AE92 suspension bushings + springs

[GeeEss]

Good Morning everyone,

I have decided to sweep a broom through the 18year old cobwebs of my cars suspension by replacing the bushings and springs.

Question: Can I replace the bushings in my AE92 without special tools? Please help. I have searched all suspension threads in Forums but can't find anything on changing bushes . . . for anything, let alone an AE92.

I went down to Repco to get a bushing press & the 2 guys there didn't inspire a lot of confidence WRT their general knowledge - said I needed a 5tonne Pedestal press to do the job.

I have been quoted 10-11 hours labour @ $85+/hr which are $$$ I don't want to spend if I can avoid it, plus I want to make sure my parts are used instead of std parts (OK, Im paranoid) as I've got SuperPro / TRD bits to put on it.

I have a Whiteline kit in my SX which I'm using as a template. On the whole the system is now quite good but the front end still bottoms out on sharp bumps or rises so I decided to try TRD units on the FXGT as they sit about 5-10mm higher.

The thing is, the car is getting a bit long on the tooth and you can't get all the TRD bits anymore;
- as far as bushes go, you can only get ones for the rear trailing arms, so I got the rest from SuperPro.
- As far as springs, you can only get the fronts. . So I got'em.

Can I get someone like King Springs to make me up a set to spec, or can I take TRD ones down there and say I want rears made up with 90% of the rate??

Lastly - can I avoid having to purchase / use spring compressors?

Cheers

PS: What idiot came up with the saying "A good mechanic never blames his tools"? It’s always infuriated me - the imbecile obviously never worked on a car himself.

GeeEss

[roadsailing]

first of all, delete your double post, so nobody answers that (or change the topic to "delete please")

do your bushes need replacing? my 23 year old toyota original rubber ones are still going strong, replace the LCA bushes with superpro ones recently but didn't notice a vast improvement.

AE92 i'm not so sure, but i cant imagine they would be super difficult.

bush press you shouldn't need, i replaced mine with a big vice and a hammer, balljoints too. do a search for how i did this if you need more info.

chuck up a photo of the bushes you have, we should be able to tell you if they will be difficult to install (photos of the suspension bits would be good too)

what TRD springs did you get? i'd see what else uses the same springs for the rear, or just get a full set of king lows. otherwise you could get the rate of the fronts measured, then get a new set of rears made with the rate in the same proportionallity than the TRDS

(for rough example, if kings are 3kg front 2kg rear and the TRD fronts are 6kg front, you would get the rears made to 4kg/mm mind you the king rears will msot likely be progressive rate which will upset things a bit)

buy spring compressors, they are sheap and you will grow friends wanting to use them.

i don't know about mechanics, but i never blame my tools. i know when i can get away with using cheap tools, and i know when i need to buy good ones.

the actual saying is "a poor workman blames his tools" it means that the person spends all their time blaming their poor workmanship on things, instead of striving to be better. it doesn't mean "a good workman puts up with shit tools"

good luck!

[LeeRoy]

You will need basic tools ie spanners, sockets, and allen kets (hex keys). Don't get king springs cause theyre shit imho but some better stuff like maybe whiteline. NFI where u came up with you can't get rear springs anymore but i'd bet money that you could from more than one place.

As for bushes you could change them without a press but it would be easier, if your lucky you might be able to find someone with one or alternatively you pull everything out and just go to your local mechanic and ask them to use their press or get them to press it for you. This will save you some $$$ and time.

Also you could do it without spring compressors as if you buy king spings they wont be under any load without the strut in the car so if your careful pulling the top off - and watch this cause it WILL shoot off when you undo the nut, youll be able to get the king springs back on without a compressor.

Alternatively buy some decent springs and a spring compressor since it looks as though you wanna spend money on decent bushes but not decent money on springs?

- LeeRoy