I installed WMW's rear strut bushing for my aftermarket shocks and after a few days I noticed a clunking noise from the rear. I figured out that the threads in the trailing arm for the lower bolt are expending and allowing the bolt to wobble around. After examining the parts I realized that the inner diameter of the bushing is 16MM, while the bolt is 14mm:
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Was I supposed to receive a sleeve with the WMW bushings? Their purpose is to add load support for the bolt, but at this point in time they're useless. I might as well have bought some washers at home depot.

Any input would be great.

 

Did you call Way?

 

I just spoke to Way. He informed me that the bushing is not design with the intent of supporting a load. I have to try and find a sleeve to slip over the bolt.

 

If that is the entire response from WMW that would be disappointing, but there has got to be more to the story.

 

That does not make sense. The OEM busing is expressly designed to transfer the load to the arm instead of a cantilever bolt that would extru7de the hole.
I don't like the answer from WAY. It would scare me if they understand what they are building. Could be wrong, but it would scare me.

My Bilstein HD's came with the bushing integrated like the OEM.

 

We made that bushing from some real early R56 shock that actually had the same 16mm inner diameter.
The way the bushing sits in between the strut and the trailing arm if it is tightened properly the inner diameter won't matter. If it did you would see the threads at that point become flat. Same thing with a 14mm inner diameter bushing. The bushing is more important as a spacer to keep the lower rubber bushing on the bottom of the shock from being damaged. Ask Edge what happens without these bushings.

Also what he has left out is that he is slaming this car on Airbags. When you change the angle of the suspension this much by raising and lowering the car this is what the cause of his problem is. Just ask Rally, he had had the same problem. I've also been told he has the adapter bushings with 16mm inner diameter.

I'm sorry you think I had a poor responce, but we've sold over 100 sets with no problems, the only set to have an issue is with this airbag setup, so we can't blame the bushing.

If you really feel that strongly that an inner 14mm diameter would be the end all to this, send the set you have back to me and I'll get you some 14mm inner diameter ones. I stand behind my products and my company name, otherwise I wouldn't put my name on them.

 

Thanks for chiming-in and providing the big picture here with more details. now we understand what is really going on.

I will go back and edit my earlier post. The WMW response above is perfectly acceptable.

 

I never meant to bash WMW. I was just trying to get some input on a solution to my problem.
I've decided to source a set of rear shocks, cut off the lower mount, and weld it onto my airshocks.

 

If I had this problem, I wasn't aware of it I have the adapters but mine are from vmaxx...I have no idea what the ID is as I never measured them. I ordered some from you, but they're still sitting in the envelope in my garage.

The angle really doesn't change that much...especially since he's not as low as I am in the rear. Most of the angle change in the rear is front to back and that can cause problems with the upper busing. I never encountered any angle problems with the lower strut mount point as it only cambers about 4-5 degrees and that's mostly at the top of the strut. I personally don't see it ever causing this issue, but I can understand why you would void the warranty because of its use on airride I guess.

 

My problem with this statement is:
A. You can't compare this bushing to a stock one because it's not one-piece, and so the spacer in the rubber bushing will still move up & down against your metal bushing.
B. If it's just a spacer, then I would have just used some 5/8" washers from the hardware store.