[DIY] Replacing Suspension Bushes & Links

[drexchan]

Cost:
Front ARB link + bushes (satay bush), RM7/set x 2
Rear ARB link (2 ball joins, satria), RM45/set x 1

Tools:
14mm & 15mm spaners & rachet
5mm hex key head and adaptor to rachet
G-clamp
Car jack
12-LED torch light
card board
camera

Time:
2 hours before dinner

Results:
bye-bye knocking sound from the back
very sweet cornering response, no lag, lesser roll

note: the original bushes are as hard as plastic after 20 months of usage!!

The rear double-ball-join link is very easy to replace. All you need is a 14mm spaner and a 5mm hex key. Better if you have a rachet with a suitable adaptor for the hex key. There's a hex key slot at the end of the bolt. No need to elaborate more.. right?

Did it in 10 minutes. No need to jack up the car as the rear ride height of my car has been raised.

The front ones! Satay bush as you may call it.. is easy to dismantle but very difficult to replace with a new one..

To dismantle, just use a 14mm spaner to secure the nut at the top, and loosen the bolt using a 14mm rachet at the botom. The whole long bolt is pointing upward FYI.

The new links come with a long bolt, with a 15mm head (instead of 14mm), you you got to get a 15mm ring spaner, since you seldomly have the 15mm socket for your rachet in a cheap tool set. The nut, is however 14mm.

One set of the satay bush consists 4 rubber bushes, a long bolt, a nut a hollow tube and 4 pieces of metal plates to hold and protect the bushes.

The way to install it is as follow (from bottom):

metal plate, bush, lower arm bracket, bush, metal plate, hollow tube, metal plate, bush, ARB, bush, metal plate. With the bolt and nut going through in the middle. Thus satay, i guess?

I managed to put them in place BUT not the top metal plate and the nut. Simply because the bolt is not long enough without compressing the rubber bushes!

What I did, is first tightening the bolt and nut WITHOUT the top rubber bush. When a desired "length" of the bolt extruding the top of the assembly is obtained, i hold the arb and lower arm in place using a G-clamp. Then slowly removed the top nut, and now i will have enough "length" of the bolt to install the top bush. So just replace the nut and tighten to the desired compression. How much? Agak-agak lar..

Then, on the other side, the arm and ARB should be closer than the one before. So, just assemble everything, and tighten it to the same compression as the otherside.

How? I just count the number of the thread at the extruded part of the bolt.

Photos: http://drexchan.fotopic.net/c793654.html

 

[xin]

Rear ARB link (2 ball joins, satria), RM45/set x 1=Rear Lower Arm rite?forumer here sell OEM RM80 geh? y da price so far ?

 

[drexchan]

who says it's the lower arm? Have you seen the photos? It's the link with a ball joins at both ends that connect the anti-roll bar to the lower arm.

BTW, the rear link is not OEm thus cheaper.

 

[xin]

who says it's the lower arm? Have you seen the photos? It's the link with a ball joins at both ends that connect the anti-roll bar to the lower arm.

BTW, the rear link is not OEm thus cheaper.

ops ..thanks drex ko for clearing up for me ...

btw.. my satria when go by bumpy roads also cum out many sounds le ...izzit the Ball Joint links or izzit the Lower Arm tat is coming out noise ? thanks

 

[xin]

wira/satria/putra/GTI
lower arm rm50
tie rod end rm15
rack end rm20
rear lower arm rm80
dog bone rm40

here is the list ..is there a Ball Joint link sold there forom the forummer ?

i am interested in DIYing after seen ur process ..lol ..

 

[drexchan]

i can't comprehend this "dog bone" but the price is close to a "double-ball joint arm link". The shape description also sounds like it's th eone that yo uare looking for.

Anyway, you may contact the seller for the details. The best is to have a photo.

About your problem... i am not sure.

Anyway, you can try to take it out and check whether the ball joints are loosen or rusted.