The Complete SPL Rear Suspension
 

I wanted to post this a while back. But had problems with a camera that died. Took some doing to get the pictures out of it. :shakes head:

This is the install of the rear SPL suspension parts. The rear camber arms, the rear camber lock-out bolts, the rear traction arms, the rear knuckle monoball bushings.

(Almost)
I didn't install the rear mid-link/toe arms. To which one I'll use. I first have to decide on which shock set-up I get. Stock type shock or coil-over.

This thread goes with my other thread. The Complete SPL Front Suspension.
http://www.the370z.com/brakes-suspen...uspension.html

Here are the pic's.
1st pic. All the parts. Also in this pic is the rear sub-frame bushings. That's another thread. :eek:
2nd pic. The Lock-out bolts.
3rd pic. The Knuckle monoball bushings
4th pic. The Traction arms.
5th pic. The Camber arms.

1st pic is the stock traction arm and the SPL traction arm. I adjusted the SPL arm the same length as the stock arm. I did this by putting a bolt through the holes to align it up. The SPL arm comes with 3 bushings for the heim joint. You only need to use 2. It depends on the frame mount style.

2nd and 3rd pic's are the camber arms. I adjusted the length the same way as the traction arms. In this pics. You can see the lock-out bolts.

If you are just installing these two items. Should only take you about 2~3 hours depending on your skills. Plus alignment.

Both pic's shows the knuckle removed. I have a floor jack holding the mid-link up.

Nicely done :tiphat:

1st pic is the knuckle and new bushings ready to be installed. There is 4 bushing in the knuckle. 2 of them are the same. The other 2 are different.

2nd pic. I used a ball-joint press to remove and install the bushings. I used this same tool to install ball-joints in 3/4, 1 ton front 4x4 axles.

3rd pic. Old bushing out.

4th pic. Measuring the OD of the bushings.

5th pic. Installing new bushings.

6th pic. All new bushings installed.

1st and 2nd pic's. The old and new monoball bushings.

3rd and 4th pic's. Knuckle all together and ready to be installed back on the Z.

If you are doing this. Now is a good time to install new wheel studs.

Ran into a problem when installing the shock. In the 1st pic. You can see the new spacer for the monoball bushing. It's hitting 2 tits on the shock. In the 2nd pic. You can see them better. I had to grind these down to get the bolt through the holes. Took me about 1/2 hour to figure this out. :icon14:

1st and 2nd pic's. Everything installed. :tup:

3rd pic. One issue that you can't get around. The bottom bolt for the brake caliper hits the traction arm. I had to remove the front mounting bolt of the traction arm off the frame and move the arm out of the way to install the bottom caliper bolt. :shakes head:

All finished and alignment spec are -1.75 camber, and 1/16" toe in. Hours in doing all of this. Took me 8 hours with a couple of wiss breaks.

Saving this for other thread. :eek: Sub-frame bushings.

Subd

:yum:

SPL stuff is top tier

I have everything but the knuckle monoball and subframe bushings, since my car is still relatively low mileage. One day i'll get to them

Note:
With the SPL Mid-links you need a 60mm spring so when choosing your coilover get the spring diameter! Otherwise order some Swifts and use those

Winning :driving:

Yeah, I know about the spring diameter. Well, my Z is low mileage too. :icon17: Only have about 32,000 miles on it.

I have to give a shout out to Daelen at MA Motorsports. :tiphat: He gave me some good prices. :tup:

When doing this work. It's a good time to take care of the clicking axle. :rofl2:

I did the full metal bushings in the subframe and monoball everything in the spindle on my S14. it was rad

but

a pain in the *** to get everything done

I bought a spare subframe, lit the rubber bushings on fire, pounded them out. That was fun. needed a shop to get all the bushings out of the z32 spindle and swap in sphericals. powder coated everything. so much time/$$$

but in the end the car was solid as F. Noisy as hell on the street, felt EVERY bump

When I get that far with the Z i'd probably get an LSD at the same time while dropping everything, so now thats a huge job

but it was rad

The only suspension pieces that SPL doesn't make is the bushings for the rear upper arms that mounts to the rear sub-frame and the knuckle at the top. If they made them. I would have them. To do those. You would have to drop the sub-frame to get to them.

I thought they made those, did they discontinue it???

Sent from my SM-G935T using Tapatalk

I missed those.Thought I had everything. :shakes head: I'm going to have to get them.

