The 1st gen AWD dsms have what is called Active Rear Toe. What this does is as you corner hard, or launch, or pretty much put load on the rear wheels the toe is automatically increased (in). What this does is cause understeer in most situations. Understeer is safe, but not fun. Also that rear toe is going to slow your launches equating to slower 60 foots. Again not fun.
However, there is a solution! Several companies have produced rear toe eliminator kits over the years. Jay Racing currently offers an excellent kit, here is an excerpt from Jay Racing's Website.
Jay Racing Active Rear Toe Eliminator Kit For 1G AWD DSM [ATE1] - $175.00 : Jay Racing
Another reason to do this modification is simply because it's either this, or simply putting in a new bushing. For me, when I replaced my suspension with a coilover kit, I found my camber bolts to be seized, so I replaced them by installing a set of adjustable camber arms. Then with the camber how I wanted it, I needed to adjust the toe. Again those bolts were seized. In order to remove them I had to cut them out. Once that is cut out you either have to replace the bushing along with new eccentric bolts/hardware, or you can install this kit and have an even better setup!
Personally I had a friend who machined the kit for me and I purchased the rod end/HEIM joints seperately. Had I not had this option I would have put in a order through JayRacing. Again a great product!
So now you have your eliminator kit, it should include.
2 - Solid steel machined inserts
2 - HEIM joint Rod Ends
2 - Jam Nuts
4 - Machined Inserts/Spacers for the rod ends
Begin by loosening your lug nuts and raising the rear end of vehicle. Essentially the higher the better, then support it on jackstands. Remove the rear wheels/tires.
Lower your exhaust down and if possible remove the rear section, this will keep most/all of the exhaust out of the way when you lower the subframe.
Now support the rear subframe with a jack. I started by taking the brake calipers off. There are two 14mm bolts holding them in, you should be able to spot the top one here.
You'll need to remove the 17mm bolt that holds the bottom of your suspension onto the subframe on each side. You can also spot the lower 14mm that is holding on the caliper in this pic.
You'll need to remove the 4 12mm bolts/nuts holding the driveshaft onto the rear differential. Two open ended 12mm wrenches worked best for me, too tight to fit a ratchet in there.
Again, ensuring you have the rear subframe supported up, remove the mustache brace bolts. 22mm
The front of the subframe is held on by two 19mm nuts, there is also a brace with a 17mm bolt that will need to be loosened, once you have the subframe nut removed, and the 17mm bolt loosened you can swing the brace out of the way.
You should be able to slowly lower the rear subframe down. This may be alot more tedious then you think. I ended up removing the mustache brace bolts that hold it onto the differential, this made it easier to slide the front subframe supports off their bolts. Once it's down slide it out from under the car.
Now that you have the subframe out of the car you can take the nut off the end of toe eccentric bolt. If your eccentric bolt isn't seized into the bushing sleeve you should be able to pop it out and pull the end out of the subframe. If it is seized like mine was get ready for some agony. Personally my method of removal was to take a sawzall to each side of the bushing sleeve to cut through the eccentric bolt. This took several steel cutting blades and multiple charges of the 19.2 volt battery my sawzall takes. Here is the end cut off. On the bolt head side you have to cut through the bushing sleeve itself, the sleeve is made out of some kind of unobtanium metal. I strongly suggest finding a different alternative then a battery powered sawzall to cut through it. However, as I proved, it can be done.
You will need to remove this bolt (centered) that runs through the rubber bushing/insert in order to remove it. I also decided to remove the upper and lower control arms in order to be able to work around the parts easier, it's not necessary but it makes the job easier. You'll also need to remove the axles from the cups if you do that, 4 14mm bolts. Before removing it, find a way to measure from where the bolt goes through the middle, to some part on the trailing arm. Write that measurement down.
I used some lubricating spray down beside the insert into the sleeve and proceeded to alternate beating on each side of the end with a hammer until it came out. Here is the stock setup removed.
Here is the trailing arm with the stock piece removed, I suggest cleaning up the inside of it with a wire wheel or similar.
Here is an "example" of what you will be doing with your new insert. Obviously you will be pounding it down flush or close to it before welding.
I suggest cutting off the lipped end of the trailing arm before welding the insert in. If you're experienced with a welder you can probably weld the insert in yourself. If you're not, find someone who is, I highly suggest not using your buddy with a wire welder who's used it a couple times. Find someone who knows what they're doing and will use the proper welder and type of rod for this project, this is an important suspension piece and you don't want it coming apart.
After welding I suggest painting it in order to prevent rust from starting to erode away at it.
Now install your rod ends (heim joints). Take that measurement you wrote down earlier from the stock setup, and screw the ends in so that the measurement is the same to where the middle of the bolt will be. This ensures you'll have the stock adjustability. Obviously if you need more then stock adjustability, utilize it accordingly, just make sure the end is threaded into the insert enough so that it is secure. You will then secure it there with the jam nut properly tightened.
Installation is essentially the reverse of removal. Putting the rear subframe up onto the bolts can be a pain, take your time, and if possible utilize a friend.
Here is my setup up and installed completely. Initial ride was great, however, an alignment will be needed after installing this kit, take it somewhere that you trust.
After your alignment, enjoy better handling and better launches at the dragstrip.
However, there is a solution! Several companies have produced rear toe eliminator kits over the years. Jay Racing currently offers an excellent kit, here is an excerpt from Jay Racing's Website.
