LCA Bushings, filled stock?

Okay, so when my car was in the air to replaced the rims and tires, I got a look at my LCA bushings. Torn. 66k on the car so it's not surprising with the way I like to drive.

 

I don't have the money for better AVO or SuperPro (which I wish I did). So I went ahead and purchased some stockers ($30 shipped for both) and I get free labor (well not free cause it costs a beer and a meal) which will just put me back to normal stock.

 

After I made the order, I started to think... I have 80 durometer polyurethane just sitting at my house doing nothing. Why not try and fill the crappy open spaced LCA bushings?

 

So that's what I'm going to try. If the polyurethane doesn't hold and breaks apart... oh well I still have a stock LCA bushing until I can afford to get some nice ones.

 

What are your thoughts on this? I'm probably going to try it anyway and report back.

Well I ordered the RIGHT bushings this time... Just remember, when you order from a Subaru parts website even though it says Bushing Front or Bushing Rear... they are both still on the FRONT LCA! I ordered the "fronts" thinking they were the bushings I needed, but they weren't.

 

So I ordered the correct bushings yesterday and should have them tomorrow or Monday. Then I'll fill them and see how they do.

interested to see how this works out, good luck.

I've been looking over the vacation pics and I'm just wondering if having a urethane rear LCA bushing will help with steering feel and response as much as I expect?

 

The reason it concerns me is the front LCA bushing. It doesn't seem to allow much twisting play. It's designed to rotate on the bolt...

 

The diagram I've been mulling over is attached....

I have been contemplating filling my stock front LCA bushings. Back when I worked on DSM's it was a popular thing to fill torn bearings with 3M Window-Weld. I still have some laying around so I think that I might give it a whirl.

you guys end up doing this? how did it work out for you?

I actually got the set of stock LCA bushings and there doesn't seem like a viable way to fill them reliably. If you just filled up the empty spaces, you won't have anywhere near enough to make it stronger. Very high potential to crack and flex.

 

Now... if I got another set of LCA bushings, I could try to cut out the stock rubber and fill them. That would probably be a lot better, but then I'd need to drop another $30 and wait for them to arrive.

 

Might do that later. However, $30 for stock bushings and $$ for urethane, I might just grab some Group N bushings.

I already have done this. I took a new set of stock bushings and filled them with 3M windshield urethane. Waiting to install them. I will post the results when I install them.

Pics of the filled bushings later this evening.

Very easy to pack full of urethane. You need to pick out the flash from the mold first then pump the stuff though till it oozes out the other side. Pack it like a wheel bearing and let dry. Wear latex gloves! It's messy. Install planned soon then we'll see how they hold up.

Nice, that is exactly what I was going to do. Let us know how they turn out.

Did this years ago to the engine and tranny mounts on my Lebaron Convertible. Cut off the extra rubber flash, clean well with brake cleaner and pack full of window weld. Should last a year or two before it starts to seperate from the rubber and eventually falls out. Until it does though it seems to firm up the bushings. The LCA bushings might hold it longer though because the gaps are smaller. They also probably get less movement/force then the motor mount on my other car.

I don't understand why you would mess around with a half ass solution when these parts are dirt cheap at the dealer. Ok a little work wo install but still...

I don't understand why you would mess around with a half ass solution when these parts are dirt cheap at the dealer. Ok a little work wo install but still...

 

Sweet, where can I get solid poly mounts from the dealer for dirt cheap? Or were you referring to the fact that the OEM mounts are cheap?

OEM parts are cheap. If you are doing the labor yourself the stock parts seem to last 20k miles or so.

OEM parts are cheap. If you are doing the labor yourself the stock parts seem to last 20k miles or so.

 

i believe the thought is to improve on a poor OEM design that will just continue to tear. who wants to replace these bushings every 10-20k miles?

Oh, got it. I guess you guys will be squirting jelly in there every so often then....

I guess you guys will be squirting jelly in there every so often then....

 

Lol, just dont try to eat the window weld. Its pretty harsh stuff.

 

The idea with it is, yes the stock bushings seem to fail rather fast, and yes aftermarket poly ones are the way to go (Avo, etc), but if I can buy stock ones for $8 a piece, and a $10 tube of window weld, and both increase the firmness of the stock bushings, and extend their life (an amount impossible to define...lol) then to save close to $100, its a good option for someone with a limited budget.

 

Plus, my stock ones lasted for 60K plus and though cracked and a bit of wander at highway speeds, my wheels didnt fall off...lol. If I get that much longer with filled ones then I'm all for it. Ill worry about it 4 years from now.

Oh, got it. I guess you guys will be squirting jelly in there every so often then....

 

It is an experiment. No one can accurately predict the out come so the stupid comments are really not necessary. It could be an epic fail, could be a winner, time will tell.

bit the bullet and bought some M3 Window Weld too just to fill it for some "added" protection. Who knows... it's going to be way better than my torn ass stockers.

Poke the mold flash out with a pic, clean off the rubber with some brake clean, there is some type of coating on the rubber they put on during the manufacture process to help release it from the mold.

 

Wear some latex gloves too, it's messy!

+1 on all that. If you havent messed with the stuff before you're in for some fun. reccomend working on a pile of newspaper.

SuperPro LCA bushings FTW!!!

Installed my modded bushings yesterday .

 

Incredible improvement in cornering and overall steering response. No added harshness noticed either. Will keep the thread updates as to the durability factor.