Im in DFW now, we moved from SA to DFW about year and half ago....

I used to work at KELLY for Boeing......across the runway from ya...

About the food, i know how you feel, the Mexican food and bbq are nothing like SA even here and i just went up IH-35 a bit....

-J

 

I just discovered this issue on my car last night while I was adjusting the suspension....Both sides are shot! I need to get this done and get an alignment....Jason, are you ever in Austin and would be willing to help out with this?

 

Sup Burner,

I pass through Austin only really on my way from Dallas to San Antonio........im originally from SA...

Honestly read through the how to carefully and if need be i can make another Frankenstein socket quite easily if KTRAN and his buddy are not done with the original one they have at the moment.

if you don't own a press, the im certain in Austin you can (once you jack the car up and remove the translinks) go to any mom and pop shop and quite easily have them press it out for you.......once they say they will do it discuss price and dont get yourself in a position where after its done they name some rediculous amount! it seriously takes a few minutes so a typical mom and pop shop should charge anywhere from 10-40 bucks max!!!

oh, and don't leave! stay and watch and ensure its done right if you choose to do that...

unless your ever in DFW.........let me know...
-J

 

Thanks man. I guess I'll have to go for it. Do you think a ball joint press would work as well, without having to take the whole part off the car? I'd be willing to buy the tool (heck, a press might come in handy) but I think the ball joint tool might work better, what do you think? I checked them out, and it seems that they all come with adapters (like your "frankenstein tool") but in the wrong sizes, so I'd need one of those. Let me know if you can make another one, or get the one back from the other guys. Thanks again man!

 

oh ya, with the right adapters im sure a ball joint tool will work just fine........

MW9 posted here - https://my350z.com/forum/7853542-post23.html that he had done it using one. but also needed to make a sleave/franksocket...

Yeah, ill make ya a franksocket, same deal, i send it to you, you send it back, or to the next dude in need.....etc..

another thing, as for the ball joint tool..........me personally i would rather remove the part......as you can see from the how to its not hard to remove the translink using typical jack stands........but if your having to use a ball joint tool under the car thats gonna bite!! well IMHO it would....

you would have to jack the front of the car up high, along with crawling under there and then working in an ackward position.........eehh... its up to you..

but your right about one thing - a press does come in handy....I have used my press for many many many things and in my mind has paid for itself in worth 10 fold and its nothing special, its a small one....

I have used it on my wheel spacers studs a few times as well:
https://my350z.com/forum/wheels-and-...ent-studs.html

-J

 

Cool, thanks for the info. I know a guy that owns a shop here in Austin, where I can get my car on a lift so working underneath isn't an issue. I still think I might go with the press route, because it gives me a reason to buy a new toy! Let me know when you get the chance to make that adapter and I'll send my address your way. Thanks for all the info....

 

no prob...ill try and weld it up when i get home today........if not friday for sure..

-J

 

Yo Burner and Ktran??

How goes it with the Franksockets?? get the job done??

-J

 

With the holidays, family and that mess I haven't had time. I am planning on getting it done this week as I have it off of work.

 

"Frankensocket" available? Let me (or Adam) know.

 

pm sent kwame...

-J

 

I'm headed down to the shop to do mine today, so if all goes well I'll have the socket available after today.

 

Project complete. Much easier than I expected. I have the "Frankenstein" socket and the 29mm Craftsman socket that are required to get the project done. The hardest part was getting the bushings to press into the translink straight (they kept wanting to go in crooked. If anyone needs help or the parts let me know.

 

the translink itself has one side only that accepts the bushing......its edge is beveled in ..........

if you press in from that side, it goes in fine....

-J

 

Yeah, I noticed it was beveled as you had said. The press I was using was a piece of crap. I had even crappier press plates to use (they had cutouts, etc) so it was a pain. Car is tracking nicely now!

 

oh man.......the press plates are crucial.........i honestly want to go to a local fabricator i know - he has a plasma cutter and have him do some random shape press plates for me.....in pairs.......

half moon shapes, circles with holes in the center, etc........

i have found my press to work great on all occasions, the limiting factor has always been finding press plates to work for the application at hand...or lining up the press plates i have correctly to work....always a pain...

-J

 

I have found that the #1 cause of this failure was/is tightening the suspension bolt while the car is raised. This is causing a torsional preload, the rubber bushings move a limited amount by flexing, if tightened while wheels are hanging down failure is soon.
Normally a rubber bushing fails from petroleum contamination/ozone/sunlight UV.
I would bet most, if not all, current failures are on modified vehicles with improper assembly. FSM is clear on this. Dealer worked on my car for recall and didn't follow manual.
This improper assembly can alter alignment, spring rates and ride height

 

That makes no sense - who ever needs to disconnect the control arm from the car in the first place? Coilovers, springs, struts, swaybars - the control arm stays connected for all of them. It fails because the stock rubber is not that robust in the first place. I've had customers who had to replace theirs on cars that had 0 suspension mods.

 

ya, i too don't agree.......looking at the stock bushing it has a very small rubber to ring contact surface........

Its just a wear and tear niche of the Z....

It will happen to all Z's due to abuse and mileage sooner or later...

however if your dealer did have your car up on a 2 post lift with all kinds of components loose and the heavy wheel and tire still hanging maybe.......but even with a lift i would remove the wheel to work in that area, suspension components???? .......... what all was done?? your situation maybe what prematurely wore out your bushings faster.........but to say thats the main reason when there are multiple threads on this issue with mileage, abuse noted, etc is not so great....

-J

 

I'm Sorry. 30 years of suspension work/racing has gained me nothing. Mine didn't fail because I saw and felt the preload and loosened/retorqued all pivots at ride height immediately. Good luck, good information that is well proven on multiple platform and is include in the FSM for some reason shouldn't be ignored.