Kyle Harty

iTrader: (17)

We're installing the poly bushing from Carson for the caster arms and the bushings aren't tight in the arms, you can slide them in and out by hand. Just wondering if this is normal for these bushings or if somethings wrong.

phamxOC

iTrader: (14)

take the rings off ur old bushing and put in on the carson ones

phamxOC

iTrader: (14)

its like a little sleeves

Kyle Harty

iTrader: (17)

We did reuse the original sleeves, even after pressing them into the bushings they're still fairly loose in the arms. It's back together now and everything seemed tight once the arms were reinstalled, drives fine but I'm still a little concerned.

bADBOySC4

iTrader: (5)

depending on the year, some may or may not need to reuse the outer shell. can u tell me the year of your car and part number for the bushings?

bADBOySC4

iTrader: (5)

u shouldnt be able to install or remove them by hand. im almost certain either they gave u the wrong year bushings or you are supposed to reuse your outer shell from the old stock bushings. i test fitted both the newer and older style bushing for carson when they first came out. i can help out, just need to know what the part number is and year.

dungut

iTrader: (9)

I did the carson caster arm bushings not too long ago. The first arm I popped out the entire factory bushing including sleeve. Since I didnt have a press to do it, i f'ed up the factory sleeve. When I went to put in the new poly bushing it was way loose....like u said, by hand. Come to realize I was supposed to keep the factory sleeve in the arm. You also need to re-use the factory inner sleeve to put into the new poly bushing also. I had to go buy a used arm just so I could keep the factory outer sleeve in there.

In short, reuse outer sleeve, reuse inner sleeve.

A tip is to use a coarse wire brush on a drill. That got ALL the old rubber off the outer sleeve and inner sleeve.

There is no way it moved a bit once pressed in. It was very hard to get it in with my big vice, but it finally went in.

SlowGS4

iTrader: (5)

my bushing slides up and down in the arm where I put the greese, the lip of my bushing is holding the arm in place. This was worrying me too, but ive driven about 1k miles and everything looks fine. sounds like we have the same problem. should we be worried?

mines a 98 and the outter shell was removed, and i used the inner shell i got from daizen.

Kyle Harty

iTrader: (17)

Crap, I knew it didn't seem right. Seemed almost impossible to get the old bushing out without mangling the outer shell. We started from the Daizen DIY where he peeled the lip back with an air chisel so we were on the wrong track from the start. Were you guys able to press the whole thing out without damaging the shell? Guess I'm either looking for used arms or the upgraded '03-'05 with the TRD bushings. At this rate it looks like I could've just spent the extra money on the 03 arms originally and saved the hassle.

'99 GS400, the bushings I got were listed at the l-tuned site under GS400, http://www.l-tunedparts.com/product/?id=3297

Really wish there would've been some kind of instructions with the bushings at least letting me know we needed to reuse those original parts before we started.

dungut

iTrader: (9)

You are exactly where I was. I read the same DIY and went to town with the air chisel the first time around. Then I CAREFULLY READ the Carson bushings bag they came in. It says "Reuse outer and inner sleeve". I felt . I gave up, called Luis at Carson and wanted to buy 2 new arms and just put it in. He suggested I try some local junkyards and find a used arm (I had only messed up one so far), and try again. I took his advice and glad I did. Found a used arm for $75 and finished the job.

The tip to do this job is cut out the rubber with a saws all. Then use a stiff wire brush on a drill to get all the rest of it off the outer sleeve. Then use the wire brush on the inner sleeve to get the rest of the rubber off. Use lots of grease when putting in the inner sleeve into the bushing, and also on the bushing into the outer sleeve/control arm. It is possible to do it all in the garage with a large vice.

Dont get discouraged. The bushings are well worth the trouble!

Kyle Harty

iTrader: (17)

I didn't notice anything on the bag from Carson, too late to look now. I messed up both of mine, leaning towards just ordering the upgraded arms from sewell and trying to sell the Carson bushings.

bigjussin

iTrader: (2)

ihave a spare set too..will probably make some sleeves...2.5" id sleeve

bADBOySC4

iTrader: (5)

ive done a few of those where i had to reuse the outer shell. let me walk u through the different ways ive done it. 1st time i removed the complete bushings as the daizen diy states and mangled the bushings shell. ended up getting a used arm for 25 at pick a part. second time around i cut out the rubber while the outer sleeve is still in the arm. after cutting the rubber out, used a cylinder type wire brush on an angle grinder to cut away on the remaining rubber. then used a press to installed the carson bushing into the shell (while shell is still in arm). i have tried several different ways to keep the outer shell in tact after removing but i have found that leaving the shell in the arm and then wire brushing the rubber away is the easiest and most efficient way to do the job. ive done several now and the job is pretty simple when doing it that way.

bADBOySC4

iTrader: (5)

i wouldnt give up. like dungut said, dont get discouraged, its well worth it when you are done. gives the suspension a completely different feel. i like it.

lexusben

iTrader: (3)

So I ordered Caster Arm Bushings from Sewell and I'm assuming they are the same as the one's from Carson. You guys are saying that I should never chisel out the old bushing, I should just use a wire brush to get all the old rubber out.

Is This what I'm going for:

[IMG]http://i53.tinypic.com/3147y4g.png[/IMG

So is the Rubber the only thing holding the Original Inner Sleeve? So you just get rid of that rubber and then you can put the inner sleeve in the new Poly Bushing, then just Press that Bushing in?

Is this the Process: