legacycentral bbs

Well I got these bushings over a year ago, and could never get them in.

Mike (bigskywrx) over on nasioc had a tool that he used to get them in, but someone never returned the tool. Someone on the board made another one....which is freakin nice.

I got the tool, and finally have these damn bushings installed.

Pics
http://www.main.experiencetherave.com:8 ... ol/images/

Scans of the install/removal photos
Overview 1
Overview 2
Removal 1
Removal 2
Install 1
Install 2
Install 3

Operating manual

Looks similiar to what they used in the latest issue of Subiesport. They did it off the car though, and their tool was more simple.

Did it make the install relatively painless?

Yes it was pretty straight forward.

I ran into a hitch when I went to install the first bushing. I stopped when the bushing wasn't all the way in the hub, and the housing popped off. I redid it, and didn't stop, and it worked fine.

In Subiesport, they used a poly bushing. They are MUCH easier to install. Without a similar tool to what I used, you will NOT get the STi rubber bushing in.

for the poly bushings a c-clamp will work, but the following makes it MUCH easier:

freeze the crap out of the bushing in the coldest freezer you have, then place the bushing in hot water just deep enough to make the leading lip part soft, while the top half of the bushing remains hard (cold). Working quickly you should be able press it in with a c-clamp and scrap metal press. a little of the bushing lube on the edge of the trailing link helps also, but try not to get it everywhere as greasy c-clamps and plates are hard to handle.

this worked well for the urethane end link and lateral link bushings, too. I had no luck without the freezing method

Bushings in general are just a pain in the balls aren't they?

I would have loved that tool when I was doing the wheel bearings and I shredded that control arm bushing on the rear hub:


To install the new one, I immersed the new bushing in motor oil, and used this wonderful homemade tool system to push it in:


It was a lot of work, especially getting the leading lip to go all the way through, but I eventually got it.

And that was just an OEM bushing. An STi one would be stiffer and that much harder

Yeah the bushings must be overpressed to get the lip out.

I hate dealing with bushings. I destroyed the front A-arm bushings removing them
http://www.main.experiencetherave.com:8 ... s/ej22t/19

I've got some pipe fixtures that should make installing the bushing pretty straight forward.

After this, the only bushings I haven't upgraded are the rear diff mount, and I'm not really sure I'm going to bother. It's a non-suspension bushing, so it's not going to alter handling, and that was the main reason I've been doing all the bushings.