Growing up doesn't have to suck

[iamdub]

So these don’t have the Hellwig’s adjustment on the rear bar. That’s a difference. My Hellwig rear has 3 holes So, you can adjust the stiffness.. of the rear.. mine are on maximum hardness of course..

ETA: the Hellwigs also come with replacement end links.. front and rear iirc.. definitely rears. Not that this would justify a large cost difference..

ETA 2: both front and rear.. View attachment 387364

Of course you'd maximize the firmness in your rear!

I recall the Hellwigs having the three firmness adjustments for the rear bar. Unless they're the same between generations, I'll have to find someone with Hellwigs on a GMT900 to compare. I wanna get some measurements for the hole positions to see how they relate to the factory bar and to mine. I'm sure mine are in the factory location. Hellwig's rear links are nice, but I'd never adjust 'em after installation. Also, mine is lowered and I had to use the DJM short offset links to shift the bar to the right for clearance. One might be able to do the same with the Hellwig links by mounting the bar on the other side of them. Although, even if adjusted to their shortest length, they look like they'd be too long. Same story for the front- I've had to get shorter ones due to my drop. They're only $12 for the pair, though.

 

[iamdub]

Comparing front bars-

Pretty much the same shape everywhere:

Factory bar is 35mm, hollow and 15.2 lbs.

Nolathane bar is 38mm, solid and 32 lbs.


Bolts came right out and looked good. I put anti-sieze on them before reinstalling:

The Nolathane bushings have a knurled finish on the inside to hold grease. The bushings came with their own grease, too:

Front bar and new end link kits installed. Gotta get it on the ground before I tighten up them end links:

 

[iamdub]

Comparing rear bars-

Mostly same shape with slightly more clearance where it matters:

Factory bar is 28mm, hollow and 9.8 lbs.

Nolathane bar is 33mm, solid and 24.2 lbs.


End link holes are right at 1/2" closer to the axle. I had the bars centered with each other at the axle mounting points. Also, the holes were more true to size- the 1/2" bolts had noticeably less slack than in the factory bar:

The Nolathane axle mount bushings have thicker bases, so bolting up that offset axle bushing was a struggle. I couldn't finish because I need longer bolts for the end links. With the original bar, the bolts would be flush with the nuts when tightened. I'd be lucky to get half a nut threaded with how thick the ends of the new bar are:

 

[Sam Harris]

Of course you'd maximize the firmness in your rear!

I recall the Hellwigs having the three firmness adjustments for the rear bar. Unless they're the same between generations, I'll have to find someone with Hellwigs on a GMT900 to compare. I wanna get some measurements for the hole positions to see how they relate to the factory bar and to mine. I'm sure mine are in the factory location. Hellwig's rear links are nice, but I'd never adjust 'em after installation. Also, mine is lowered and I had to use the DJM short offset links to shift the bar to the right for clearance. One might be able to do the same with the Hellwig links by mounting the bar on the other side of them. Although, even if adjusted to their shortest length, they look like they'd be too long. Same story for the front- I've had to get shorter ones due to my drop. They're only $12 for the pair, though.

Apologies, I forgot your year. So apples to oranges.

 

[iamdub]

Installed 1/2" longer bolts and tightened the end links with the suspension settled. Also drained the air outta the helper bags. They had 7psi in 'em. I keep a few psi to help the softer "lowering springs". Without that, it'll wag too much if I jiggled the wheel. 7-9psi keeps it stable and planted. Went for a ~20 minute drive for groceries. I have some tools and stuff in the back for some odd jobs I'm doing, so I couldn't really huck it around any corners. I jiggled the steering wheel over 4-5 instances and it felt great! Flat and stable! So I don't need to keep any pressure in the bags now. As a bonus, this dropped it exactly 1/4" more in the rear. Also, it's ever-so-slightly softer on the bumps. I just need to get the front to match and it'd ride like a Cadillac but handle great and not have any dangerous floating.

