[kismetcapitan]

had my steering rack bushings and steering column aluminum bushing installed today. The steering rack took about ten minutes to swap bushings (no luck in finding aluminum bushings, so I used Nismo.

I didn't see the column bushing install as I had to run to work, but the mechanic told me it was a piece of cake. I had step by step instructions with pictures printed just in case, but he didn't need them.

My rack bushings were totally shot, and so was the column bushing. And all this time I thought my car had quick steering. So now, the sum total of my steering mods are pillowball tension rods, tension rod brace, and the solid column bushing. I can yank the car hard enough to actually induce a bit of body roll - I've NEVER felt my car roll, ever!!

The other thing is that my car now tracks dead straight - I think with the play in the system before, that led to the car tending to hunt around a bit. And...on the roads where my car would tramline the worst...it's now a simple matter of holding the steering wheel and the car sails through.

Which leads me to wonder - how many tramlining complaints could be traced to steering bushings (and not necessarily suspension settings)? Because camber and toe hadn't been touched, the worst roads in Seoul are so deeply grooved even my bikes don't like them, and I feel like I've just been handed absolute control over the car, regardless of surface. Yes, I can very clearly feel the road, but the wheel doesn't buck and twist anymore (I had suspected that with tightening things up, tramlining would actually get worse).

Well, that's one more system of the car I've got completely sorted. I just regret a bit not getting aluminum bushings (which would last a lifetime) versus the Nismo units, which will eventually wear out.

 

[fourtoes]

Oooow that sounds good, think i'll replace mine over the winter too!
Cheers fella.

bob

 

[cleethorpes]

I will do the same.... only costs 28 quid or so for the superflex ones..

 

[M SKinner]

Its something I wanna do on my ones. Driftworks used to do alloy rack bushes but seems to have stopped now

 

[Major_Sarcasm]

I think that this is probably essential maintenance items for old cars with big wheels/wide tyres/lots of power.

Good call, I'll likely do mine too, if it's that easy.

 

[Sub Boy]

Oooow that sounds good, think i'll replace mine over the winter too!
Cheers fella.

bob

Me too Bob! You know we are suckers for anything that needs bush replacement!

 

[kismetcapitan]

it was indeed very easy. As far as the rack bushes, the car went up on the lift, and I went to talk with the chief mechanic for a bit about his personal RX-7 project (making around 400bhp, which seems miniscule from a Skyline point of view but with the car stripped out, it is LIGHT. Then a chat over a Gallardo with an engine that just blew itself to pieces internally - perhaps a timing belt/chain/whatever failure, but Lamborghini Seoul wouldn't cover the engine under warranty despite it being stock, and so it has languished for a year, waiting for a new engine. That was about ten minutes, and when I went back out to my car, the Nismo bushings were already in and the mechanic was already torquing the rack down.

The steering column bushing mod has been great as well. Nothing like completely direct steering. I adore it.

But the front end is quite a rougher ride now. It's very precise and transmits damned near everything. Every enhancement seems to make the car more trackworthy and less roadworthy, but that's to be expected. The car does tramline a bit still, but I feel like I have so much more control over the steering that keeping the car in line over even the worst ruts takes very little and is already reflexive. I would have preferred aluminum bushings for lifelong service, but now, in terms of performance, it may be overkill and a bit too harsh for city streets.

There is one new oddity - when turning the wheel, I sometimes hear a squishing sound, sounds like power steering fluid pushing past a seal or relief valve or something. No leakage or loss of power steering, so I'm not very worried about it.

 

[Major_Sarcasm]

Where did you get your uprated bushes from, mon capitan?

 

[kismetcapitan]

RHD Japan, they were right quick about it too. The steering column aluminum bushing I snagged off of eBay for $20.

 

[cleethorpes]

nengun do them (nismo).. or superflex.. well they do for the 33

 

[Major_Sarcasm]

Thanks guys. A worthwhile investment looms.