poly bushing in the upper and lower arms for the suspension. Do I just neeed to undo the bolts for the upper shock mount, the sway bar end links, the brake caliper and the 4 subframe bolts to lower the subframe? Is there a lot that I am missing to be able to lower the subframe?

 

[jugodegolf]

moly lube?:naughty: now that you have my attention.:icon_razz

Good writup Chris. Hoping for $$$ to do this on the frankenstien shell before everything goes back together.

 

[eraezer]

Nice work there!
Those poly subframe bushing does look good...but I'll be going with alu for the subframes.
Thanks for sharing.

 

[spinningheadboy]

Ok this thread has pretty a bunch of great information but I'd like to ask a few questions.

I currently have my engine out and would like to install the front subframe bushings. I already have poly bushing in the upper and lower arms for the suspension. Do I just neeed to undo the bolts for the upper shock mount, the sway bar end links, the brake caliper and the 4 subframe bolts to lower the subframe? Is there a lot that I am missing to be able to lower the subframe?

Don't forget the steering rod and steering rack. I just unbolted all the front suspension and such. This made the subframe much lighter and easier to handle. Since you are pulling it out, might as well clean it and paint it.

cwd

 

[Zumtizzle]

Will any old moly grease work?

 

[spinningheadboy]

Will any old moly grease work?

Thats what I was told....just moly grease. I added zerks also....and I forgot to grease the sway bar bushings.....man did they squeek!!

cwd

 

[IJ.]

When I put mine back together last time I machined some receiver grooves in the RK washers so they locate on the nut flanges.