Jay Racing Active Rear Toe Eliminator Kit For 1G AWD DSM [ATE1] - $175.00 : Jay Racing
JayRacing said:1g DSM AWD rear suspensions feature an active toe-control link which increases rear toe-in under cornering and acceleration. This tends to slow the cars steering response and induce a steady understeer condition promoting "safer" vehicle handling. Jay Racing is the only vendor to offer a solution to this problem with our Active Toe Eliminator kit. By replacing the stock rubber bushings with a steel insert, rear toe is held as set during alignment. The result is better turn-in, improved cornering power, and higher MPH in the quarter. The kit is suitable for both street and race cars, includes eliminators, Teflon-lined, 2-piece chromoly spherical bearings (43,486 lbs. Static Load Capacity), and hardware. Price is per pair.
Another reason to do this modification is simply because it's either this, or simply putting in a new bushing. For me, when I replaced my suspension with a coilover kit, I found my camber bolts to be seized, so I replaced them by installing a set of adjustable camber arms. Then with the camber how I wanted it, I needed to adjust the toe. Again those bolts were seized. In order to remove them I had to cut them out. Once that is cut out you either have to replace the bushing along with new eccentric bolts/hardware, or you can install this kit and have an even better setup!
Personally I had a friend who machined the kit for me and I purchased the rod end/HEIM joints seperately. Had I not had this option I would have put in a order through JayRacing. Again a great product!
So now you have your eliminator kit, it should include.
2 - Solid steel machined inserts
2 - HEIM joint Rod Ends
2 - Jam Nuts
4 - Machined Inserts/Spacers for the rod ends
Begin by loosening your lug nuts and raising the rear end of vehicle. Essentially the higher the better, then support it on jackstands. Remove the rear wheels/tires.
Lower your exhaust down and if possible remove the rear section, this will keep most/all of the exhaust out of the way when you lower the subframe.
You must be logged in to view this image or video.
You must be logged in to view this image or video.
Now support the rear subframe with a jack. I started by taking the brake calipers off. There are two 14mm bolts holding them in, you should be able to spot the top one here.
You must be logged in to view this image or video.
You'll need to remove the 17mm bolt that holds the bottom of your suspension onto the subframe on each side. You can also spot the lower 14mm that is holding on the caliper in this pic.
You must be logged in to view this image or video.
You'll need to remove the 4 12mm bolts/nuts holding the driveshaft onto the rear differential. Two open ended 12mm wrenches worked best for me, too tight to fit a ratchet in there.
You must be logged in to view this image or video.
Again, ensuring you have the rear subframe supported up, remove the mustache brace bolts. 22mm
You must be logged in to view this image or video.
The front of the subframe is held on by two 19mm nuts, there is also a brace with a 17mm bolt that will need to be loosened, once you have the subframe nut removed, and the 17mm bolt loosened you can swing the brace out of the way.
You must be logged in to view this image or video.
You must be logged in to view this image or video.
You should be able to slowly lower the rear subframe down. This may be alot more tedious then you think. I ended up removing the mustache brace bolts that hold it onto the differential, this made it easier to slide the front subframe supports off their bolts. Once it's down slide it out from under the car.
You must be logged in to view this image or video.
Now that you have the subframe out of the car you can take the nut off the end of toe eccentric bolt. If your eccentric bolt isn't seized into the bushing sleeve you should be able to pop it out and pull the end out of the subframe. If it is seized like mine was get ready for some agony. Personally my method of removal was to take a sawzall to each side of the bushing sleeve to cut through the eccentric bolt. This took several steel cutting blades and multiple charges of the 19.2 volt battery my sawzall takes. Here is the end cut off. On the bolt head side you have to cut through the bushing sleeve itself, the sleeve is made out of some kind of unobtanium metal. I strongly suggest finding a different alternative then a battery powered sawzall to cut through it. However, as I proved, it can be done.
You must be logged in to view this image or video.
You will need to remove this bolt (centered) that runs through the rubber bushing/insert in order to remove it. I also decided to remove the upper and lower control arms in order to be able to work around the parts easier, it's not necessary but it makes the job easier. You'll also need to remove the axles from the cups if you do that, 4 14mm bolts. Before removing it, find a way to measure from where the bolt goes through the middle, to some part on the trailing arm. Write that measurement down.
You must be logged in to view this image or video.
I used some lubricating spray down beside the insert into the sleeve and proceeded to alternate beating on each side of the end with a hammer until it came out. Here is the stock setup removed.
You must be logged in to view this image or video.
Here is the trailing arm with the stock piece removed, I suggest cleaning up the inside of it with a wire wheel or similar.
You must be logged in to view this image or video.
Here is an "example" of what you will be doing with your new insert. Obviously you will be pounding it down flush or close to it before welding.
You must be logged in to view this image or video.
I suggest cutting off the lipped end of the trailing arm before welding the insert in. If you're experienced with a welder you can probably weld the insert in yourself. If you're not, find someone who is, I highly suggest not using your buddy with a wire welder who's used it a couple times. Find someone who knows what they're doing and will use the proper welder and type of rod for this project, this is an important suspension piece and you don't want it coming apart.
After welding I suggest painting it in order to prevent rust from starting to erode away at it.
You must be logged in to view this image or video.
Now install your rod ends (heim joints). Take that measurement you wrote down earlier from the stock setup, and screw the ends in so that the measurement is the same to where the middle of the bolt will be. This ensures you'll have the stock adjustability. Obviously if you need more then stock adjustability, utilize it accordingly, just make sure the end is threaded into the insert enough so that it is secure. You will then secure it there with the jam nut properly tightened.
Installation is essentially the reverse of removal. Putting the rear subframe up onto the bolts can be a pain, take your time, and if possible utilize a friend.
Here is my setup up and installed completely. Initial ride was great, however, an alignment will be needed after installing this kit, take it somewhere that you trust.
You must be logged in to view this image or video.
After your alignment, enjoy better handling and better launches at the dragstrip.
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