Spohn Poly Torque Arm Bushing & Motor Mounts
Thread Starter
Banned
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 172
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From: Chicago
Car: 92 Camaro RS
Engine: 350 LT1
Transmission: T56
Axle/Gears: 4.10
Spohn Poly Torque Arm Bushing & Motor Mounts
Alright just for the record, I'd rather pull our motor 10 times than go through the hell I just went through replacing the motor mounts and factory torque arm bushings. lol
Removing the torque arm bracket from the trans is easier than removing both motor mounts from the crossmember. However, I found it very funny that removing the motor mount bushings was far easier than removing the torque arm bushings. O_o
TIP FOR REINSTALL: Anyone that has changed the motor mounts knows it's better to do it with the engine out, however that does NOT make it a breeze. With the stock K-member, you have a hole about 1" wide on both sides to work with, and if you leave the front lca's on with the springs, you are blocking the only other alternative route in to hold the nuts while you loosen the bolts from up top. Anyhow, a 15mm ratcheting/flex wrench will be your best friend as well as a small telescoping magnetic pickup tool. This is the same one I used: http://www.harborfreight.com/18-inch...net-37187.html - You can use the wrench for removal/reinstall on the bottom, but we know there is this pesky washer for the bottom bolt on each side that if you drop, good luck getting it out of the k-member. Buy that magnetic pickup, then attach the washer to it, with the bolt already dropped through, put the washer over the bolt, then with your flex wrench, put the nut inside the ratcheting/flex part, and put that up to the bolt. Turn the bolt from up top to start the threads. Use the magnetic pickup to help install the remaining nuts. Using this method, I seriously bolted in one motor mount in 5 minutes!
Onto the work (motor mounts):
1) Stock one, we need to drill out both of those holes between the bolt holes.

2) Drilled out!

3) Stock motor mount...or what's left anyhow lol.

4) New motor mount burshing. Puurtyyy

5) And assembled! (Old mount to the right)

Now onto the torque arm bushing. I officially hate this thing. I MAYYY consider this one of the hardest things ever to change if you don't own a drill press. I'm sure someone might disagree, but that's my opinion.
1) The stock one, note the "E" shape.

Literally an hour or two after using a 3" exhaust cutoff tool (to grind the "rivets" down), and a punch and hammer, I was able to remove both halves. You really have to pound at those rivets hard to get them out.
2) Note the difference between the two smaller halves. I ordered the CORRECT bushing, and it created the correct shape, but for some reason the part supplier SWAPPED the design shapes for both sides, then swapped the mounting tabs.
- Note: the longer tab on the left, compared to the left tab on the new one. They are not the same length.
- Note: See how the stock one has two inward humps, while the new one has two outward humps. This caused me to believe I ordered the wrong set, or was sent the wrong set. I was wrong luckily, and this IS the right part.

3) The other halve, note the differences.

Removing the torque arm bracket from the trans is easier than removing both motor mounts from the crossmember. However, I found it very funny that removing the motor mount bushings was far easier than removing the torque arm bushings. O_o
TIP FOR REINSTALL: Anyone that has changed the motor mounts knows it's better to do it with the engine out, however that does NOT make it a breeze. With the stock K-member, you have a hole about 1" wide on both sides to work with, and if you leave the front lca's on with the springs, you are blocking the only other alternative route in to hold the nuts while you loosen the bolts from up top. Anyhow, a 15mm ratcheting/flex wrench will be your best friend as well as a small telescoping magnetic pickup tool. This is the same one I used: http://www.harborfreight.com/18-inch...net-37187.html - You can use the wrench for removal/reinstall on the bottom, but we know there is this pesky washer for the bottom bolt on each side that if you drop, good luck getting it out of the k-member. Buy that magnetic pickup, then attach the washer to it, with the bolt already dropped through, put the washer over the bolt, then with your flex wrench, put the nut inside the ratcheting/flex part, and put that up to the bolt. Turn the bolt from up top to start the threads. Use the magnetic pickup to help install the remaining nuts. Using this method, I seriously bolted in one motor mount in 5 minutes!
Onto the work (motor mounts):
1) Stock one, we need to drill out both of those holes between the bolt holes.

2) Drilled out!

3) Stock motor mount...or what's left anyhow lol.

4) New motor mount burshing. Puurtyyy

5) And assembled! (Old mount to the right)

Now onto the torque arm bushing. I officially hate this thing. I MAYYY consider this one of the hardest things ever to change if you don't own a drill press. I'm sure someone might disagree, but that's my opinion.
1) The stock one, note the "E" shape.

Literally an hour or two after using a 3" exhaust cutoff tool (to grind the "rivets" down), and a punch and hammer, I was able to remove both halves. You really have to pound at those rivets hard to get them out.
2) Note the difference between the two smaller halves. I ordered the CORRECT bushing, and it created the correct shape, but for some reason the part supplier SWAPPED the design shapes for both sides, then swapped the mounting tabs.
- Note: the longer tab on the left, compared to the left tab on the new one. They are not the same length.
- Note: See how the stock one has two inward humps, while the new one has two outward humps. This caused me to believe I ordered the wrong set, or was sent the wrong set. I was wrong luckily, and this IS the right part.

3) The other halve, note the differences.

Thread Starter
Banned
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 172
Likes: 0
From: Chicago
Car: 92 Camaro RS
Engine: 350 LT1
Transmission: T56
Axle/Gears: 4.10
Re: Spohn Poly Torque Arm Bushing & Motor Mounts
4) Anddd, both bushings installed on both halves. I figured out the hard way, that you CANNOT get the halves together if you bolt the new bushings in while the two metal brackets are SEPARATE. You must only have the larger part install with 1 bolt, no bushing on the other halve, put the two together, install the other bolt, then slide the smaller halve into the bracket and finally bolt that one down. Crazy...

Bottom line, they seem like quality products, time will tell, but putting these in is NOT for the feint of heart. Not to mention vacuum for getting all the metal shavings off afterwords.

Bottom line, they seem like quality products, time will tell, but putting these in is NOT for the feint of heart. Not to mention vacuum for getting all the metal shavings off afterwords.
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