D2 Coilover Install

Bolt too!

Well semi congrats....here we are days later and I'm ready to pull my hair out, whoever said "it can turn into a nightmare" you're not wrong. I got the shock and everything ready to go except the camber kit....I have 3 of 4 coilovers installed. 1 of 2 rear camber kits installed. Actually, both are installed now but the arm it connects too well I'll tell ya....the same side that had the ceased shock has ceased everything. I replaced the front end's bushings and control arms a year ago or so and thought that sucked. This is so much worse. So here's where it's at the bushing where the camber kit would go in is ceased. The bushing where the upper control arm meets the knuckle So thus I could not remove the upper control arm from the knuckle. I let it soak for 1 day in PB tried to punch it out, shock the bolt, heat it, use a ratchet to get it spinning (snapped the head off) the nut came off though so, I was left with a broken bolt with a threaded end sticking out. Let it soak/heat/shock attempt/hammer/twist for a total of 4 days for the record throughout all this. Tried an extraction kit day 2. That sucked the “extractor” never gripped. So I tapped the hole I made with a M8X1.25 and got a 14mm head bolt to screw into the old bolt so I could wrench on it again and try to break it free with PB/heat combo again. Broke that bolt too eventually. So re drilled and tried a better extaction kit day 3. That one was much better the twist type extractor absolutely gripped, even twisted the rubber but the bolt refused to break free from the inner bushing sleeve. For the record, this bushing was stuck when I made the post about the shock too and was soaking as well as occasionally being worked on. All that was done with the pieces still in the car. Yesterday Day 4 I decided to pull the entire knuckle and upper control arm, so I remove the hub the other control arm and etc to get this piece out. Decided to try to drill it out all the while using the better extraction kit whenever trying to get the bolt to break loose from the bushing. I had to cut the bracket in order to remove it as I didn't have a dremel that could get at the bolt without removing the bracket first. (It’s fine don’t care about the bracket a new one needs to be installed from the camber kit anyways.) So removed the entire piece and drilled/extract attempt/drill again etc. Did that all last night even drilled 2 different size holes through the whole bolt STILL was holding onto that bushing by rust....like FR!? It'd rather be drilled through twice than release from that bushing. Okay? So I figured screw it, you wanna be drilled lets drill! Got the best damn drill bit I could buy today to get this DONE! right!? WRONG! Got home from work was like HELL YEAH lets get it! Drilled halfway through the bushing going smooth chomping away.....the outer rubber lets go.....rubber spins....drilling ceases.....I have a half drilled out bolt with a hole too small for my camber kit bolt. A ruined bushing that I know is ceased beyond all belief, the bushing now moves but inner sleeve, yeah ceased...the rest of the control arm wont even come apart entirely its ceased up so.....yeah. They don't sell the rear upper control arm with bushings in it or out of it for that matter.....so I'm back to square one essentially. I need an entirely new (junkyard kind of new) rear upper control arm and the knuckle. My knuckle is fine but honestly I'm afraid to try to get this bolt connecting the knuckle and the upper control arm out since it is the reason I chose the pull all of it as the bushing spins before the bolt breaks loose. But yeah figured I'd update ya and let you all know it wasn't over at that last post. The coilovers have yet to have the entire weight of the car due to our 5 day bushing!

So yeah cross my fingers and hope I can find one that isn’t as ceased as mine was. Really don’t wanna pay the price of having a new bushing pressed in….I don’t have a press for that, the up front ones I was able to rig out fairly easily compared to this. Plus getting the outer sleeve of this bushing out to do it myself I honestly don’t even wanna discuss or think about right now. They don't sell this bushing either they do sell the other one on this arm but not the two in the back that attach to the chassis. The entire rear end kit is like $70-100 depending on the color. Anyone have and like those? Even with that still have the issue of the outer sleeve of the bushing being clearly rusted and ceased along with the rest of the the driver's rear end. So pull a different one is the most promising I think for me. Unless anyone knows where you can buy a new upper control arm? For just in case purposes at least? Or if anyone has a spare one? Part car extra maybe??

Weigh in with options, if you so feel, wanna get it back on the road!

We have similar minds my friend. I looked into those bushings and the entire rear end kit is $70-100 depending on the color. They don’t sell just this bushing. They do singularly sell the bushing for the center of the control arm though.

So I chose junkyard, figured couldn’t hurt to have a spare knuckle and upper control arm anyways then I can do the bushing kit later. Saves me money now assuming I can get the same bolt out of this one with better luck. If not regardless I’ll need the bushing kit and can return what I got within 30 days for store credit. Which I use often….in fact used store credit to buy half of it today.

So I was able to pull a knuckle and upper control arm today in about an hour so it was less seized than mine. But had to pull the shock too as it is stuck in the same way mine was. So I am doing a ball joint press type set up with the new upper control arm as has the same bolt seized as well. I tried to impact it loose and don’t want to break this bolt too. So I am doing basically what you said I got a giant C clamp and rigged some sockets agains the bolt so it can pull through on the side that still has the head (this one’s head isn’t broken) and another socket so my clamp doesn’t slip off. I’m going patience this time and gonna let it soak/heat/impact/c clamp rig I have going. Until Friday or Saturday. And I know there isn’t a lot of clearance for the bolt to move before it hits the socket but doesn’t really matter as long as it moves, getting it to move at all is the biggest hurdle.

but yeah I’m basically back at square one, this is cheaper than the entire bushing kit and I already put more than planned in. However I figured try this way first before putting in another $70-100 in the rear suspension when I don’t need most of the bushings none of mine are cracked or loose or janky in anyway yet so can use for a while longer. And then I can return the shock for the full price (even if I cut it I asked) and the rest of it if I need too but honestly will probably keep the knuckle and upper control arm maybe to sell to one of you in need down the road of for myself. Since both are out of production parts.

