![wink.gif](style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)
I managed to spend some time this week working on the spherical bearing kits I want to try and develop for the 1G/3G and 1G Integra's. These are the bearings that will replace the rubber/poly bushings at these locations....
Lower control arm rear joint here:
![](http://i408.photobucket.com/albums/pp161/davbraley/Suspension/LCA/spherical1.jpg)
Torsion bar arm joint here:
![](http://i408.photobucket.com/albums/pp161/davbraley/Suspension/LCA/spherical2.jpg)
and the rear axle trailing arms here:
![](http://i408.photobucket.com/albums/pp161/davbraley/Suspension/LCA/spherical3.jpg)
My goal is to have these kits bolt in, but there may be some welding needed in some locations. Not 100% sure until I get it all worked out. These spherical bearings will effectively eliminate all flex at these points. This means if you are running these on the street, be prepared for some road vibration/noise transmitted up through the joint.
Every joint will have a grease fitting. The spherical bearings I've chosen to use are steel on steel, and will need to be greased for long life. In fact, if they are touched with a grease gun every few thousand miles, they should last for a very long time. The bearings also have some rubber seals on each side of the housing to help keep the dirt out. I just ordered the bearings this evening and I'm anxious to get my hands on them. They most likely will not ship out and start heading my way until Monday.
I ordered enough bearings to do two cars in all three locations. If they work out, I should be able to buy them in a large enough quantity to get a better price on them than what we see in the catalogs, and I always pass that savings on to you.
Now, I want to discuss a little more about the spherical bearing that will be in the location found in the second image. This is the joint at the front end of the torsion bar. This joint is going to be a little trickier than the others. My goal is to be able to service this joint without any special tools. You may still need a shop press to assemble it, and a typical bearing puller to get it apart, but no custom made tools like Honda uses to do the job. The spherical bearing I've chosen for this location is also very big. It's simply due to the fact that the stem on the back side of the torsion bar arm is a little over 1 3/8" in diameter.
The stem I'm talking about is this one:
![](http://i408.photobucket.com/albums/pp161/davbraley/Suspension/LCA/spherical4.jpg)
The original rubber bushing that goes at this joint is basically an outer and inner length of tubing or sleeve that is vulcanized with rubber in between the two. The inner sleeve is pressed over the stem shown above, and then the outer sleeve is pressed into the end of the torsion bar tube which is part of the front sub-frame.
The outer part of the bushing is pressed into here:
![](http://i408.photobucket.com/albums/pp161/davbraley/Suspension/LCA/spherical5.jpg)
Note: You can see the step machined inside the end of the torsion bar tube. This tube was bored like this at that the factory to make sure the size was consistent for a good repeatable bushing press fit.
The factory kept the torsion bar arm from falling off by relying on three things. The strength of the pressed-in inner and outer sleeves of the bushing, and the vulcanized rubber holding it all together. For safety, there is a snap ring out on the end of the torsion bar for insurance. I know some of you don't run the snap ring.
What is cool about Honda's decision to bore the end of the sub-frame tube, and turn down the stem on the back of the torsion bar arm for a good press fit for the bushings, is it allows me to take advantage of those same dimension. My goal is to have the spherical bearing press fit over the stem of the torsion arm, and press fit into a special sleeve that I make, that will then slide down the end of the torsion tube, and get bolted into place. HA! I think it'll work that way.
![tongue.gif](style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif)
The first part of the week has me anodizing some plate sets, but I know I'll have time to get started making the adapters and parts needed to make all of this work. I should be able to make most of it before I have the spherical bearings in hand, and just assemble everything when they get here. I'm hoping to have something to show by the end of next week or weekend. HA! I'm a dreamer.
![cool.gif](style_emoticons/default/cool.gif)
Have a great Halloween everyone!
David