Energy Suspension Rear Trailing Arm Bushing Set (ES 7108)
Instructions by Steven Kwan
I. Tools Required
- Floor Jack
- 2 or 3 sets of Floor
Stands
- Racket with Socket Set
- Torque Wrench
- Wrench Set
- Breaker Bar
- Channel Lock
- 8” C-Clamp
- Electric Drill with Drill Bit Set
- Torch
- Hammer
- Chisel
- Metal Hacksaw
- Steel Wool (Grade 0000)
- Metal Plate
- 3.5” Diameter x 6” Length: Drift or Steel Pipe Section or PVC Section
This is suitable PVC section: 3.5” inner diameter x 6.5” length female coupler/adapter
· Spare Steel Washers
· Bearing Grease
II. Diagrams
III. Procedure
Lifting the Car
1. Park the car on a flat surface and jack entire car onto floor stands with enough clearance to work underneath. You may jack rear end only onto floor stands, but to have more room I suggest having the entire car on floor stands.
2. Remove the rear wheels.
Removal of Rear Suspension Assembly from Car
3. Remove brake hose lock plate on the torsion beam.
4. Disconnect parking brake cable from caliper and remove brake caliper and rotor.
5. Suspend caliper assembly with wire so as not to stretch brake hose.
· Be careful not to depress brake pedal, or piston will pop out. Make sure brake hose is not twisted.
6. Follow the Antilock Brake System (ABS) cable to the plug underneath the car body and unplug it. Remove the bracket holding the ABS plug to the trailing arm from the body of the car.
7. Remove rear strut assembly from car.
8. Remove bracket attached to rear trailing arm pivot point.
Picture: Rear Trailing Arm Bracket
9. Using a jack, raise torsion beam a little, and remove the nuts and bolts from the trailing arm, and lateral link.
Pictures: Bolt and Nut of Trailing
Pictures: Bolt and Nut of Lateral Link
10. Carefully lower the entire rear suspension from the car by lowering the jack. You might need the help of a hammer to knock free the rear trailing arm from its pivot point.
11. Slide the entire rear suspension away from the car and reattach the wheels onto the axle to aid in maneuvering the assembly to desired location to press in the new ES rear trailing arm bushings.
Removal of OEM Bushings
12. Place an oil catch underneath bushing to be pressed out. Drill around the center metal sleeve starting with small drill bits working your way up to the largest bit available. Allow the liquid filled bushing to drain before proceeding to next step. Purpose is to perforate around the metal sleeve to press it out.
Pictures: Drilling the Bushing and Allowing Liquid Filled Bushing to Drain
13. Use an 8” C-Clamp, 3.5” diameter drift/steel pipe/PVC section, and metal plate to punch out the perforated bushing section.
Pictures: Pressing out Perforated Bushing Section
14. Use a hacksaw and create notch into the rubber/metal casing that is left in the trailing arm.
Pictures: Hacksawing Rubber/Metal Casing
15. Use a hammer and a chisel to remove the notch created from the trailing arm.
Picture: Removing Notch
16. Use a hammer and a chisel to push out the remaining rubber/metal casing from the trailing arm.
Pictures: Chiseling Out Rubber/Metal Casing
Pictures: OEM Bushings Pressed Out
17. Use a torch to burn away the rubber liner that is left inside the trailing arm void. A weed torch maybe a good torch to use.
Picture: Weed Torch
Pictures: Torching of Rubber Liner
18. Allow the metal to cool and use a piece of steel wool (grade 0000) to remove the ash left. Clean the entire void until no ash and steel wool lint is left.
Pictures: Use of Steel Wool to Clean the Trailing Arm Void
Pressing in ES Rear Trailing Arm Bushings
19. Prepare the ES bushing to be pressed by lubing the metal sleeve with supplied grease from the packaging and insert into the bushing. Use 2 spare steel washers along with the nut and bolt that held the trailing arm on the car and assemble it to the bushing. Tighten the nut and bolt temporary.
Pictures: Assembling ES Bushing for Pressing
20. Prepare the trailing arm void by enlarging the circumference of the lip by using a channel lock. The lip I enlarged was the one in the inner portion of the trailing arm. Smear the entire void with bearing grease to allow the bushing to slide in easier.
Pictures: Enlarging Trailing Arm Void and Greasing the Void
21. Using an 8” C-Clamp, 3.5” diameter drift/steel/PVC pipe section, and metal plate, press in the ES rear trailing arm bushing into the void. The setup of this procedure is similar to pressing out the center section of the bushing in step #13. If the bushing does not go in easily, use the channel lock to enlarge the lip slightly larger.
22. After the bushing is pressed in, use a hammer and chisel to close down the lip around the bushing.
23. Remove the 2 spare washers, bolt and nut from the bushing.
Installing the Rear Suspension Assembly to Car
24. Remove the wheels from the axles.
25. Position the assembly underneath the car.
26. Using the floor jack, and floor stands slow raise the assembly up.
27. Insert the trailing arm bushings into the pivot points first and hold it in place temporary with the bolt and nut. You may need to use a hammer to help align the assembly into place by hitting on any solid surface on the torsion beam and/or the trailing arm. Do not torque the nut yet.
28. Raise the lateral link into its position and hold it in place temporary with the bolt and nut. Do not torque the nut yet.
29. Carefully inspect entire assembly once over for fitment. If satisfied, torque the bolts and nuts on the trailing arm bushings and lateral link to 73-86 lbs/ft.
30. Replace back the bracket to the rear trailing arm pivot point.
31. Replace back the rear strut assembly.
32. Reconnect the ABS sensor to the car body and reattach the ABS bracket to the car body.
33. Replace back the rotor, brake caliper, and parking brake cable to caliper.
34. Replace back the brake hose lock plate on the torsion arm.
35. Lower car to ground and test drive.