When testing, I heard a bumping but thought it was something I had in the cargo hold knocking around. On the way home, it dawned on me that I never fully tightened those new end link bolts. They were close, but not fully tightened and had enough slack for the washers to jiggle. I tightened them then saw where sound was coming from. The RH side of the bar is hitting the frame side panhard mount. I really don't have much room to shift it even further to the right and that'd require custom end links. It's not an axle off-centering issue. Actually, the axle is slightly off center in the direction that is helping this interference. The simple solution is to trim the panhard mount. I'd pie cut the two vertical walls and roll the interfering back wall inward, more closely following the bushing of the panhard bar. I have pics to upload but keep getting a "Parsing response failed" message. I'll try again later.

TL;DR:
Installation complete, feels great for what little testing I've done, have interference problem.

 

[iamdub]

Pics are working again!

Here's the driver side (just for the hell of it):

The passenger side showing the bar hitting the panhard mount:

My proposed fix. Cut out the areas marked in red, roll that back piece in to close the gap then weld it together:

 

[OR VietVet]

If you can get 'em, looks like the panhard bar bushings need replaced.

 

[iamdub]

If you can get 'em, looks like the panhard bar bushings need replaced.

They don't have that many miles on 'em. But, they have MY miles on 'em.
Now that you mention it, that one does look smashed out. Thanks for noticing. I'll check 'em when I have it apart to cut and weld on it. I'm sure they're a standard item from any good suspension fabrication supply like Ballistic Fab, Barnes, Poly Performance, etc. I'd rather black bushings, anyway. I was actually kinda daring those seemingly scrawny bent rods of the DJM offset end links to break so I could replace them with some 3/8" plate steel. I'd get black bushings for those, too.

 

[OR VietVet]

They don't have that many miles on 'em. But, they have MY miles on 'em.
Now that you mention it, that one does look smashed out. Thanks for noticing. I'll check 'em when I have it apart to cut and weld on it. I'm sure they're a standard item from any good suspension fabrication supply like Ballistic Fab, Barnes, Poly Performance, etc. I'd rather black bushings, anyway. I was actually kinda daring those seemingly scrawny bent rods of the DJM offset end links to break so I could replace them with some 3/8" plate steel. I'd get black bushings for those, too.

Is that bar frame bushing supposed to squish out that much? Maybe put a large outer diameter washer of 1/32" to 1/16" thickness between the frame and the two bracket ends? Or is that just the tall edges of the bushing that makes it look that way? Do the Nolathane bushings, with the knurled finish, make it so that you don't have to disassemble and regrease sometimes or does it just hold the grease longer and still have to regrease at times. Since my Hellwig frame bushings install, I have to regrease them when I start hearing the squeak going slow over speed bumps. During any normal driving I never hear them.

 

[iamdub]

Is that bar frame bushing supposed to squish out that much? Maybe put a large outer diameter washer of 1/32" to 1/16" thickness between the frame and the two bracket ends? Or is that just the tall edges of the bushing that makes it look that way?

It's polyurethane, so it shouldn't squish out like a rubber bushing. It should hold its sharp molded edges like the one opposite of it and the ones in the end links. That one looks awfully rounded. I wonder if the bar is at a forward angle, slightly twisting on the bushing.

Do the Nolathane bushings, with the knurled finish, make it so that you don't have to disassemble and regrease sometimes or does it just hold the grease longer and still have to regrease at times. Since my Hellwig frame bushings install, I have to regrease them when I start hearing the squeak going slow over speed bumps. During any normal driving I never hear them.

I'd say they just hold the grease longer. There's not a lot of movement there, maybe a few degrees. So it'd take a while to work out the grease. I had the blue Moog thermoplastic bushings on there for over three years/~30K miles and never heard anything. Pretty sure I used regular axle grease when I installed them. When I removed them the other night, they weren't greasy slick, but definitely weren't dry.

Speaking of the frame and axle sway bar bushings, I wanna revisit those. I think the fronts were okay, but the rears seemed to have a thicker base. The U-bracket was held a bit away from the frame and the bolts cinched it up. Those axle bushings look pressed out, kinda "spatchcocked" in the pics. They might be too tight. If it is a problem, I'll have to make some spacer plates for those and maybe the fronts.


I was up late last night and slept in. Gotta guzzle this coffee and get out there. My list is longer than I was thinking and I want this all done today.

 

[iamdub]

It's done.

