hi..

last year i did all my front end over, starting with the control arms / balljoints and poly bushings up to the strut mounts and everything in between. this spring i'm getting started on switching out the Rear Axle Beam. the car has been driven on salty roads for 11 winters before i got my hands on it, so a few things were pretty rotten under there.

anyway i picked up a Rear Axle Beam and i'm going to really clean it up good over the next month or so. but i notice the bushings in it arent in the best of shape. i'm searching in the forums, and also on the net to find some poly bushings for my rear axle beam.. have any of you changed yours? i'd prefer polyurethane, but if theres no such thing for 2nd Gen's i guess i'll have to call up the dealer and see if they carry crappy OEM ones..

thanks for any input!




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i see that MantaPart sells them, but from what i hear they're not the best to deal with...

any other places for aftermarket or should i just see if i can get the OEM ones from the dealer instead?

thanks!




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found a post on "the other" site, going to go with the FE3 bushings from the dealer!

"black rubber with blue paint mark"

thanks Mr. C




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so now my question would be, would the FE3 bushings fit the FE1 or FE2 axle beam? i know im asking alot of questions but if the FE3 fits and has the better rubber composition then i would like to use those. i assume the hole size is the same on all rear axles or am i wrong?

thanks




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They are all compatible. I have the FE3 in mine now.

fantastic.. lol

thanks!!! may add a FE2 or FE3 rear swaybar while i'm at it as well

then once i get the (junkyard) rear axle cleaned up, painted and swapped in, new drums (and internals), shocks, springs and axle bushings i'm going to start working on the dirty ugly rough looking engine bay i got made fun of for when i posted it... lol

thanks for the reply man




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MIGHTY FINE looking Sunbird Protonus!, btw




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Thanks. For the compliment, here is the part number you need to order
10150339
I bought it right from http://www.gmpartsdirect.com for $13.96 a piece. They are "expensive", but there aren't a lot of bolt in options and the damn beam has a taper. Getting the new ones in is difficult. You need a tool. I made one that worked "ok" but the GM one or a big ass hydraulic press would be better.

Here is the tool I made:





it's similar to the GM one but not nearly as strong. But it worked with a big impact on the driving nut..

To get the old ones out I used an air hammer. But the same air hammer could not drive them back in.

cooool..

thanks for the site man! and the part #. it seems GMpartsdirect does not take orders outside the US so that sucks, but at least i know exactly what i'm looking for i'm going to have to try my local GM dealer i suppose.. but i figure if i go with a newer axle i might as well replace those ugly cracked bushings while i'm at it

my buddy works at a suspension and brake shop in town, Ideal Car Care.... i'm going to ask him what kind of tools he has. i know he has some kind of press down there that he used to put my poly control arm bushings in with last year, i'll see if his press will do the job!

thanks again, should ride pretty smooth with the poly bushings up front and the FE3 bushings in the rear








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If you throw them in the freezer for a day or two before putting them in, they'll go in a bit easier. That, combined with heating up the hole in the axle and using a piece of PVC pipe I had to drive them in did the trick for me.

I used a chisel and a torch to get the old ones out. The sleeves were pretty well shot, but I still had to chisel them out.

great idea also, thanks James




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ok... so my dealer tells me that i have to buy the whole mounting arm assembly thing to get the bushings that are $200 and change EACH.. i think they're either trying to rip me off, or they just dont know what they're talking about. i bought the junkyard axle beam for $175 but the bushings arent so new looking, and i'd be #@!$d if i'm paying 500 for parts i dont need just to get bushings lol.

would anyone by chance possibly have the GM Part number for the bushings?? or would it be the same number as the number Protonus gave me from gmpartsdirect.com? they dont ship to Canada so i have to try the dealer.... again. i figure if i go to them with part numbers then i have a better chance of getting what i want.

thanks




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The part number I posted is the GM part number (as in, right off the box), so it should work at any dealer etc. You can definetly buy the separate, they probably just don't' know the part number.

Look at the part number list I have on V6Z24.com to verify. Protonus knows his stuff, so I'd bet his number is correct anyways.

okay will do, i'll try another dealer tuesday

thanks again fellas




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