Body Bushing Suggestions.

[SS/GN]

Thanks Dennis

Thanks for doing the work and finding us more parts for our Buicks.Kirban performance has allowed us to keep our toys new again.Thanks again great support,great thread.

Kevin

 

[Red Regal T]

I did energy suspension...no gnx location. I think the car rides just as fine and it is straight as an arrow at the track.

I did my RED T a few years back. I used the energy suspension poly bushings, and I also used the GNX bushing location. I wanted to tighten everything up, but I found only a slight difference, overall with the poly bushings, over the old worn out original GM rubber bushings. No enhanced vibrations, or anything like that. No downside. I lifted the body only enough to swap out the original bushings with the new. I jacked up under the doors with a section of 2"X4" protecting the rocker panels with a floor jack lifting the car only enough to R&R the bushings.

 

[GN Bob]

If you haven't done so already, you should install all the frame bracing you can, it made a HUGH difference on my 187,000 mile T-top GN. The 2 fender braces under the hood, the 3 piece triangle on the frame under the motor and the cross braces behind the rear seat. I made the rear seat ones from 1" EMT tubing. I believe Dennis Kirban has them all.

Easy to install, cheap and you won't be disappointed with the results.

Bob

 

[Dennis Kirban]

As stated earlier in this thread without any doubt braces make a huge difference beginning with the rear seat (2 versions of this exist) one being the popular 4 brace set other being the one that resembles the GNX style brace. A difference you would notice almost immediately.

Up front the connecting brace and front frame braces form a triangle under the front end and attach to existing holes in your frame and under the oil pan. Even on a solid roof car. I have them installed on my personal solid roof white Turbo-T.

Granted that installing the missing body bushings does not make a difference one can feel, it is critical you do them as it helps retain your car squarely on the frame. By doing so helps takes the stress of the other bushings/cushions. If you think about it GM had 6 mounting points on each side. Then for whatever reason they left out a total of 4 or 6 lower bushings. So out of 12 total you will have 4 or 6 that are not properly secured.

Th GNX one would make 7 per side or 14 total. The GNX one is an upper one only. All the others have a lower & upper.

The missing ones are all lower position ones that can easily be installed in your garage floor providing rust has not attacked your mounting bolts. Every 1986-1987 Turbo Regal we sold (300 plus) we put those missing ones in them and the front braces.

We now have the 4 and 6 missing bushing/cushion kits available with brand new grade 8 bolts. (Other sources will have them also) We used to sell the GM ones which were used on the Monte Carlo and other G body but GM has discontinued them.

The better you stiffen up your body to the frame results in better ride quality, less rattles, less chance of getting cracks in the body.

Also as a side note if you consider buying a 1986-1987 Turbo Regal and it has the front frame braces on the car you can be pretty confident that the front frame horns are straight as they have to be to install the connecting brace!

denniskirban@yahoo.com

 

[sshoureas]

Dennis, thanks for your expertise. I'm thinking of this job for this winter and wondered where I can find the most thorough write-up on the procedure ? I Have a quite clean car so I expect few rust issues. Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[Dennis Kirban]

Dennis, thanks for your expertise. I'm thinking of this job for this winter and wondered where I can find the most thorough write-up on the procedure ? I Have a quite clean car so I expect few rust issues. Thanks in advance for any help.

My mechanical skills are close to non existant as I am not a mechanic by any means. In this thread others have given good tips on what you need to disconnect to raise the body high enough off the frame to slip the upper bushings/cushions into place.

The real key depends on several things number one is all the bolts come out and nothing causing the bolts to spin....any spin means a lot of work to cut open the floor in that area and weld in a new cage nut etc...

Number two concern is do not attempt this by yourself...I don't care what any says.....reason is if something slips car could crush your hand etc.....kinda like never trust a floor jack without jack stands...chances are both are made in china by not so high standards.

All our kits will come with illustration showing which goes where. On the grade 8 bolts we sell or that come with each 4 or 6 bushing kit we state which posiitons get the shorter bolts....Its #3 under the door all the others are the same length.

For sure you need to remove your rear bumper. probably best to use small sections of 2 by 4 wood to space it up once you get the bolts out.

About the extent of my knowledge....

denniskirban@yahoo.com

 

[gnon18s]

I would like to see an illustration pointing out the "missing" bushings if anyone has something like that. That way I can check if I have them or not.

 

[HighMileage]

I would like to see an illustration pointing out the "missing" bushings if anyone has something like that. That way I can check if I have them or not.

