Ok to not use bushing on bottom of Strut?

[JAW91]

I just bought some used 1g KYB AGX struts with Ebach Pro Springs on them about a week or so ago for $50. The front springs went on extremely smooth and only took me about 30 mins to do both. I got to the back and . I took the stock struts off and realized the lower strut bushing sleeve on the KYB AGX is WAY smaller then the ones I took off my car. I took the bushings out of them and put some Prothane inserts in them but they are still a little small for the sleeve from my stock ones.. But I can install them without the sleeve. Would this be ok or should I cut out a hole in the center of the Prothane inserts big enough to fit the sleeve? I have a 1990 1GA.

 

[19Eclipse90]

The hole through the lower bushing on the rears is smaller on a FWD car than an AWD car. I'd make sure you didn't have FWD shocks there.

 

[JAW91]

Whats the spring rate difference between the two?

Maybe the title should say "Sleeve" instead of bushing.

Seems like only the rears are different so maybe I can just order the rears brand new and use the eibach springs that were already on my stock KYB's on them. Also, the fronts came with eibach's on them also but if they had them on a FWD then I'm pretty sure the spring rate would be different or are they the same?

 

[19Eclipse90]

Spring rates for the rears are 128.8 lbs./in for the FWD (2.0L) and 140 lbs./in for the AWD. As well, the rear shock's free length is about 3 inches longer than the FWD (19.1 inches vs AWD's 22.4 inches).

 

[JAW91]

Ok, would it be ok for me to leave the front ones in and put the rear stock ones back on? My front shocks were bad before I changed to the AGX's in the front.

 

[19Eclipse90]

Nothing wrong with doing that.

 

[roboron13]

Def not ok not to use the bottom bushing,,, it acts like a seat to soften up ridgidness to other parts of suspesion!!!

 

[JAW91]

Not the bushing, the sleeve. This question still remains unsolved because even if I don't use the rear AGX's, I already removed the sleeve from the stock rear bushing. I have prothane inserts for either one though. The question still remains though, can I use the prothane bushing without a sleeve or do I have to put the sleeve in it?

 

[19Eclipse90]

Not the bushing, the sleeve. This question still remains unsolved because even if I don't use the rear AGX's, I already removed the sleeve from the stock rear bushing. I have prothane inserts for either one though. The question still remains though, can I use the prothane bushing without a sleeve or do I have to put the sleeve in it?

Ah, I missed the part that you'd already removed the sleeve from the old units. Unfortunately, it looks like I won't be of any more help. The AWD rear suspension is not something I'm real familiar with.

My experience is based on the fact I was sent AWD rear shocks instead of the FWD units. The AWD lower bushing had something like a 20 or 22mm hole through it and my FWD units had a sleeve with a 13mm hole through it. I was in a bit of the same boat and cut the sleeves out of my FWD units and pressed them into the AWD units only to find out later that I had actually received the AWD units and not the FWD. Not to mention the ride height in the rear was ridiculous, but I got by.

Having said that, I would never run the shock with that gaping 20-22mm hole for a 12mm bolt to go through. I have no idea what the Prothane inserts look like for the AWD nor what they can potentially do for you. If they have a small enough hole through them like the sleeve I described above, I'd consider using them without some additional sleeve.

 

[JAW91]

Well now I'm going to try to use the stock rears with the Eibach's but I've already separated the bushing from the sleeve on one, that's why I still need to find out if its ok. Unless it would be ok to run the FWD rear AGX's, figured it wouldn't be though with the size difference. I took some pictures of what the stock bushing with the sleeve looked like and what the inserts I have look like. Along with what it looks like on the piece that's already there. Its not just a bolt. I could get it on how it is in the last picture but all the way secure but I want to make sure first that it would be ok to do so like it is instead of having the sleeve on there along with it.

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[19Eclipse90]

I'd consider running it like that with the Prothanes. If it ended up being too loose, I'd have some sleeves made.

But that's me.

 

[JAW91]

So you think I could leave the FWD rears on until I can get some AWD ones then? I know the height is different but would it still be ok?

Tried to lower it with the FWD struts on it. Not going to happen, not going to happen. So now back to the stock rears with prothane now until I can get the AWD rear struts. After that I'll let you guys know if it feels loose.

 

[19Eclipse90]

So you think I could leave the FWD rears on until I can get some AWD ones then? I know the height is different but would it still be ok?

Yeah, that's not what I meant I'd try. Sorry for not making it clear and having you waste your time.

Tried to lower it with the FWD struts on it. Not going to happen, not going to happen. So now back to the stock rears with prothane now until I can get the AWD rear struts. After that I'll let you guys know if it feels loose.