Suspension bushing design between OEM rubber and solid spherical???

[EF1]

I did the spherical/poly on my car years ago, but the spherical is on the differential side and poly on the body side. It has worked well for me.

 

[EF1]

I can manage setting the car to ride height. My question was specific to why the ford piece comes assembled with no apparent instructions to retorque in the service manual. Is there something special about that particular bushing?

I have not been under my car in awhile, but from what I remember you can't get a torque wrench on the upper end of the arm with it on the car. I had to take the bracket off the car to remove the upper link from the bracket.

 

[mwjscn]

you can't get a torque wrench on the upper end of the arm with it on the car

Easiest way to get to it is with a crowfoot at 90 degrees offset so it doesn't change the torque value on the wrench (or re-adjust the torque setting from the longer lever-arm), but I've had the BMR mount for so long I've forgotten if the OEM one was more difficult. The manual does call for the stock bushing to be tightened at ride-height. Some BMR versions call for the same, while others in their catalog are torqued on the bench. If you can get at it, I'd try to follow the instructions from the manufacturer of the part.

 

[ShifterX]

I guess I can install, set the ride height, mark the arm for angle. Then uninstall the bracket and torque the arm to bracket bushing on the vise.

 

[ShifterX]

No chance pressing out that rusty axle side bushing. Bent a ball joint press trying. Seems like it needs to be shocked. Air chisel would be ideal. I didn’t have one so I drilled out the rubber, removed the center section. Then used a sawzall to cut off the ends to the diff housing, and made a cut line through the outer sleeve. Then I just used a drift punch to bend the sleeve away from the housing. Once I pulled enough away the whole sleeve came out pretty easy.

I actually spent more time screwing with the ball joint press than what it took to drill/cut it out. Just fyi, if anyone is doing this job.

 

[Competition Orange]

should the new bushing if using an oem replacement be centered in the axle ear? trying to figure out how far to press the new one in to allow for a centered axle.

thank you

 

[Competition Orange]

disregard, took measurements and centered it off the hub flanges and brake flanges

 

[twistedneck]

I have a 2011 GT that is set up for street and track, daily commuter. Following advice here on TMO, I use an upgraded PHB and LCA (I currently have Maximum Motorsports but lots of brands will work) and an OEM upper 3rd link and this setup works very well. It's maybe a little counter-intuitive but the key in the rear is to use relatively soft spring/bar rates combinedf with upgraded dampers with plenty of rebound control. Use a small rear bar (~18 mm) or none at all. This gives a great ride on the street and awesome rear axle control. On track the back end stays behind you, you can absolutely eat up curbing, and you can put power down amazingly well off the apex. See @blacksheep-1's videos of the Phoenix S197 to watch a pro using this type of basic setup, super fun to watch. It feels a little weird at first and you have to keep weight on the nose getting down to the apex but it's easy to drive and really fast.

In the front, be aware that in our 2011's an aftermarket control arm bushing will likely cause a bad feedback loop in the electric steering rack that causes severe steering wheel shudder. Either leave that bushing stock or swap in a Boss rack, or maybe a later year '13 or '14 rack. Your mod money is much better spent replacing the upper spring perches with good camber plates from Vorshlag which do all sorts of awesome things and are perfectly streetable IMO.

Good luck and welcome.

I think end of MY 11 and all of 12 got fixed for that rack issue.. but that's just what i read. I'm to scared so i leave my front control arms stock and just deal with the lack of precision. When i start adding downforce and huge spring rates, it will be time for hard bushings!

 

[EF1]

I think end of MY 11 and all of 12 got fixed for that rack issue.. but that's just what i read. I'm to scared so i leave my front control arms stock and just deal with the lack of precision. When i start adding downforce and huge spring rates, it will be time for hard bushings!

I believe you are off a year. All 2011 and part of 2012 were affected be the epas problem.

 

[modernbeat]

I believe you are off a year. All 2011 and part of 2012 were affected be the epas problem.

That is correct. We uncovered all of that in our 2011, many other 2011 cars that belonged to customers and a single early 2012 customer car.
Back then the only solution was to replace the rack with a reprogrammed Ford Performance Racing rack, that was expensive and difficult to find.
Once the 2013 models came out, we used the less costly, standard 2013/2014 racks in the 2011 cars without any issues. Most (all?) 2012 cars did not have the EPAS issue.

 

[twistedneck]

I believe you are off a year. All 2011 and part of 2012 were affected be the epas problem.

Could be since that's what i meant. lol.

 

[ShifterX]

Just about done with the refurbishing of the rear suspension. I ended up going with the white line rear arms. Mostly because I wanted a rubber bushing to promote flex yet limit nvh. Here is a close up of the bushing design. Notice the reliefs on the bushings. I assume this is designed to promote articulation through travel, similar to the cutouts in the oem bushings. Seems like a little more thought than the typical 2 piece poly design. Jury is still out on how they actually work though.