One of the missing ones is the bottom half of the #3 location,which is directly under the middle of each door. You'll see a bolt head...about 3 inches of bolt shank/*nothing*,then the frame,then a cushion,then the floor/body.

The next missing one is #5..aka the GNX cushion. Look at where the forward part of the frame is where it goes over the rear axle. There is a 1/2 dollar sized hole there. The bottom of the cushion sits in that hole. No bolt. Mine had some sort of plastic tag attached to the side of the frame there.

You might be able to see where the GNX cushion goes just by looking over the top of the rear tire. Maybe feel in there on the forward part if the hump.

 

[Blown&Injected]

A trick that worked for me when I had some of the bolts spin...

I jacked up the body some more, to put pressure on the female side of the part that spins. That pressure held the part (a nut welded to a plate I'm guessing) so the bolt would unscrew.

 

[Dennis Kirban]

As explained earlier number #3 position. number 4 position is just in front of rear axle frame has a slotted hole in it....use a small flash lite or your hand to feel the body mount bolt and feel if a gap exists between bolt head and base of frame...if so you have no lower bushing....position 7 is easy to spot as its by the rear bumper very visual one side is slightly different position than other side...

Point being if you are missing one under #3 the center of the door 99% certian you are missing #4 and about a 50-50 chance #7 is missing.

#5 is not really considered missing as only the GNX got them and that is alittle tougher to install...however 3-4-7 lowers is something you want to install the longer you wait the tougher it can be to remove the grade 8 bolts and the better secured your body is to the frame....

denniskirban@yahoo.com

 

[jdpolzin]

This prothane kit is an excellent choice to retain ride quality as well as slightly stiffer performance based applications. I use them on my car and have used this kit on 7 other Gbody cars. Summit has a 15% off code going right now too! XS1215 is the code if you order. Cant beat the price! ----Jeremy



http://www.summitracing.com/parts/PTP-7-132-BL/

 

[J-B Racing]

As explained earlier number #3 position. number 4 position is just in front of rear axle frame has a slotted hole in it....use a small flash lite or your hand to feel the body mount bolt and feel if a gap exists between bolt head and base of frame...if so you have no lower bushing....position 7 is easy to spot as its by the rear bumper very visual one side is slightly different position than other side...

Point being if you are missing one under #3 the center of the door 99% certian you are missing #4 and about a 50-50 chance #7 is missing.

#5 is not really considered missing as only the GNX got them and that is alittle tougher to install...however 3-4-7 lowers is something you want to install the longer you wait the tougher it can be to remove the grade 8 bolts and the better secured your body is to the frame....

denniskirban@yahoo.com

Dennis
What is the Quality of your Kit vs the Energy's. I would like to replace the 6 and have not yet decided which ones to get.

Thanks
Joe

 

[GNRick]

I did my bushings at a local body shop. I helped with the labor and made me feel all warm and fuzzy knowing I actually did something myself. I had the GM bushings labeled so I knew exactly where they would go. I remember the loud bang when the body broke free from the frame, on the passenger side. And the smell of gas when the fuel line broke under the drivers side door. The lift definitely helped, too.

 

[HighMileage]

My car had every one except the lower part of #3 and the "GNX Bushing".

I believe all of the bushings as well as the "GNX Bushing" were installed by GM in all Grand Prix.

 

[NEVER ENOUGH]

Is there a recommended torque spec for the bolts with poly bushings?

 

[topfuel]

I brought this thread back because of all the experience in it.

Have a friend coming over tomorrow to help me with my body bushings and I want to be sure I'm ready to go when he gets here.

We're putting in the Summit prothane bushings and I have all new bolts.
Rusted and rotted areas are repaired and ready to go.

The car is on jack stands with the following removed:
bumpers, ps reservoir, e-brake cable, fuel lines, driveshaft safety loop, and the trans linkage.

Am I missing anything?

 

[TurboDave]

Sounds like you're ready.

 

[topfuel]

cool

 

[Dennis Kirban]

I assume you got grade 8 bolts requires two different lengths...

good luck be careful

denniskirban@yahoo.com

 

[1KWIKSIX]

Body Bushings

Just had mine done recently at a body shop.

Went with the rubber repros of the factory bushings, just like the ones Kirbans sells (included #5 GNX Bushings).

The body shop only removed one side and replaced at a time, then the other side.
Said that if they removed them all, the body / frame would shift & it would be extremely difficult to line the bolt holes back up in in order to install the bolts.

All I can say is WOW. This is the most improvement of any mod that I've ever done. Car rides like new. Firm ride with less body roll on turns and no more clunks.

Best bang for my buck .

Good Luck.


dave