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Re: U bolt for frame to swaybar bushing

Posted: Tue Dec 22, 2015 7:49 pm
by Money pit Beretta
I'll check next time it happens. Did test using more throttle on a very long and large hill and that seemed to help. Drove it on a long trip so the fuel and spark trims should be ok. Only saying that because the heat shield was taken off the CAI last month. Up until then the trims were set for it.

The car doesn't see the highway, unless there is a long trip, which is somewhat rare.

Re: U bolt for frame to swaybar bushing

Posted: Wed Dec 23, 2015 10:24 am
by ifixalot
Because of this topic, I checked mine and sure enough, the steel under the u bolt is rusted away but my u bolts are fine.
The lack of sheet metal caused the u-bolt to cut through the rubber bushing.
I crammed some cut up pieces of tire in there to stop the thunk and I ordered the bushing kit from the link from an earlier post.
I hope to slide the bushing and the surrounding sheet metal in under the u-bolt and tack weld the sheet metal to the u-bolt.
This will save me from dropping the engine cradle frame section.

Re: U bolt for frame to swaybar bushing

Posted: Wed Dec 23, 2015 7:51 pm
by Money pit Beretta
One thing of note is that the U bolt is captive on the bushing holder(at the very top). At least one was on mine, the other one should have been.

ifixalot: there was not enough room to remove the U bolt and the holder without dropping the frame. I used a sawsall to cut the U bolts shorter to get them out. For the poly bushings and their holders there was no need to drop the frame. Reusing the stock set up means that the frame has to be dropped(the body is in the way). Not sure if you can drop the frame a little and wiggle the U bolts out, the frame bolts may not be long enough. Then comes your need for room to weld a plate, you may be able to weld it on the sides of the frame. That would be tough though.

Re: U bolt for frame to swaybar bushing

Posted: Thu Dec 24, 2015 10:13 am
by ifixalot
Thanks for the heads up. Yeah I know it's tight in there. My captive metal is rusted away.
That cause the u-bolt to cut through the bushing.
I might do like you and cut the u-bolts and drop the frame a bit to get em out.
So you just used regular bolts for the poly bushing holders? Or re-used the shortened u-bolts?
They canceled my order due to out of stock so I have to find another supplier.

Re: U bolt for frame to swaybar bushing

Posted: Thu Dec 24, 2015 6:05 pm
by Money pit Beretta
If you cut the U bolts toward the top then there is no need to drop the frame(but you still need that patch). Yeah just went to the hardware store to get some bolts. Had to cut the holders to fit inside the pockets. About half of the tab with the hole was removed. Sure think the stock set up with poly bushings would be best, but there was no other choice at the time.

Got my bushings at Summit.