ES Bushing snag...

[JeffBoudah]

I've done a few sets of these ES poly bushings and this is the first wagon I've done (84 colony park). Now I don't know if this is a wagon specific thing.... or just the hilarious lack of production tolerance they allowed here.

The I.D. for the bolt holes on the nut side of the lower arm, rear bushing... 0.778" (pictured)... The OD of the ES bushing sleeve is 0.812" leaving only about .017" of land per side for the sleeve...

Plan... I'm going to turn a sleeve up to weld onto the ES sleeve to make it "headed" about 1", then relieve the bushing body for clearance.

[JeffBoudah]

I just looked at some old pics of my 79 big brake swap and there is also a huge ass rear hole. I guess I've never noticed this before. The face on the bushing sleeve for the stock one is 30mm (1.18")

[massacre]

So the hole in the arm is too big?
But the bolt fits the bushing ok?

[JeffBoudah]

The hole in the frame is too big for the ES sleeve. In my opinion. Basically there is no land to get the compression on the sleeve when you tighten the bolt. It will more than likely just emboss itself into the frame material and kind of extrude itself into that hole.

As you can see by this rockauto stock replacement bushing pic that face has a much larger surface area than just a sleeve used for the front bushing. https://www.rockauto.com/info/143/K8297_FRO__ra_p.jpg

[gadget73]

are the bolts different size? Seems odd that the hole in the frame would be larger unless the bolt was also larger. The stock rubber bushings still have that insert that has to contact the frame on each end. I'd expect the hole in the frame to only be large enough for the bolt with reasonable clearance.

What are those bolts anyway?

[JeffBoudah]

Bolts are all the same. It is just the two nut side holes on the lower arm's aft bushings. In my uploaded photo you can see the control arm pocket's leading hole is correctly sized to work on the sleeve, the trailing side (nut side) is big. I think they are all like this.

[gadget73]

Ah, ok only one side. Must be pressing the sleeve against the flange nut or something. I've not fooled with wagons, but that seems strange to me that it would be different.

[JeffBoudah]

My 79 tudor frame was the same from my pics, and based on the bushings being sold for up to 2002 i would say it was always that way on all platforms. This ES bushing was never engineered correctly for the application.

I have a KISS solution. M14 extra thick black oxide machine washer recessed into the bushing's face. Remove that thickness from the sleeve length.

[Brown_Muscle]

Weird... I just did a set on my 82, and as I recall the holes were definitely the same size for me

[JeffBoudah]

well it got a little more complicated than just a purchased washer, i made some EXTRA thick @ .250" I could only find a m14 washer up to 4.5mm thick (.178")

Here is what i got.

[JeffBoudah]

Here is the stock sleeve for reference.