SPL aluminum bushings, SERIOUS troubleshoot

[TheConstipated]

So I bought the spl aluminum bushings, and finally got done with it yesterday and everything seemed fine until I finally bolted the subframe back up. Now this is shietty. It doesn't bolt up all the way because there's no more thread left to bolt it? WTF??? I've been asking friends but they're giving me advice that I've already looked into. I've contacted the folks at SPL and this is apparently a first time problem. But the guys seemed real nice and are sending me urethane spacers but I think it kind of defeats the purpose of ALL ALUMINUM. Anyway, if anyone can give me some ideas, I'll probably try to go troubleshoot it and see if it that works.

And here's the pic of what I mean. You can see the the nut bolted up with no more thread to go and it still has about 1/4 inch of play left at the top.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v328/dokeness/Bushing.jpg

[walterdixon]

use a bunch of washers between the nut and the bushings to make up the difference.

buddah bing buddah boom.

[projectRDM]

Drop the subframe, drill the top end of the bushing just a hair, then slide it back on. Looks like it just wasn't drilled large enough.

[TheConstipated]

use a bunch of washers between the nut and the bushings to make up the difference.

buddah bing buddah boom.


Spacers will have to go on top, I actually tried putting washers between the nut and the bushing but stud itself gets larger in diamater at the end of the thread so the washers stop there also.

[TheWolf]

I'm betting backwards install by looking at that washer.

[240AM]

Your lower collar looks a lot thinner than it should be.

This is a pic of mine. Note how much thicker the bottom is.

http://www.driftopia.com/images/subSpacerProp.jpg

But like walterdixon said, you can always stack some washers before putting the nut on.

[McRussellPants]

Your lower collar looks a lot thinner than it should be.

This is a pic of mine. Note how much thicker the bottom is.

http://www.driftopia.com/images/subSpacerProp.jpg

you don't have aluminum bushings.

you have collars.



stack some washers. or go get new subframe bolt hats from nissan, you've got some weird crap I've never seen before unless you cut the lip off yourself.

also how'd you get the old bushing out? the tubes for the bushing themselves look like they've been cut down. compare the length with 240ams pic. thats how they're supposed to look.

[Jonnie Fraz]

Ok to get this straight...The bottom collor will not go up any further because the hole is too small for the larger shank of the subframe bolt? If this is right I would drill the lower collor the same size as the subframe bolt like Russ said then add hardned washers on the bottom to take up the slack. I think that would be better than a urathane spacer.

[TheConstipated]

you don't have aluminum bushings.

you have collars.



stack some washers. or go get new subframe bolt hats from nissan, you've got some weird crap I've never seen before unless you cut the lip off yourself.

also how'd you get the old bushing out? the tubes for the bushing themselves look like they've been cut down. compare the length with 240ams pic. thats how they're supposed to look.

They're taller cause they still have the old rubber flanges on the bottom that connects to the outer sleeve of the bushings.

And the problem isn't the bottom collar because it goes up BUT like I said before, there's no more thread left to bolt the nut up. OH and BTW, this is a rear shot of the subframe bushing on a 95 s14.

Maybe someone from SPL can chime in on this.

[bigOdom1]

happened to me also. had to drill out the top a hair more. the stud tapers up as you noticed. take a little out of the inside of the top and try to bolt back on

[TheConstipated]

happened to me also. had to drill out the top a hair more. the stud tapers up as you noticed. take a little out of the inside of the top and try to bolt back on

It goes up fine if I push it myself. The problem is with the threading that there is no more.

Hmm, are there different bushings for s13/s14? Or is it the same?
Maybe I'm just some unlucky fellow who got a weird ass s14 or received the (insert #) % product failure rate from spl....Hmmmmmm.

[S14DB]

Looks like they are upside down. The bigger half goes on top.

[Ninjabread]

That happened to me until I put back that brace looking thingie. It acts like a spacer for the bolt.

http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h160/Mathieu1989/DSC02570.jpg

Here you can see the rear cups, put back in.

http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h160/Mathieu1989/DSC02569.jpg

And in the front, you have those braces, that act the same way as the cups do. I found that before I installed those, I had the same problem as you.

[TheConstipated]

I don't have that cup thing as my vehicle is a s14 and the suspension is a little different. I do know what you're talking about though but I have that little washer plate thing (you can see under the bushing mount) and the braces at the bushing mount is the same shape/size as the washer. I'll probably look into that s13 bushing cup thing to see if it will work. This is getting frustrating.....but thanks for all the replies and whatnot.

[Ninjabread]

So it seems you just need a thicker washer?

Good luck!

I know one of mine is loose, but I think its rust on the stud stopping the nut from going further...

[TheConstipated]

So it seems you just need a thicker washer?

Good luck!

I know one of mine is loose, but I think its rust on the stud stopping the nut from going further...

Seems so but you think the bushings could be a bit taller? Just look at all that thread left.

[mestizo]

Contact SPL they have no issues answer questions and helping with problems. But it seems to me that you can just go to the hardware store and get some fat hardened washers to solve this problem.