Planning the rebuild of Sshamu.

This thread will document from start to finish, the rebuild of my Impala.(Thanks to my friends)

I am starting to plan the conversion to move the impala over to the caprice. I have about a half gallon of chassis saver that I want to use for the frame, floor pans, and wheel wells. I would like to lift the shell off the frame to paint everything, and replace the body bushings.

There was a master suspension kit, and a body bushing kit from energy suspension, but I can't find them in jegs or summit, or even energy suspension's website. Does anyone know the part numbers?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Energy-Suspension-Body-Mount-Bushings-94-96-Impala-SS_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem5885bf47e2QQitemZ380201027554QQptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories

try this for now

http://impalasuperstore.com/superstore2010/shopdisplayproducts.asp?page=2

Beat ya by a minute Bobby and my price is better.
Anybody using these ?
Do they squeek.
How hard are they to install.
Does the body have to come comepletely off the frame ?

M.ROSS wrote:

Beat ya by a minute Bobby and my price is better.
Anybody using these ?
Do they squeek.
How hard are they to install.
Does the body have to come comepletely off the frame ?

ya ya I gave him that link for the part #s.. the body bushings by the rear end you will have to lift the body off almost a foot, did you search the Impala forum somebody did them and didn't like them. I had the front suspension ones on a monti and they sqeek but they are easier to install than stock bushings

M.ROSS wrote:

Beat ya by a minute Bobby and my price is better.
Anybody using these ?
Do they squeek.
How hard are they to install.
Does the body have to come comepletely off the frame ?

I did add the missing bushings on my original 94 ss back in the late 90s, but those were not between the frame and body. I would imagine you would just loosen up an entire side, and use a jack to take the pressure off the bushing you are trying to replace.

I have used poly bushings many times in the past for suspensions. I just put some vasaline to keep the squeeks away.

That sucks = squeeking !!!!
I'd like to do the bushings
Some look like they'd be easy.
The write up for bushings in the herd article doesn't mention lifting it that high.
http://www.theherd.com/articles/bushings.html

I'm running them in my 96. They dont squeak unless the bolts loosen up. They are HARD
Roads around here scream for rubber but new rubber will cost you 2x the $ of those
I have new rubber waiting to go in cause I hate hitting like that
From what I've read you need about 3-4" of seperation to swap them out, I'll be finding out.
I'm about to frame off my old 95 to see if I rebuild it for Matt or punt like Bill M
Wont be a crazy restoration just solid armor for his 1st car

Billy and his Vasoline.
What do you do buy it in 55 gal drums.

M.ROSS wrote:

The write up for bushings in the herd article doesn't mention lifting it that high.
http://www.theherd.com/articles/bushings.html

I didnt read that whole thing again, but if I remember that writeup was for lowers only

I don't know about the Impala body bushings but when we did the 70 chevelle we had to buy all new factory
bushings just for the steel inserts.

sdstick wrote:

M.ROSS wrote:

The write up for bushings in the herd article doesn't mention lifting it that high.
http://www.theherd.com/articles/bushings.html

I didnt read that whole thing again, but if I remember that writeup was for lowers only

That is the original Scott Mueller writeup I used back in the day to replace my missing lowers. Only the 9c1s got all upper and lower bushings. The caprice, and Impala had 6 missing lower bushings at the front of the body shell.

It's really not a big issue missing the body bushings. Just when you go over big bumps you wait for the front end to "land" which can take a few seconds. It's an odd feeling at first but you get used to it. It's like the feeling you get in fast elevators when you stop at a floor and then wait for your head to land back on your shoulders

bammax wrote:

It's really not a big issue missing the body bushings. Just when you go over big bumps you wait for the front end to "land" which can take a few seconds. It's an odd feeling at first but you get used to it. It's like the feeling you get in fast elevators when you stop at a floor and then wait for your head to land back on your shoulders

That would be the sloppy front suspension, not the body bushings. Besides after I did the lower install, I did not feel a difference. I guess Scott pushed his harder than I did.

I did the whole Energy body mount setup in the Impala, what a nightmare it was to install... However when done the car felt a lot firmer, but as stated, when you get on a rough road you know it...

Doug