i purchased lockout washers, but my alignment guy said it wont allow any adjustment to the toe, unless i get the "spl midlinks"

i'm so confused.

 

It's not hard. To adjust camber or toe, an arm must be made longer or shorter. Camber arm for camber, toe is midlink. Both are adjusted by an eccentric bolt that changes the length of the link where it bolts to the subframe. Lock out bolts are NOT adjustable, fixed length. If you lock out the OEM midlink you have removed the adjustable section; the bolt.

 

https://www.splparts.com/store/produ...hp?pid291.html

Thats for stock midlinks.

SPL midlinks are adjustable and dont use the Toe bolt to adjust. True coils (assuming new toe arm) also use an adjustable Toe arm and no longer use an eccentric bolt, hence the lockout bolts. Lockout washers do just that, lockout the toe arm and do not allow it to move. This is desired when the adjustment is being done on the arm itself and not the eccentric bolt. Now, if you dont plan on going toe arm or new midlink, those lockout bolts are easily sold. Especially if they are SPL.

 

Looks like my bushing on the Translink arm is cracked. You guys think I should replace it?

 

If you can afford to, replace it with an SPL bushing and then be done with it.

Holy stripped bolt batman! May want to replace that while you are at it.

 

Yeah that nut is looking pretty graunched.

 

Thank you so much for this

 

I wouldn't jump to that conclusion...especially for a daily driven car.

On a side note, does anyone know of a tool to press out the shock mount bushing out of the knuckle? I would prefer not to go through the ordeal of removing my rear knuckle and unfortunately I have to replace my SPL shock mount bushing.

Regards

 

Ball joint press from harbor freight works, large socket and all thread works too. The rest of the knuckle is a major PITA , trust me

 

Yup even on a 20y old vehicle...

 

Ya, for the rear shock mount - the HF ball joint tool works just fine. I recommend using the HF long handle wrenches as well, cause the curve on the wrench lets you use it in the wheel well and have leverage with the long handle...the combo worked great.

Also, I cut a piece of DOM steel on one edge to a 5 degree angle to make it match the oem rear knuckle machined edge angle to press PERFECTLY straight!

This is when i did mine:




I used a 26MM, 12 point socket from a set I had laying around that fit perfect for pressing the oem bushing out:


OEM bushing out:



-J

 

Excellent, thank you for that. I was suspecting someone has tried this approach, good to know it works.

 

can someone list there real benefit of using whiteline bushings for the compression and lower control arms instead of buyinig brand new oem arms with bushings already installed?

im lowered quite a bit and my car doesn't feel solid as it once did. im hoping this fixes the problem.

what are the pro/cons of each..the whiteline and the oem? I dont track my car so i try not to get any unnecessary sounds or poor ride quality. im just looking for the right choice to make my car feel good again.

 

The obvious con to buying oem is the price at 170 per side. I remember seeing some hard rubber Nismo versions somewhere, but Im not sure if theyre still in production.


Ive had WL compression arm bushings (soft version), along with WL inner and outer lca bushings for several thousand miles now. No strange noises or squeaks at all. Ride quality was only slightly decreased but I only noticed the first hour of 2 of driving before I got used to it. I havent pushed my car hard enough to comment on handling improvement.


Im not sure how long these will last on my lowered car but for the price it made the most sense. I associate SPL parts with noise so Ill shy away from them until I start racing.

 

If your car is lowered you will continually tear OEM rubber bushings. They tear even when not lowered after enough mileage. You put alot more stress on the compression arm bushing by lowering the car. The design of the SPL solid bushing allows the proper movement and angles to be acheived and obviously there is nothing to tear again. With the Whiteline or any polyurethane bushing you eliminate the possibility of a rubber bushing tearing up on you, but you avoid any potential clunking or creaking from the solid bushing. They are kind of a happy medium between OEM rubber and SPL solid and you'll be fine with them if you aren't pushing the car hard on a track. Just add some white lithium grease to the polyurethane bushings during install and you'll be fine.

 

thanks guys, i think i will go wtih the whitelines

 

I have to disagree with you on the urethane compression arm bushings. The whitelines are the same design as oem just a little stiffer. They will tear just like oem if held in a constant twisted position ( aka lowered car). The energy suspension units look to lick the arm from moving, xausing binding.

Only the Spl allows constant articulation of the joint without premature wear on the bushing.

Just a fact of life with a lowered Z.

 

Exactly. The urethane won't be bulletproof, but for those that fear the clunking and creaking of the solid bushings the urethane seems to be the option. I would go all the way with SPL (which I did) or just stick with OEM replacement if I feared the aforementioned noises.

The urethane bushings are great in most places, but the compression arm isn't an optimal place due to it's articulation and constant binding that you mentioned with lowered cars.

I think we're on the same page, I just gave a bit too much credit to the urethane bushings in my previous post.

 

Jason, need to raise my fronts up a bit since the new wheels are on it's rubbing a bit. Can't remember how we did it. Did we do as the example below? Or turn the (lugs) rings? I did a 1 1/2 turn on the lugs up front doesn't look like it did anything.

Ex.
1. Remove the coilover to translink lower control arm bolt.
2. Remove the upper control arm cotter pin and nut from spindle.
3. Disconnect brake line from coilover body/disconnect abs lines from coilover body.
4. Push down on spindle to gain clearance and turn coilover body.

Edit: Stance Lx coils

 

The top 17 mm nut on the front coilover on mine is loose. Do I have to take off the coilover to re-tighten or can I just remove the strut bar and torque down?

Could I use loctite on this so it will not loosen back up? The previous owner told me that this has been a problem for him with them coming loose.