SPL FKS Rear Upper Arm Monoball Bushing Set 350Z/370Z/G35/G37

Got my rear upper control bearings. Wondering if I have to drop the sub-frame or not.

Up-date. Installed the upper rear control arms bushings from SPL. Did it with out dropping the rear sub-frame. Remove the tires. Remove the axles. This helps in giving you more room to work with. Axles ain't hard to remove.

1st pic. The 2 bolts that you have to remove. The front bolt, you can get to it from the wheel opening. The rear bolt, you have to get to it from under. Remove these after, removing the nut on the ball joint stud.

2nd pic. The ball joint stud nut. With the axle gone. It's easy to get to the cotter key on the stud, and the nut.

3rd pic. With the nut removed. The arm pops up.

1st pic. Arm removed and sitting on the bench.

2nd pic. This is a rubber spacer that you no longer need. It's on the front bushing.

3rd pic. Hole saw. 1 1/4" or 32mm. You need this to cut out the bushing center.

4th pic. Center the hole saw on the bushing. The hole saw will cut the rubber and some of the aluminum on the outer sleeve. Be careful. You want it to go straight, if not not. It will cut the arm it's self.

1st pic. This is what the arm looks like after you cut out the center.

2nd pic. The center in the hole saw.

3rd pic. Use a hack saw blade and put 2 notches, 90 degrees apart, in the remaining bushing shell.

4th pic. Use a hammer and punch to knock out out the shell.

5th pic. Got too close the arm when cutting. :eek: Didn't touch the arm.

6th pic. The cut out center section.

1st pic. The rear SPL bushings.

2nd pic. Using a ball joint press to press in the bushing.

3rd pic. The bushing installed. Showing the flange side.

4th pic. The snap ring installed.

5th pic. This pic shows that the bushing gets installed from the beveled side of the hole.

1st and 2nd pic. Completed arms.

3rd and 4th. Arms installed.

Time about 5 hrs.

Look at all these beauty SPL parts. :tup:

Wow very nice, I can't wait for mine to be done.

Another installment of this thread. :icon17:

This time, it's the SPL Midlink Bushings. These are the ones that replace the bushings at the adjustment point on the lower arm that has the spring bucket.

1st pic is the bushing i'm replacing.

2nd pic of the lower arm.

3rd pic is the arm off. to remove the arm. Place jack under the spring bucket of the arm and apply some pressure. Not much.Remove the bolt at the knuckle first. Lower jack down and remove the spring. Next remove the adjusting bolt. Remove arm.

1st pic is the new SPL bushing and the stock bushings.

2nd and 3rd pic's. Using a 1 1/4" hole saw. Cut out the middle of the stock bushing.

4th and 5th pic's. Use a hack saw blade to cut 2 relive cuts in the shell of the stock bushing. Be CAREFUL not to cut into the arm itself. Not a good idea.

6th pic. I used a small chisel and hammer to remove the remains of the stock bushing. After this. Use a round file to remove any burrs around the hole and in it.

Here is where is install goes south in a hurry. This is the first time I have run into this issue with SPL parts. I measured the diameter of the bushings. Both at 1.492". Then I measured the ID of the holes in the arms. 1.421" for both. :eek:That's 0.071" differences. :eek: Should have anywhere from 0.001" to 0,003" difference. So now I have to call SPL on Monday and tell them. So that they can ship me new bushings with the proper OD's.

did you freeze them first? isni't that supposed to help shrink them prior to installation

Too much of a difference in the measurements. I had them in the freezer for 2 days, and even heated up the arm it' self. No luck. The bushings need to be machined to a smaller diameter.

Oh, the instructions say to measure both the bushing and the hole. Confirm that the new bushing is between 0.001' to 0.003" (0.025mm to 0.76mm) larger than the bore on the arm. If this tolerance is out of spec. Please contact SPL for a replacement busshing.

All of the other bushings that I have replaced. All were within specs. Finally found one that isn't.

You are batting a big 0 here lately.

No kidding. :shakes head: Almost scared to drop the rear sub-frame now. :eek:

Everybody has days/weeks like that. Stick with it, things will turn around.

I have days like that. But hate it when it runs into weeks. :icon14:

Yeap, asking me if I am stressing bout my new motor, etc. Oh, Hell yes.
Is it going to go smooth or fight us..... Stressing.

You need some chill pills. :rofl2:

Nah, not my thang.