I just wanted to write down how my install of a new polyurethane torque arm bushing went for me last night on my 89 Camaro IROC. I had trouble finding a clear answer from the instructions or the forum on how to get the inner and outer brackets to squeeze together enough to finalize the install.

The instructions say to just reinstall the outer bracket and then retorque bolts... Not a great answer for me, since the clamshell surrounding the bushing was a serious pain in the a$$ to squeeze into place in the tranny tunnel.

I started by loosening all the hardware from the torque arm bushing (1 small bolt, and 3 bolt/nut combos of which one bolt is attached to the inner bracket permanently, and they're 13mm and 15mm respectively)

I then removed the transmission crossmember and lowered the transmission just enough to remove the inner bracket from the transmission.

Then i drilled out the rivets quickly with a 7/32in bit.

Installing the inner bracket back onto the tranny was the same as removing it.

Next I dropped the torque arm by removing the remaining 2 bolts/nuts on the differential(@ 22mm or 7/8in on the bolts and nuts).

I then installed the bushing and fit the outer bracket on without much problem fitting the upper bolt through the inner and outer bracket(toughest part for me, and I found impossible with the torque arm in the bushing while still attached to the differential).

This is when i reinstalled the transmission crossmember. I did use a transmission jack to support the transmission the entire time, because I don't trust the wobbly add-on you can slap on your regular jack to hold the transmission up while you're underneath it.

I did squeeze lube in bushing with the supplied goop to allow the torque arm to slide into the installed bushing on the transmission. (this took some force to get in fully, but way easier than trying to squeeze the top of the inner/outer bracket together with everything already installed, which is the way Energy Suspension suggests)

After that, I put a little pressure on the pumpkin with a jack to align the torque arm bolt holes and finessed it into place with a rubber mallet.

Once the two bolts/nuts were back in place in the differential, I tightened down all the bolts I loosened at any point.

Done!

I really hate when instructions sum up difficult portions of an install with something too simple as "install piece onto car", so this might help the next guy not have to curse his brains out while beating himself and car parts up in the process.

PS: Does it bug anyone else that the spellcheck on this website doesn't accept Camaro as a word by default?

 

Probably would help to add pictures when you decide to do a write-up like this.

I really didnt think that ES's instructions were hard to follow. It took me about 30 minutes to install after I got it jacked up. Didnt have to drop the torque arm.