180sx: Subframe fun

So the 180 had a long long long list of stuff to fix/improve and the subframe was one of those. These cars are getting old and it's had a hard life so I figured reinforcing the subframe and risers/bush replacement would be a good idea.

Funnily I've been tinkering with s chassis for a decade but this was my first time ever dropping a subframe. Was surprisingly easier than I expected.

Bushes were torn. The car had slip in subframe collars when I owned it but I wonder how much that would've helped.

Stripped the subframe to get started. Nice and filthy thanks to torn CV boots. I had the boots replaced and am hoping they don't tear again because it makes such a giant mess.

I was told you can just send it with a flathead screwdriver and hammer. I'm glad it worked because I was too lazy to cut out the bushes and the shell then collapsing it. Basically you just work the screwdriver in and it'll hit the lip of the shell then push out the bush.

Old brake rotors coming in handy to prop it up. Luckily it wasn't bin day yet.

And finally all out. The last one was super stubborn and took me awhile but the rest came out in a few minutes of hammering each.

After an eternity of degreasing/washing we're ready to go. I got the kit from GK Tech for this. The subframes are getting old so it's a good idea to reinforce it while it's in good condition as I have seen cracked subframes in the past.

Definitely not my finest work but it'll work.

Very smoky job but all done. Helps to have a half face respirator at a minimum while welding bracing in as it'll generate a heap of toxic smoke.

Luckily there was a break in the streak of crappy weather so I took advantage of a sunny day to paint the subframe as it was pretty crusty.

One of the swaybar bracket threads stripped so I had to helicoil it.

I used GK Tech's poly subframe risers to replace the oem bushings. I'd heard good feedback from a few people with using them over full solids.

Time to go back in.

Along with everything else. I fitted the GK Tech drop knuckle, rlca, camber, traction rod, r33 drums and r33 gtr brembos that I kept from the s14. I had to buy new GK Tech toe arms and I got Silk Road coilovers for the car.

Everything nice and clean for now. I had to put the factory eccentric bolt back in as the toe arms didn't have enough adjustment with the rlca shortened 10mm to help with fitting the 18x10+20 te37.

The drop knuckles push out your track as well so I had to raise the rear a little to fit the wheel. Hopefully I won't need to go back to a stock knuckle for clearance because I really can't be bothered pulling everything apart again. This was roughly 2 degrees of camber from memory.

Anyways that's the subframe/rear end done for now. Just have 1000 things left to do on the car still.