I would be careful with using a bolt that has a shank that's the exact size of your tabs. Especially since the tabs will deform some when tightening. If you run out of threads your torque wrench will click off but the joint isn't necessary tight. The bolt sees a relatively low load because the bolt is tight(Joint stiffness ratio). If the bolt isn't able to provide enough preload to the inner sleeve then the bolt will see more load than it should. This is why you see bolt holes in tabs get egg shaped because the bolt wasn't tight enough. With that said if you use enough washers to make sure the nut has threads to grab on to then you are golden.

Thank you for never assuming that your audience knows what the heck they’re doing. And, more to the point, for never adopting a patronizing attitude when you set things straight. Your build videos have been and continue to be tremendously helpful. Thanks for keeping up the standards and the humanity.

Great information, thank you. The difference between these and OEM is on an OEM bushing the rubber is bonded to both the inner and outer barrel. The only movement is the flex of the rubber between the inner and outer metal barrels. That's why when changing things like control arms, you don't torque them up until they are on the ground (or ramps) under their own weight. That way, you are tightening them up in a position in the middle of the suspension's range of motion: In full compression they twist one way, in full droop, they twist the other way. If you tightened them up fully while unladen in the air at full droop, they would be much more likely to tear at full compression because now you are asking the rubber to twist in one direction to cover the full range of the suspension's motion. the take-away: Tighten them while on the ground or they will tear quickly.

Good video. I have fixed a few 'death wobble' trucks just by installing longer sleeves that lock down when the bolts are torqued. It's amazing how little movement in suspension will create such a large issue

What a fantastic video. No excess blabbering but straight to the point and everything presented in an easily understandable fashion. Subscribed immediately, just starting on the first project car where I have to rebuild the entire suspension and this kind of info is priceless. Thanks you!

Dude! Fantastic video! I've replaced the suspension bushings on my whole truck myself, but I never before fully understood how the parts function as a set. I am so grateful for this video. You are an excellent teacher.

Just stumbled across the channel. Finally, somebody is making videos of the small details everyone else's leaves out that are so important. Major companies instructional videos always leave this out. They just say insert and tighten to spec without going into How it's supposed to function with the part that was just installed

More than I ever expected to learn in my lifetime when it comes to bushings. Enjoyed it for sure.

That was a really good video! I watched all 6 minutes and 52 seconds, thank you for making everything all nice and concise :D

This was an excellent video. Explaining not only what to do, but what not to do and why in an easy to understand manner without sounding patronizing. As others have said, that can be a tricky balance to find when teaching. Nicely done.

Wow! So cool to hear you reference Max. He explained how an engine worked in the back of class when we were in high school. Awesome guy.

This probably only applies to the after-market polyurethane bushings. Most OEM bushings are basically melted rubber that is stuck to both the inner and outer sleeves. Then it becomes important to tighten these bushings with the control arm at rest or “normal ride height” or the bushing will be twisted when the vehicle is on the ground.

Yessss! Now that was a great and well articulated run down of suspension bushings and components. Even if you’re not fabricating and all you’re doing is installing bolt on components like mid or long travel kits this is something you should be aware of. Make sure the manufacturer is giving you quality parts

Very informative videos. I've done this for years and I know the tolerances need to be damn near perfect when dealing with rod ends and bushings. But, I like to see someone else out there that knows what they are doing also. Good videos man. Keep up the good teaching on all you do.

Since terminology is important, the fitting where grease is introduced is called a hydraulic grease fitting😊. But everyone calls it a zero fitting. But this video is very well made, thank you.

FINALLY, a person who KNOWS how to measure a BOLT. Fat too many mechanics tend to think the HEAD size is the size of the bolt and they usually get all bent out of shape when they ask for a 1/2" bolt when they are really after a 5/16" one.

What a nice job of describing the correct way to mount a bushing assembly! The bushings I’m using specify white lithium grease in case anyone didn’t get that information with their bushings. I use drum brake bearing grease(stringy stiff grease) on the bolts and, a bit of red loctite in the nuts to make sure they stay put.

I’ll classify this as one of the best YT vids out there. Actually very informative to people who don’t know, but also informs the people who THINK they know of proper techniques for safety and durability. Bravo bro

This is a spot on video! Everything he said is correct. I’m talking as a tool&die maker with 50+ years experience. Really well done! Thank you!

Thank you. I was worried I was doing them wrong but I’ve been doing them exactly that way. Also just noticed the Keep Moving Forward sign very awesome.

Yes, I am a through bolt rust prevention greaser. Thanks. Great video to help everyone understand bushings, and how important it is to have them correctly built, and installed.

Escellent video again. You keep addressing things that I am currently dealing with. Love it.