@OR VietVet, the panhard bushings are perfectly fine. That was just dirty grease built up around the bushing, hiding its square edge. The inside edge of the lip is radiused a little. Cleaned a little to check and take this pic:

When I had the bar unbolted and hanging, I removed the bushings to inspect and to use as guides. If they were 100% clean, you'd be hard-pressed to tell they weren't new.


First I fixed those frame and axle bushings. All were splayed but the rears were much worse. The bases of the bushings are thicker/deeper than the originals, so they were squished when I tightened the U-brackets all the way:

On the rear, I needed 5mm of shimming. I used three washers totaling 4mm to shim the brackets so that they bottomed out just a hair after the bushings did. No more squished and splayed bushings:

Front needed a little less and I was out of washers, so I used some spacers I had on hand (leftovers from my garage/overhead door days) that ended up being perfect:

 

[randeez]

It's done.

@OR VietVet, the panhard bushings are perfectly fine. That was just dirty grease built up around the bushing, hiding its square edge. The inside edge of the lip is radiused a little. Cleaned a little to check and take this pic:

View attachment 387628

When I had the bar unbolted and hanging, I removed the bushings to inspect and to use as guides. If they were 100% clean, you'd be hard-pressed to tell they weren't new.


First I fixed those frame and axle bushings. All were splayed but the rears were much worse. The bases of the bushings are thicker/deeper than the originals, so they were squished when I tightened the U-brackets all the way:

View attachment 387629


On the rear, I needed 5mm of shimming. I used three washers totaling 4mm to shim the brackets so that they bottomed out just a hair after the bushings did No more squished and splayed bushings:

View attachment 387630


Front needed a little less and I was out of washers, so I used some spacers I had on hand (leftovers from my garage/overhead door days) that ended up being perfect:

View attachment 387631

home made lube?

 

[iamdub]

Then, for the main task at hand-


I scratched a line using the bushing as a guide and made an initial slice. It looks like I'll be gaining at least 20mm of clearance here. Should be more than plenty:

Started with some rough slices using the panhard bushings, located by the bolt, to gauge progress:

I used a semi-worn grinding wheel to round out the crotch of the cut to not have stress risers and to give it a good "hinge" point. I ended up unbolting the shock and removing the wheel to have room to swing the hammer and weld. Apparently, this pic showing the inside of the mount pocket is all I got before wire brushing, painting and reassembly:

 

[iamdub]

Reassembled and on the ground to test clearance-

Lots of space now:

Money shot:

It's pretty much dead-centered between the shock and panhard mount now. It cleared the shock before, so it'll definitely clear that mount now. I was in filthy shop clothes and wasn't gonna sit in it to go for a test drive. So I went inside for lunch and to shower but got busy with a bunch of other stuff. So I'll assess tomorrow morning.

 

[iamdub]

home made lube?

I don't make lube, I make adhesive.



Also makes a great hair gel.

 

[89Suburban]

Hooray!!!

Eh…..

 

[iamdub]

Eh…..



View attachment 387666
View attachment 387667

Whataya mean "Eh"? I wiped off the excess grease.

 

[89Suburban]

Whataya mean "Eh"? I wiped off the excess grease.

Are they poly bushings? I guess they will be ok. My OCD is telling me make square stock shims to fit the groove in the bushing and support the base of it. Are the washers/spacers just on one side of the bracket or both?

 

[OR VietVet]

IMHO, when you shim it, no matter what you use, to impersonate the flat mount surface of the frame, the shim should be as large an outer diameter as is allowable. Otherwise the flex forces allows the bushing bracket to rock side to side and cause possible breakage/cracks in the bracket.

 

[iamdub]

Are they poly bushings? I guess they will be ok. My OCD is telling me make square stock shims to fit the groove in the bushing and support the base of it. Are the washers/spacers just on one side of the bracket or both?

Poly or thermoplastic. Hard to tell, but I'm gonna guess poly since they're so shiny.

I get the OCD thing and I geek out on a lot of stuff. But there are no loads acting on these brackets to demand anything further. I mean, look at the bolts holding them in the first place. The washers are doing the same thing as having the base of the U-bracket at the same plane as the base of the bushing. Square stock would be more supportive, but I don't think the washers are not supportive enough. Square stock would certainly look better. But this was a quicker and perfectly viable solution. I did use washers on both sides. I'm not a hack!