Hi Everyone!

Im gonna be installing some new coilovers on my AP1 this upcoming weekend and want to verify all the bushings that I need to reclock once I lower the car, also if there are any tips and tricks to reclocking the bushings to ride height without a drive on lift.

Currently have these bushings in mind to reclock:
- front two upper control arm bushings
- front lower damper bushing
- front lower CA bushing
- rear two upper control arm bushings
- rear two lower control arm bushings
- rear damper bushing

Am i missing any?

 

Use ramps/cribbing, etc to support the cars weight. Loosen them, set the car down on the ramps/cribbing and then reach under to tighten them.

Another method some use is to put the car on stands, then put a jack as far out as you can under the control arm (usually right under the balljoint) and jack the arm up until the car just barely starts to lift off the stand and torque the bolts down. Then move to the next corner and repeat. That will not be exactly as it is when the car is sitting on the wheels but it is pretty close and likely well within the range of motion you care about here.

 

Some additional tips on the Jackstand method.

Start w car level on stands, all corners

Loosen all clockable bolts first, while still safely on stand

Jack till just unweights from stand as mentioned. Daylight not required, just until stand starts to get loose.

Just reach under, don't get under. One ugga dugga for everything, then lower safely back down on stand for final torquing, where now you can get under safely for leverage.

 

• front compliance bushing (lower arm)
• rear toe arm bushing

 

Think measuring wheel center to arch on all 4 corners<with loose bolts take reference fig> and jack each one and tighten bolts to correct mm/inch< can remove wheel if needed.>
i have a ramp so not a prob for me..

 

Thanks for all the advice!

I got the front coils installed and jacked up the lower control arm knuckle until it slightly lifts off the jack stand, then tightened down the upper control arm bushings as well as the lower CA damper bushing (lower strut).

I noticed that theres bushings also on the front lower control arm where camber is adjusted. Do i need to clock that bushing aswell? I plan to get an alignment after everything is installed anyways.

@hai1206vn I was under the impression that you dont need to clock the compliance bushing? Also the rear toe arm would be adjusted during my alignment anyways, so no need to clock that?

Same goes for the rear, I havent installed yet, but i plan on clocking the two upper control arms, the lower CA damper bolt bushing (strut) and one of the lower CA bushings as the other seems to be adjusted for alignment for a total of 4 bushings in the rear. Am I wrong to not clock the camber bushings?

 

Since your car ride height just changed, it's best to clock all bushings. There's gonna be some time until your alignment, so during this wait ideally you don't want any bushing in twisted state.

The compliance bushing is the least affected because it doesn't twist axially, or very minimally, when ride height changes. There's probably still some small axial twist as the front LCA camber bolt gets loosened and shifted. Probably ok to leave out but I'd do it anyway since it's not much more work.

 

The compliance bushing cannot be clocked. Its not that its only clocked a little, its not clocked at all.

The thing you're clocking, locking down, is the horizontal rotational position of the inner metal sleeve. The compliance bushings inner sleeve is entirely vertical.

Unless you're making a very dramatic change in ride height, leaving bushings unclocked and just letting it happen during alignment is safe, so long as you do it soon. Bushings aren't tear on the first bump.

The real danger though is if that adjustment doesn't need to be done, and alignment tech never even loosens it. Then it doesn't get clocked.

 

@Car Analogy Thanks for the explanation! Thats what I figured about the compliance bushing since it is verticle rather than horizontal rotation.

I was able to clock all the bushings in the rear and the ride heights are sitting perfect!

For some reason though, I keep having to adjust the front heights, and they always seem to be different by by as much as half an inch... At first I figured it was because I wasnt clocking the bushings at the right height, but even after trying a few times, it still sits uneven...
Might give it a couple days to see if the coils "settle" before trying to do it again.. PITA to take it in an out.. my back hurts haha