Well, I swapped out my TC linkage bushings yesterday and had some serious problems with getting the connectors back through the bushings. The old ones were hard but pliable rubber, the new ones are made of hard plastic and even after taking a dremel to the rods and cleaning them off and greasing them they still won't go through the bushings properly. luckily I had bought 2 repair kilts from http://www.quadratec.com/products/52207_0007.htm
and I used every single bushing in both kits trying to get the rod ends through. I finally got the last one through but it still ruined the bushing by stretching the thing half way through the hole.

Does anyone know a place that sells the correct style of rigid rubber bushings and not the hard non-pliable plastic?

Not a pic of my vehicle, but for reference.

 

The dealership?

 

going to try them today.

 

Just got off the phone with them, they have to order them and they are $13.99 a piece. They will have them today for me but if they are the hard plastic kind, then I am going to have to come up with some other method of connecting this thing.

Has anyone tried a half bushing and C-Clip combination before or have any idea of a decent mod?

 

I got my replacement kit from the dealership, it was only around $25 for the whole kit. It came with new bushings and the rubber sleeve for the rod that tends to make the noise. I found that the bushings were hard to get in, but the key was to get the bushing in the bracket first, then pop the rods through. I broke one bushing trying to put it on the rod first then push the rod with the bushing onto the bracket.

 

Yeah I understand that. I used a 3/4" Forged Ball Point Joint Separator to press them in, it slides right up and fits perfectly. Just put a piece of 1/4" aluminium over the bushing and it presses it right in.



I used the same method with the rods. Problem is that with the hard plastic ones, it stretches the bushing out making it longer and finally breaking it.

I jsut got a kit from advance auto that has several different bushings in it. 2 of them look like they might work. I will let you know.