Great video. Anytime you can give some knowledge about fabrication I am always interested. Your presentation style and ability to explain concepts in the simplest way make for great content. I don't feel talked down to or requiring my own shop to accomplish any task you present.

I like how at first you asked what's wrong. I didn't know what I was looking at, but as you went through it, I could start seeing what was wrong. It was so helpful!

A couple of additional comments - when a ZERK grease point is used, make sure the sleeve is welded in a position where the nipple is accessable with the suspension member fitted to the vehicle - sometimes you can correct this with a 90 or 135 fitting, but not always. If the fastener uses a castellated nut which takes a split pin, you can usually replace it with a stainless steel "R" clip - they won't rust in place and are easily removed, and they're re-useable. Depending on the specific application, it may be wise to use a longer bolt than actually required and drill the end, after the retaining nut, for an "R" clip - it doesn't often happen, but if for some reason the nut loosens, the clip will prevent it falling completely off and so prevent the bolt backing out. If you have access, you can do the same thing with bolts into captive nuts. Something I got from Justin* is to turn up some alloy spacers that are a close fit to the sleeves and use them instead of the 'plastic' insert when tacking parts together - kzfaq.info/get/bejne/l693h7GGm86rYoU.html *He also has a lot of sound advice to compliment this gentleman's advice - www.youtube.com/@TheFabricatorSeries/featured

Best teacher on the web man!!

Excellent and informative videos. Very exciting channel to find! Thanks for not making things longer than necessary to hit the 10 minute-mark!

So nice to have a direct and to-the-point Instruction video. Great Editing Thank you

Exactly why I follow and watch your content, I don't want to just know what works, BUT WHY IT WORKS. As always, super informative, intelligently simple and concise. A++

I've never really built a full suspension but I have converted several different types to poly. All this seems very obvious to me but I guess I was learning on things that were pre-engineered. Thanks for the tip on where to get ends.

Great simple terms to convey an understanding of this. One short video and you got yourself another subscriber.

I learn a lot watching your videos. Your editing dept. gets an A+ thank you

Yes your mostly correct. Engineering standards generally ask for no more and no less than 3 threads protruding after the assembly. So if you need to trim, use that as a guide!

Absolutely enjoy it when the smart people are annoyed.🤣✌😁

Man, this episode was a tight and a joy to watch and learn. Thanks for all the details 👍👍😎👍👍

Another of the most useful videos I've ever seen, and the other one was your u-joint video. AMAZINGLY GOOD content!!

Some stock rubber bushings are fused to both sleeves and you can expect a short service life followed by a rear steering wobbling nightmare unless you make a provision for the bushing to pivot. A bronze sleeve between the bolt and slightly opened inner sleeve is a great mod when feasible. Early polyurethane bushings had a tendency on rare occasions to squeak but only while driving unless you ignored their instructions for no lubricant.

Best not to use polyurethane where you can avoid it, as it tends to transmit a lot more of the high frequency stuff, especially because sizing is usually not done well (ie; the intaller doesn't know what the forces are or the range of compliance needed). This is especially true of engine mounts, where lack of compliance can kill alternators etc. Compliance problems are usually worst around 4 bar linkages, with triangulated 4 bars needing lots of compliance to work... Normally it's better to go for parallel 4 bars plus a watts link, it gives better control, less compliance interference with suspension behaviours etc and is simpler to calculate loads. Similarly, the type of bushing you're demonstrating here has very little lateral bearing capacity, it only bears on the edges of the steel tubes, so lateral loads are a big no no and should be oriented purpendicular to the link tube (unlike the triangulated 4 bar demonstrated). Finally, bolted joints are considered to be failed when they slip, so the end of thread is (or should be) totally irrelevant, if it fails it's because it's slipped and failed under impact loads, resultant from the post failure movement. Size bolts so you've got at least one fully formed thread on the unloaded side of the bolted joint, but no other aspect is critical unless you're engaging onto the unformed threads of the shank, which WILL result in premature failure. The only parts involved in the joint behaviour should be the inner tube, clamped between the two flanges and the bolt it's self. The friction between the outer flanges and the tube are the only forces through which the joint should operate.

I keep coming back to this video. It's super helpful. I'm thinking of making a swing arm tire carrier that bolts to the back wall of my trailer in 2 places and was debating going this route instead of a spindle on the bumper. I like this idea of using these bushings as a hinge instead but not sure if it would be too tight or hard to move. Obviously it would be stiffer than a spindle but maybe a gas strut would help with that.

Great information! I'm making lower shock mounts that can twist for an old Dodge truck. Essentially, you just confirmed my design. Thanks!

Thank you once again Aaron. Well explained. Best channel I follow by far.

