491 replies to this topic

[duncanm]

Height feels the same as stock outback seats. I didn't measure them, but I'd be surprised if the power/manual rails were different.

 

Feels good to me - I tend to sit fairly forward (bent arms) and upright (snug in the seat).

[JDWhiteWRX]

Yes I sit in the correct driving position too but I have a long torso and shorter legs which means I almost have to duck my head down a little to read the top of the speedo.

[duncanm]

ah - yeh I'm a bit the opposite. longish legs for torso size .

[duncanm]

New rear LCA bushes... seems to have resolved the slightly vague directional stability when load up front changed (braking etc). Old ones were pretty shot - bits of rubber fell out of them.  

 

Easy job with a big arsed breaker bar - 40min each.

 

New vs. Old

 

[cowie165]

Wow. Hey Duncan what did you use for a breaker bar? I have a 1/2" 600mm(ish) bar but it is still defeated by strut bolts, etc. I've heard of people sleeving their bar with a length of water pipe or similar. Is this how it gets done or is that bush mechanics and you should buy a proper long bar?

 

And are they the Febest bushes?

[Barbbachello]

Wow. Hey Duncan what did you use for a breaker bar? I have a 1/2" 600mm(ish) bar but it is still defeated by strut bolts, etc. I've heard of people sleeving their bar with a length of water pipe or similar. Is this how it gets done or is that bush mechanics and you should buy a proper long bar?

 

And are they the Febest bushes?

Sleaving pipe/jack handle is the proper bush mechanic way. Does wonders

[duncanm]

Wow. Hey Duncan what did you use for a breaker bar? I have a 1/2" 600mm(ish) bar but it is still defeated by strut bolts, etc. I've heard of people sleeving their bar with a length of water pipe or similar. Is this how it gets done or is that bush mechanics and you should buy a proper long bar?

 

And are they the Febest bushes?

 

I've got a ~900mm bar. Its almost the best tool I've got, its saved me so many busted knuckles and swearing - I don't know what I did before I got it.

 

3/4 of the bolts were easy, one needed a bit of heft before it popped - I thought I'd busted it when it let go.  You just need to get the right angle on them so you can give it a good heave, which can be a bit awkward lying on the ground. The inner bolts are a little more effort, as they need an extension, so you need to be careful to avoid twisting the socket off by applying pressure down on the socket. Usual stuff. 

 

 

My only concern with bits of pipe is busting my socket driver - don't go using a pipe on a ratchet drive, you'll probably knut it.

 

If you can't move yours, I suggest going to a mechanic and getting them to break the bolts with an impact driver, then change the bushes yourself. (or if you've got one of those electric jobs, that'd probably do it)

 

These are the Febest bushes.  Went for a couple of longer drives today, and its definitely fixed the small wander I had when getting on and off the gas or brakes.

 

Oh - and only other tool needed is something (pipe, crowbar, bit of wood) to lever the arm away from the body a little so the bushes go off and on. No need to remove any other suspension bits... and undo the arm nuts after the bush bolts are uncrewed most of the way, but before taking them out.

[CRUISN]

You just need these.....

 

[cowie165]

In my experience, that ends up with one of these outcomes

 

 

or

 

 

Usually caused by a combination of cheap sockets and poor technique

[CRUISN]

Snapped studs are gonna snap no matter what you do.

Grazed knuckles means you arent paying enough attention to your surroundings and going in with blinkers on.

Getting angry means you arent thinking the issue through.

[cowie165]

 

I've got a ~900mm bar. Its almost the best tool I've got, its saved me so many busted knuckles and swearing - I don't know what I did before I got it.

 

3/4 of the bolts were easy, one needed a bit of heft before it popped - I thought I'd busted it when it let go.  You just need to get the right angle on them so you can give it a good heave, which can be a bit awkward lying on the ground. The inner bolts are a little more effort, as they need an extension, so you need to be careful to avoid twisting the socket off by applying pressure down on the socket. Usual stuff. 

 

 

My only concern with bits of pipe is busting my socket driver - don't go using a pipe on a ratchet drive, you'll probably knut it.

 

If you can't move yours, I suggest going to a mechanic and getting them to break the bolts with an impact driver, then change the bushes yourself. (or if you've got one of those electric jobs, that'd probably do it)

 

These are the Febest bushes.  Went for a couple of longer drives today, and its definitely fixed the small wander I had when getting on and off the gas or brakes.

 

Oh - and only other tool needed is something (pipe, crowbar, bit of wood) to lever the arm away from the body a little so the bushes go off and on. No need to remove any other suspension bits... and undo the arm nuts after the bush bolts are uncrewed most of the way, but before taking them out.

 

.A longer bar sounds like a wise purchase. I don't have any pipe to sleeve the bar with (and tbh I'd prefer to just get a longer bar). I needed it when swapping out suspension and just couldn't crack the nuts. Soaked with WD40, etc. Threw in the towel and took it in. The mech had the advantage of the hoist but also said he used a 4ft bar on a few of them!

 

I've split (cheap) sockets on exhaust bolts before. Destroyed a (cheap) ratchet on the same car doing another job. No more chinese discount tools from Bunnings... the impact driver sounds like a great idea. I just bought a bigass compressor that will run a driver properly.

 

Thanks for the advice!

[cowie165]

Snapped studs are gonna snap no matter what you do.

Grazed knuckles means you arent paying enough attention to your surroundings and going in with blinkers on.

Getting angry means you arent thinking the issue through.

 

Aye. I do usually do all three, but in the reverse order. Snap the stud as I immediately smash my fist into something hard and edged, then drop the tool, note the sheared bolt and become Mr Furious because that's extra work on a job I wanted finished hours prior

 

Like three weeks ago when I managed to shear a strut brace bolt. How the heck did that happen? Must have overtightened it on install. Ask me if Bunnings at Glendale, East Maitland, or Salamander Bay have M12 dome nuts :-)

[CRUISN]

M14 × 1.5 bolts need nothing but sheer force to undo.

[JDWhiteWRX]

Ryobi impact gun from bunnings, you will never look back. $120 for the gun, more if you need the batteries.

[Adam]

Yep ^

[duncanm]

Went to the local (-ish) pick-n-pull today and grabbed a couple of items.

- wiper mechanism

- dark-grey grandpa-spec DIN surround and switch plastics

 

I thought my wiper mech was just worn - but it had actually popped a plastic knuckle out of one of the arms. Not clear to me how they're held in, but replaced it anyway ... no more wiper escapes from the windshield!

 

I also replaced my plastics (light-brown grandpa spec woodgrain) with dark-grey grandpa spec woodgrain.  Bits came off an auto, so no shifter suround. I've plasti-dipped the shifter surround matt black for now.  

 

Pictures may follow if I can be arsed.

 

Also building a little slide out camping kitchen for the back.

[duncanm]

Fork on.

Before

 

n' After

 

 

[CRUISN]

Better.

 

I have a full set of JDM black brushed surrounds inc manual shifter surround and a momo wheel arriving soon......