Fully Energized - Project Nissan 240SX Part III

Now the 240SX actually responds to the steering wheel, unlike before when there was a short delay. This was probably from the rack and pinion actually moving before turning the wheels. Although the we opted for the complete Hyper-Flex kit that replaces nearly every single bushing, we didn't replace bushings in the rear upper toe arm, traction bar or upper camber arm, because we replaced them with Peak Performance multi-link suspension arms that have spherical rod ends. After the bushings installation we went for a test drive, and we must say that the Energy Suspension pieces provided a huge difference in the handling of the 240SX. Granted, the factory bushings were shot; but the car handles much better than before. We were worried that the polyurethane bushings were going to be too stiff for bumpy roads, but we didn't notice any stiffer of a ride.

For round two we needed to address the knocking between shifts. (I told you the Nissan's suspension was shot.) The knocking sound was the rear subframe hitting against the frame of the 240SX, a fairly common problem with S13 and S14 240SXs. To fix our knock subframe issue, we did our research and found Peak Performance subframe urethane bushings. The urethane bushings do not replace the factory bushings, but are inserts to remove any possible play in the subframe. There are also aluminum subframe bushings on the market, but, unless you plan on drifting the car regularly, we recommend sticking with urethane. A total of eight bushings come in the Peak Performance kit (four uppers and four lowers). The upper urethane bushings are split, so it does not require dropping the entire rear subframe to install them. We found the best way to install the bushing is to work one side at a time. The swap can be performed on the floor using a jack stand and a floor jack, but a lift would make it much easier. We spent about 20 minutes replacing the bushings using simple hand tools.

While the vehicle was still on the lift, we opted to swap out the factory rear multi-link suspension arms with Peak Performance multi-link components. Any serious drifter or road racer should strongly consider replacing the factory arms with adjustable multi-link suspension like Peak Performance. By replacing the factory arms with the Peak pieces you can fine-tune the suspension camber, caster and toe settings for ideal traction. Using spherical rod ends eliminates the factory rubber bushing and reduces unwanted suspension play. The Peak Performance multi-links are extremely high-quality pieces constructed from billet T-6061 aluminum, and are deburred and tumbled for added strength and quality. The aluminum pieces are then military-spec anodized for durability and longevity. The Peak Performance multi-link also uses the highest quality three-piece Aurora metric rod ends for increased durability. Each Aurora rod end has a special Teflon coating for smooth engagement and tight clearances, and, more importantly, creates less noise over time.