Suspension Rebuild

Gathering parts to tackle this big job.  Gonna do the subframe bushings/mounts this time, if I can find them.  It looks like the front takes six of these -



The rear is a little more difficult to track down.  Part 5 -



is probably this -



- but I can't find part 18, unless it is another Dorman 924-043 mounted on a reuseable bar -



I have no idea, and there's no easy way to check since it seems like the exhaust has to come off and the whole subframe dropped to change the rear subframe mounts (and the bushings in the control arms.  Ridiculous!).

Part #5 i cant find rear subframe( front)

Did you find part 18, the rear subframe mount?

I figured part 5 was the Dorman 924-943 I posted. I don't see anywhere else that would go.

I have not gone there yet i do think thats the correct part

Hey guys. Been a long time. I checked on that PN 15237958. I'm not sure exactly which info you're looking for. I've never rebuilt the rear subframe. Ever. I can tell you that those parts are completely unobtanium and not a single dealer in the country has one. We've been running into this problem at work constantly. There aren't any suppliers picking up the schematics to make parts, either. No aftermarket support of any kind.

How about 2 of these?

Abaddon wrote:

Hey guys. Been a long time. I checked on that PN 15237958. I'm not sure exactly which info you're looking for. I've never rebuilt the rear subframe. Ever. I can tell you that those parts are completely unobtanium and not a single dealer in the country has one. We've been running into this problem at work constantly. There aren't any suppliers picking up the schematics to make parts, either. No aftermarket support of any kind.

I'm looking for parts 5 and 18 in the first post.

I'm surprised to hear you never did a Riviera or Aurora, although my mounts did make it twenty years before the clunking began. And it might not even be the mounts. I took it to a mechanic who couldn't figure out what was bunking, and decided to replace everything. It's all old anyway, why do it one piece at a time?

Here is another idea for part #5

Jack the R wrote:

I'm surprised to hear you never did a Riviera or Aurora, although my mounts did make it twenty years before the clunking began.  And it might not even be the mounts.  I took it to a mechanic who couldn't figure out what was bunking, and decided to replace everything.  It's all old anyway, why do it one piece at a time?

I never had a problem. I took the powertrain and a few other mods out of my Riv and crushed it. Even after 160k miles and 16 years of Michigan salt, all the bushings were intact. The floor pan, not so much lol.
Actually, I did replace the big metal washers on front cradle mounts when I did my trans rebuild. That was all, though.

The front mounts what are the best ones available

I wish I'd have thought of this before rolling Eleanor to the great beyond.  I had installed  a set of GM's blue urethane mounts on the subframe.  I think they were for the V8 Firebird or some such. There are kits of rubber ones of the same durometer, they are marked with a blue stripe. See:  https://www.ebay.com/itm/355440473709

...but the only way I know to find them is to luck up on them in a junkyard.  I have not checked JEGS or Summit Racing yet, though.

As for the rear lower control arms, you'd want to measure those bushings then get replacements the right size and construction through trade sources, I think.  I would start by asking someone in heavy truck maintenance.  I bet you can find them but the inner hole might be too big, in which case you insert a steel ferrule to get to size.  The other thing I wonder is if Powerthane makes 2-piece replacements. I didn't check that.

Rear lower control arm bushings are available through Rock Auto or O'Reillys.  

I don't know if my subframe bushings are bad or not - but if you have to drop the exhaust and subframe to change the LCA bushings, you might as well replace the subframe mounts while you're in there.

I so wish it didn't go to a pick and pull. I would have absolutely sent somebody a bunch of money for a few interior parts. You're like 5 hours from me but we've discussed that. I'm happy to say after about 5 years my car is dialed in and I really enjoy it.

albertj wrote:

I wish I'd have thought of this before rolling Eleanor to the great beyond.  I had installed  a set of GM's blue urethane mounts on the subframe.  I think they were for the V8 Firebird or some such. There are kits of rubber ones of the same durometer, they are marked with a blue stripe.  See:  https://www.ebay.com/itm/355440473709

...but the only way I know to find them is to luck up on them in a junkyard.  I have not checked JEGS or Summit Racing yet, though.

As for the rear lower control arms, you'd want to measure those bushings then get replacements the right size and construction through trade sources, I think.  I would start by asking someone in heavy truck maintenance.  I bet you can find them but the inner hole might be too big, in which case you insert a steel ferrule to get to size.  The other thing I wonder is if Powerthane makes 2-piece replacements. I didn't check that.

On my 99, the Dorman sub frame bushings were used for the 4 behind the front wheels. The two front ones are different. You can check rock auto for the part numbers. I probably have one of the last pairs for the units in the rear. They are handed left and right. They never made it on my car because it didn't need it.

They would work for my 97..
Do you want to peddle them?

I'm afraid if I do then I'll need them lol.

Is it possible to remove the rear lower control arms without removing the subframe?

albertj wrote:

I wish I'd have thought of this before rolling Eleanor to the great beyond.  I had installed  a set of GM's blue urethane mounts on the subframe.  I think they were for the V8 Firebird or some such. There are kits of rubber ones of the same durometer, they are marked with a blue stripe.  See:  https://www.ebay.com/itm/355440473709

...but the only way I know to find them is to luck up on them in a junkyard.  I have not checked JEGS or Summit Racing yet, though.

As for the rear lower control arms, you'd want to measure those bushings then get replacements the right size and construction through trade sources, I think.  I would start by asking someone in heavy truck maintenance.  I bet you can find them but the inner hole might be too big, in which case you insert a steel ferrule to get to size.  The other thing I wonder is if Powerthane makes 2-piece replacements. I didn't check that.

Did you use the blue stripe bushing in the rear?

It looks like the Dorman 924-043 I posted earlier, flipped upside down.

Jack the R wrote:

albertj wrote:

I wish I'd have thought of this before rolling Eleanor to the great beyond.  I had installed  a set of GM's blue urethane mounts on the subframe.  I think they were for the V8 Firebird or some such. There are kits of rubber ones of the same durometer, they are marked with a blue stripe.  See:  https://www.ebay.com/itm/355440473709

...but the only way I know to find them is to luck up on them in a junkyard.  I have not checked JEGS or Summit Racing yet, though.

As for the rear lower control arms, you'd want to measure those bushings then get replacements the right size and construction through trade sources, I think.  I would start by asking someone in heavy truck maintenance.  I bet you can find them but the inner hole might be too big, in which case you insert a steel ferrule to get to size.  The other thing I wonder is if Powerthane makes 2-piece replacements. I didn't check that.

Did you use the blue stripe bushing in the rear?

It looks like the Dorman 924-043 I posted earlier, flipped upside down.

No - I used solid blue ones that used to be available from GM. Can't help you more, don't have the car.