I just got these bushings, and they came with some rubber spacers. I see they go on the small end that is exposed once pressed in. I look at my stock stuff stil mounted in car and I don't see anything resembling this. My ? is are they needed?, and is there enough space to get them in?

Patrick, I just installed my rear control arms/ bushings last week. Yes there is enough room for the extra bushing which goes opposite to the flange side of the bushing. If you have a 12 bolt, you are going to need to cut/grind an 1/8 th of an inch off the bushing on the Drivers side ear. There isnt quite enough room to get it on. I can take some pictures if youd like.

Refer to my post here http://www.chevelles.com/cgi-bin/forum/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=7;t=007815

Thats ok, As long as there is enough room, I'm satisfied. This set came with two different size spacers, so maybe that is the 1/8" your talking about. I know the instructions said somethin about if you have a 12 bolt to use certain spacers in certain spots. I have a 10 bolt so I guess theres not much need to get worried.
thanks anyway, just needed some reassurance.

I am in a similar situation. So far I have put the driver's arm on and it would barely go in. There is no way I could have gotten that spacer in there too. Will it make that much of a difference? I'm still in better shape than rubber bushings, right? Anything will be an improvement over my 30 year old bushings...

How do I replace the bushings in the rear end mounts? I took the arms to a machine shop, where they charged me $150 to change the bushings and weld the sway bar plates in (which I thought was high, but I needed it done).

Well, I puy the bushings in the lowers myself, not hard at all, still have not installed them yet though. I will remove the bushings in the ears the same way I removed them in the lowers, I hope, drill the rubber out, knock the center out, then maybe whack the shell a couple of times with a chisel, then knock them out, then install the new ones, after refrigerating and lubricating, I hope!

I just used a hammer, to hammer the old ones out. I used a piece of wood between the bushing and the hammer , and bashed them in. It didnt hurt them at all.

Cheers

Jamie

Well I installed the lower arms and sway bar, now I feel like krap. I am getting ready to have some dsik fused in my back, thats why I feel like krap. I guess it will be a couple of weeks before I do the uppers, if I do them at all before my surgery, then it would be a long time. "I drove the car out of the driveway, turned it around and drove back in" With just the lowers done and my short 100 foot trip I can tell a difference already. Thank goodness! The tires in the corners with the spool were not even squaking as much.

Originally posted by chadh5:
I am in a similar situation. So far I have put the driver's arm on and it would barely go in. There is no way I could have gotten that spacer in there too. Will it make that much of a difference? I'm still in better shape than rubber bushings, right? Anything will be an improvement over my 30 year old bushings... Put them in. In 1990 I put ES bushing in my Elky. They were the ones that go in the old shells. No thick poly washers/spacers were provided. A few years later I found the bushing had moved in the shells. This allowed the end of the shells to be exposed. They wore some pretty deep grooves into the mounting brackets. Rubber bushings are bonded to the shells and cannot move. Polys are not bonded and can move, even the ones installed in shells from the factory. Use the washer/spacers, you'll be glad you did.

well i drove the beast to a car show, handling and ride are much better, they didn't help the gas problem though, ha, ha

I was told that the spacers helped prevent the control arm from sliding back and forth . It was tight. Use lots of lube and a rubber smakker. A pry hear and there helps.

when I put mine in the other day I just lubed them with the silicone that came with the bushings and had no probs getting them in.

How many washers do you use on each bushing? What side of the rear end bushings do the poly washer go? I have two sets of bushings, one set came with one wide washer (about 1/2" wide) and the other set has 2 washers a wide one & a thin one (about 3/8" wide) both bushing sets have the same part numbers just different washer set ups. From what I have read above it sounds like you guys are just using one washer on the inside the small end of the bushing toward the center of the car. Dave

"DSR" You have to look at the gap you have. Then you can match the washers. They almost look to wide,but they go. Its not too hard to get them in but some are more of a pain then others. The thinner ones i know go at the axle end of the lower controll arms. Its been a while.

LOW RAG So your saying only one washer per bushing thin ones on the lowwer arms at the rear axel & the wider one go with the upper arms at the rearend housing. Now, the bushings in the rearend housing are the wide washers on the small end of the bushing? On the inside toward the driveshaft? And if so the driver's side washer would have to be cut down alot to fit. Dave

On mine i have 3 different sizes. The thinner ones according my directions went on the bottom control arms. The thicker ones will be used on the uppers. I have not done my uppers yet, so I can't at the moment tell you which one goes where, if i had to guess though without having to get up and go look at the directions, i would say the thicker one would be used on the rearend ears. Maybe I might make to the garage later.