Thank you for pre-empting my "But of course I grease the bolts, because I want to be able to get them back out again some day" comment. :D You're the bomb, dude. :D

Awsome clear and concise video. Thank you! I've never built a suspension, but I plan on building jeep wrangler just with a frame and a tub

Working on this kinda stuff I always wondered about these questions. Thanks for making a video answering them! Professional help is hard to find on the internet haha

Good to know. I've been working on/building vehicles for forty plus years and no one bothered to tell me this. Thanks.

Fun and informative video. I have picked up so much knowledge of of you channel highly recommend and love how you don't drown on and make thing fun. Keep up the good work and can't wait for the next one. Ps I love how it when you say the sizes you use on your materials as it hard for me to picture with out this.

Excellent description and detail. I’ve never even worked on a cars suspension, and I liked this.

Full of good info. Just found your channel yesterday and instantly subbed. Keep it up!

This was so helpful and informative and your attitude was great. Definitely checking out more of your channel

All necessary information in a short video. Great stuff 👍

Excellent educational vid. After seeing your video I immediately can see what is wrong with the installation before your vid. Great job!

Like the way you add the 'why' behind the what to do and not to do.

Yup thats exactly how i been doing them i use grade 8 black bolt with crimp nuts like factory nuts notice the lock washer will spread every once an awhile this is a great video for guys doing at home this video can save lives cuz suspension failure is critical

this is a vid every mini trucker needs to watch and some need to watch twice hahah . good work sir !

Good Stuff! I watched it twice to make sure I got it. Thanks for sharing your expertise MC! Cheers from Motown.

I'm not expecting to be fabricating suspension components any time soon but this is just excellent automotive general knowledge regardless, along with a tonne more posted by experienced and knowledgeable folks in the comments. Great stuff, instant sub!

This kind of teaching is super valuable. Awesome work.

Good on you thanks , working with suspension specialist yrs ago ,he would soak bolts in diesal before installing,and every one had hole after nut for split pin ,a fair amount of the work end up on race track ,when I asked about pins he said,it's the 2 dollar piece of mind factor

Outstanding video as always. Very good information and easy to understand. Thank you.

Thank you! This is exactly what i needed to find tonight as im trying to fix a super duty traction bar that isnt available from the manufacturer anymore and the aftermarket isnt built correctly... 👍

Great video, very direct and to the point. Lots of knowledge here 👍🏻

Toyota mechanics were the best in town during the 1980's when I was a young fella. I worked at a Toyota dealership after a Ford dealership and 2 years of mechanic Tech School. Before all that was a Navy Engineer for 6 years.

First vid i have ever seen of you and your channel. I subscribed!

I'm actually helping a small manufacturer with R&D on replacement poly bushings for a car that has very little aftermarket or OEM support. Our goal is to offer owners with an alternative to the only existing poly supplier for these cars. We not only wanted to compete, but level it up by offering poly replacements for components not covered by the competition. This is definitely challenging as we're not making these parts for people building a car with custom links, we're making replacement parts for a car that was produced in limited numbers. So, preserving the foundation is key. Someday I hope to build custom subframes and control arms for performance restomodding these cars, but right now the goal is preservation. While doing our research we discovered a flaw in the competition's design. You touched upon this in your tab design comment. About how the tab needs to be wide enough to support the bushing flanges. We noticed this was not addressed in their design on many components and we've decided to address it in our design. A somewhat smaller flaw in their design was the minimal allowance for lubrication. They barely leave room for the grease. The designer building our parts has already addressed this in his prototypes. Another issue was the strict adherence to OEM inner sleeve dimensions on the part of our competition. The bolts used in the OEM design are much smaller than the inner sleeve diameter, especially for the subframe mounts. This is speculation on our part, but we believe the OEM believed that this gave wiggle room when attaching the SF to the unibody during assembly. Not all components were perfect and this compensated for that. We wanted to minimize that gap by bringing the tolerances closer together. When you have a 3,500lb car you're thinking about canyon carving or taking to the track, these components shouldn't be allowed to shift if someone didn't torque things down properly. This leads us to our next issue with the current maker. They don't supply installation instructions, not even a diagram. The only way customers know where things go is by referencing the part numbers on the bags to the online catalog where they bought them. Even then, there are no procedures or torque specs. Finally, the last bone of contention is with parts only being limited to suspension. We hope to bring more to the table, not by simply adding more suspension and subframe parts not previously offered, but by adding engine/trans mounts, radiator core suppprts, and muffler hangers. Long comment, I know, but the point I'm trying to make is you addressed a couple mistakes even professional manufacturers chose to ignore: lateral/torsional support and lubrication. What's worse is these guys corner the market on this car and they know it. So, they charge a premium for it. All while making an inferior product.

This was some education information. I'm about to start working on a set of tubular link arms and control arms for a project ttruck and although it seems like simple concepts I definitely learned a little so I appreciate it!

