ES Diff bushing advice: Something doesn't look right here.
 

I installed ES diff bushings a long time ago, probably 3 years ago, when I was still a little new to wrenching on my own car. At some point during the install or on the way to do the install, I lost one of the bushings that goes on the bottom, between the washer and the diff. Pics for reference, the bottom bushing in the picture is what I lost.

http://i41.tinypic.com/24b6df5.png

I didn't realize this until halfway through the install and time was running short. The bushings that go THROUGH the diff are both ES, but on the washers, one of them is ES, the other is the stock rubber one, so I have something that looks like this on one side. The other side looks like the first picture.

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1328296221

On the same side that has the stock bushing, I feel a gap between the top of the top bushing and the body of the car. That gap is not present on the other side. This has also been accompanied by a strange clunk recently that has gotten worse. It suddenly appeared after I pulled the engine and tranny, and the diff was just hanging there for a week. The 17mm bolts that hold the diff to the car are as tight as I can get them but the gap is still there.

Are my mismatched bushings a reason for this? Am I gonna have to pull off the washers and buy a new set and do it right? I suspect I do, but thought I'd get some opinions from you guys.

Thoughts? Can you even buy individual bushings or am I going to have to buy the whole diff kit again?

Also, thoughts on how you got the rubber on the washer off? The way I did it was painfully janky and messy.
EDIT: sigh apparently you're supposed to heat it up to break the bond. 18 year old me was horrible at following directions.

You can buy just the bushings. Even heating it up the bond doesn't always break in any way that makes it easy. I cut mine off with a jigsaw and then sanded it down.

Do you happen to know where I can get just the bottom bushings? Im assuming ill have to go through ES for this.

Thats a long time to run like that. Did it pull one way or the other when under load? I would take a few measurments to see of everything is still square.

The car always drove and still does drive straight under load.

I want to know this too!

I read that wrong, I didn't see "diff". I thought you said the whole ES kit again. I don't know if you can get just the lower portion. I'd give ES a call, or maybe Renown Performance can hook you up on here.

ES hooked it up with a free diff bushing.

Kings & Bosses Inc.