Does anyone recommend any Front Control arm bushing kits... Should i also go polly or not? And what should i look at spending for a quality set.

I've heard of Energy Suspension and Mako Performance.. Any better ones out there?


Mine are overdue, here comes another weekend project!

Thanks,
Dave

 

Another note, I'm also going to replace the sway bar bushings at the same time.

 

I have done the front poly energy suspension sway bar bushings....they made a slight difference...and they take a little longer than originally expected btw....don't forget to get the endlink grommets...you will need four of them which are only like a dollar each anyway...as far as the front control arm bushings, I would contact matt blehm who has a better way of replacing them...you pay him to source some control arms and he puts in energy suspension bushings and new ball joints if you want those too (might as well otherwise they are a pain to push out of your control arms and change later one) and you swap them for your control arms...then send you stockers/originals back to matt blehm who then refunds the core price...voila...all bushings are done with very little hastle and no press or torching needed...something the average joe can do...I believe his e-mail address is: sales@mattblehm.com if memory serves...

now I just have to try and do the new energy suspension front subframe bushings...eek...they look time consuming from the instructions!

 

I wouldn't bother with the ES subframe bushings - they sit below the engine mounts, so it won't affect handling or anything like that. If you get your engine mounts replaced then that's a good time to do it. I just looked at them this weekend when replacing my clutch - they're simply rubber washers that help support the engine. The originals are compressed in such a way they don't have much play to begin with.

I put in the ES LCA bushings last weekend, but I bought a junkyard set of control arms and installed into them, then swapped out the LCA assembly with what was on my car. Removing the old bushings is a PITA, if Matt Blehm does it cheaply I suggest going that route. Installing the ES bushings is cake once you have the arm cleaned out. Replace the balljoints with the parts store equivalent, and use the Autozone balljoint tool to do it. Till you go through all that it's probably cheaper to get the eBay new control arms.

Is it worth it? I dunno if they're noticeably different than new stockers, but it will be an improvement over the worn out ones.

Dave