Either way I’m shopping for the MIVEC swap, so I’m at the junkyard grabbing the various components from the 6G74/5 you need to complete the swap. (I have a guy I met in forums that I need to get measurements to to recreate the BHM distributor plate took a while to find someone, but found ‘em) need to get this stuff done so I can get to the engine bay. Actually might do that while it’s immobilized but the reason haven’t yet is when I did that to get the measurements my plan was to also replace a lot of seals and well tbh wanted to see how far this suspension was gonna go in my pocket first. So yeah…

We got it days later!! The method used was the ball joint press. However I ended up fixing my original one as tbh e ball joint press just bent the bolt in the upper control arm I pulled. But was able to push out the inner sleeve which still proved a challenge the first bolt got stuck since the hole drilled wasn’t perfect. so I had to come up with a system to push that out and it maxed out the reach on the clamp. I used a 19mm deep socket to allow the bolt to move then like a 1/2inch bolt abounthe same width to push the bolt I tried to start with. It barely moved but that was enough. Clamped it down and punched out the bolt. Then reversed the bushing sleeve in my system and pushed the other side. That time it was easy shot right out. Now need to reinstall the bushing/inner sleeve. But it has clearance for the new bolt.

the drill had already caused the inner sleeve to break loose from the bushing.

So question. The bushing kit is $70 I already ordered it but it won’t be here for a bit. And I looked into the installed of the bushing kit many have done on here. So my inner sleeve obviously came out but the new kit I ordered I really only NEED one and that one is actually made up of 2 silicone pieces and 1 center insert. Okay. So the new kits inner sleeve can certainly move couldn’t it? It’s not attached to the rubber the way the stock bushing is. So hypothetically why is so bad to reinstall the inner sleeve that came out? I know everyone says new bushing which is in the mail. I’m just curious if both the inner sleeves can move and really the rubber at That point on the upper control arm essentially prevents movement of the bolt. The bolt is held right there by what will be my new camber kit on both sides of the bracket with a nut and secured there with a plate used in the camber kit. So really it’s mostly just cushioning the impact of the road from the bolt/inner sleeve. The inner sleeve is flanged on the ends so once it presses through the bushing around is held in by itself and then also held in by the bracket. Which is then bolted onto with a bolt in one side and the head of the 14mm bolt on the other.
I also read ride ability suffers a bit with these replacements. Handling improves. But yeah.

So I’m curious what would be the difference/dilemma with using the old bushing and re pushing in the inner sleeve? If I can stay rubber for as long as possible I kind of want to the rest of the bushings are fine and bolts removed fine. But no one sells this bushing rubber the only option is that $70 kit I already ordered and I’m not too keen on using all of it as like I said id like to stay rubber until I have to. I use it more as a daily right now and a track occasionally. Hence the RS coilovers as that is their intention daily driver/weekend warrior.

So hypothetically if I installed this. I just pressed it back in so you could see what I meant. However upon doing so some of the rubber detached from one side so I’ll still replace this one with poly since as stated before they do not sell just this one or any kit with this upper control arm bushing rubber. And it’s missing more than what I meant when I asked.
But yeah that’s what I meant if it is pressed back in as shown (well better than shown that side missing a small piece of the rubber wasn’t what I had in mind when I asked the hypothetical) then the bracket and bolt attached? This bushing wouldn’t make my alignment move at all even if it is the way it is I would say because where this is located it has a camber bolt with a place to hold it very much in place, hence the camber kit, this rubber piece just absorbs the road and stops you from over tightening the bolt and nut. Right? So really it can’t move it just absorbs and will now just absorb less. Yes?

took pics of the passenger already installed side. So you get what I’m saying with the valve bolt and how this bushing will just absorb. The bolt placement and plate attached to the bolt is what adjusts and even with this “not ideal” would still hold alignment. Yea?

I know that being the trade off, however I do use more as a daily than the track currently. And yeah I know you need to do an alignment Everytime hence why I am trying to do a set up I’m gonna use for a year or so at least. And that set up ideally was staying as much rubber as possible for now. However I was thinking g the exact same thing due to the alignment. So I’m just trying to debate what all I do want to replace since a lot of my bushings are fine and removed fine and it is wayyyy more daily than track and probably will be for this year. So hence the train of thought and why I asked. I’m thinking I’m just gonna do all 3 upper control arm bushings and leave my lower Knuckle bushings. Since I had no problem removing those bolts, popped right out and turned without any issue at all. The bolts also came out very clean minimal rust on the lower ones surprisingly. So I plan to leave those and put anti cease on the bolt to prevent future ceasing when I do need to replace, if/when she goes full or at least a lot more track.