{"id":6316,"date":"2014-05-04T16:39:06","date_gmt":"2014-05-04T23:39:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rallyways.com\/?post_type=specialty&p=6316"},"modified":"2018-06-15T16:48:34","modified_gmt":"2018-06-15T23:48:34","slug":"part-2-powerflex-poly-bushings-miata-installation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rallyways.com\/6316\/part-2-powerflex-poly-bushings-miata-installation\/","title":{"rendered":"Mission Purple Part 2: Powerflex Poly Bushings Miata Installation"},"content":{"rendered":"

The RallyWays Miata is getting a full suspension bushing job. We\u2019re looking to improve the Miata\u2019s handling and tightness using polyurethane bushings from Powerflex USA<\/a>.<\/h3>\n

This is part 2 of the installation process. There is also an intro article that explains our goals, and of course, part 1. For reference, below are links to the two previous stories:<\/p>\n

Intro:<\/strong> Mission: Purple Polyurethane Bushings to Improve Car Handling<\/a><\/p>\n

Part 1 (disassembly):<\/strong> Mission Purple Part 1: Powerflex Bushings Miata Polyurethane Bushings Installation<\/a><\/p>\n

In part one we left off having dismantled the front end and having removed the stock rubber bushings from the control arms. We disconnected the outer tie rods, lower and upper ball joints from the hub carrier and removed all the parts. We also removed the stock sway bar mounts to replace them with AWR sway bar mount brackets.<\/p>\n

So where does this leave us? Well, let\u2019s see\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n

I have a bunch of parts laying around from the front suspension as well old bushings, cracked and rotten ball joint boots and ugly control arms. The radiator is out and the cooling system is empty and I had to disconnect and reroute the return power steering lines. Those last two things I had to do in order to install the AWR sway bar brackets.<\/p>\n

But let\u2019s focus on the task at hand which is the poly bushings.<\/p>\n

\"Sanding<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Miata<\/a><\/p>\n

Before installing the new Powerflex poly bushings I washed the old upper and lower front control arms with degreaser and a Brillo pad. I then sanded them down and sprayed them with satin black Krylon Rust Tough rattle can paint.<\/p>\n

While I trust Powerflex’s instructions that say that if lubed correctly, the poly bushings will not squeak, Powerflex does recommend they be re-lubed at intervals – once a year if I\u2019m not mistaken. In order to lube bushings one must take apart the suspension again. I\u2019m sure as heck not going to do that again. Screw that. So I decided to fit every pivot point in the suspension with a Zerk fitting (grease nipple) so that I could pump grease into every bushing assembly should they begin to squeak after a period of time.<\/p>\n

\"Kingfisher<\/a>
Kingfisher 6mm x 1.00 Zerk fitting from Grainger<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I ordered 6mm Zerk fittings from Grainger. See the end of the article for a link to the actual fittings I bought. Grainger has a number of different Zerk fittings, but I decided this size was good. They had a few different 6mm brands. These were made in UK so I opted for them over the ones made, umm, somewhere else. They were only a bit more expensive. Not much.<\/p>\n

I would need one for each pivot point. I also wanted a couple of spares so I decided to buy 3 bags of 10. I only damaged one during installation.<\/p>\n

\"Making<\/a><\/p>\n

The stock suspension arms have these holes near the weld points that were likely created to hold the parts during manufacturing. What I did was I used a large drill bit to open up the holes near the control arms weld joints to allow me to tuck the grease fittings in those little pockets. I then used a smaller drill bit to drill through the wall where the bushings are held. Finally I de-burred the holes I made with my Dremel tool and a grinding bit, as seen in the photo above.<\/p>\n

I originally intended to tap the holes before installing the fittings. However, the crappy tap and die set I bought from Harbor Freight didn\u2019t work. I tapped 1 hole and the tap was dead. Harbor Freight is usually awesome, but every once in a while you do get what you pay for.<\/p>\n