Hey ManKandy, You are the Man!! This is Exactly what I was looking for!! All the details to choose the right bushing, where to get it and how to make sure it’s installed correctly. I assume the tabs are 3/16 thick for a 50’s large car 4 link? Super Thanks 🙏 for all your videos, unbelievably helpful and so appreciated!!

Thank you for sharing your years of experience for free

I really appreciate your information and explanation, thanks for this video help a lot was braking my head on where to purchase this for my hardbody on bags

One youtuber to another ...Just a fantastic job at explaining it ,,,

This was a great video! As for greasing the bolts, you are on the spot, makes no difference in operation but I always choose to grease the bolts when I assemble for corrosion protection. When it goes to engine mounts etc, especially in bikes , no seized bolts!

Wonderful, simple, concise information. Thanks!

Great info! I’ve learned a lot since subscribing to Garage Fab!!

Common sense to a mechanical engineer, but absolute gold for someone with zero prior background in vehicle suspension.

I am constantly trying to learn. I may never use this but, excellent information and video!

Finally someone explains it. This topic has driven me crazy dealing with 4x4's, low riders, etc. It's always fooked.

Thanks for sharing. for explaining every detail . I like the way those tab's can be maid.

Thanks for this information I have a old 85 cavalier with a rusted up subframe. A arm is alright. But had a buddy do some welding on it. I think I should take it back off and redo it. Thanks again

I came across this via the algorithim and just wow I learned so much in so little time. Now I feel like taking a second look at my suspension. I appreciate you making this video! Can you make another on asking your boss for another 1 month break? lol

As always, very important and useful information!

Great summary and refresher for all of us! Nice work.

Great attitude and great advice. I like your comment responses too. Well done sir.

Love the straight to the point info. Great work

Wow, dude that was awesomely put together well. Great Info!

Grease and bushing compatibility is huge. We put new polyurethane bushings on my wife's car, and they lasted about 8,000 miles altogether.

Great video as always. I am really liking the format of the shorter videos: it kinda makes them like tech tips. I do have a question though. You recommended tightening the bolts to their torque specs, but where would we find the torque specs for parts we custom fabricated? Should we use the specs for the leaf spring perches when tightening the link bars or something else? Any feedback would be great. Have a great weekend!

Thanks for sharing your veteran experience. That was some great info 😎👍

Just found this video randomly, I automatically subscribed after watching.

Cool tips! I will say you always want the unthreaded part on a bushing. The threads will bite into and wear out the bushing over time and create play.

Another nice quick hitter. Good info for all.

Explained very well I’ve run into that myself I’ve been working on cars for 40 years and working on peoples mistakes

Thanks for the information, I had to change the rear end in my Nissan Pathfinder because I was hit in the side right on the rear wheel and it bent the rear housing. When I tightened the bushings the nuts were self locking so I wasn't sure if the inner sleeve rotated around the bolt or not. I decided to go ahead and tighten the bolts since they were tight when I removed them. Now that I know that the bushing rotates around the inner sleeve I know I did it correctly.

I am not in this field (the video just popped up in my feed), but this video was very well presented. It made a subject that I am not intimately connected to both interesting and comprehensible. Subscribed.

Definitely I will apply this to my next build! Gracias!

If you live anywhere they use metric, then the nuts and bolts should be marked 12.9 and not 8.8 which I think is equivalent to their grade 8 and use a nylock or castle nut with a cotter pin to prevent it coming lose, unlike shown in the video. Also do not use any stainless nuts or bolts on suspension or steering components, it's nowhere strong enough but crush tubes are bettering in stainless.

Silicone based brake lube is one of the most underrated tools by a lot of mechanics. It's rubber and plastic safe. Being brake lube, it won't run when the temperature goes up. AND it really takes the fight out of hoses, o rings, or intake ducts. A very light coat on both surfaces and things usually just click into place.

This is incredibly useful, thanks. Easy to garner a mistaken understanding of how bushes work so this clears those misconceptions up nicely. I am planning a smaller project, not a car but a powerful electric scooter, and the swing arm needs to be robustly fitted. What do you do if you’re rating a bushing for a smaller purpose, not truck-sized? Is there a rule of thumb?

Good info brother. Things to keep in mind for future projects. 👍

What an excellent video. I learned a lot. Thanks and good job.

Some awesome advice and comments.... would just like to point out on the washer topic, high tensile lock washers don't and shouldn't wear and break open over time especially when installed the right way round which counts for flat washer aswell, yes they are designed to go a certain way that being flat side to contact surface. On flat washers aswell go the same way and we use them not only to spread load but also to absorb any tearing force from lock washer as it better to replace a washer instead of tabs.

Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us.