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By Rono - 10 Years Ago
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When I rebuilt the front suspension on my Customline almost 10 years ago now, I was living in Boise where there were shops available to remove the bushings. I remember the shop I took the control arms to said they were REALLY difficult to get out. Where I am now I may have to try to get the bushings out myself. I think I can press the new ones in, but does anyone have a good method for getting the old bushings out?
Thanks,
Rono
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By MoonShadow - 10 Years Ago
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Have you got a floor standing hydraulic press? That will do it. Just make sure they are installed facing correctly. Chuck
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By Rono - 10 Years Ago
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YES, I have a 20 ton shop press. I will try that. I've heard some people trying to use an air chisel, but I think that would be ugly!!
Rono
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By MoonShadow - 10 Years Ago
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Do you have a service manual? The bushings go in a certain way and can be mixed up. I usually just do one side at a time so I have a reference. If I recall correctly one A arm bushing presses in and the other out. Not sure though. Seems there was a discussion about this a short time back. Try a search. Chuck
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By Daniel Jessup - 10 Years Ago
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I think it is in my blog in the "this and that" section on the site here...
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By Rono - 10 Years Ago
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I haven't had much luck with a "Search" function for a while.
Rono
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By Jimz Bird - 10 Years Ago
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There is a Product Service Letter to the 55 Shop Manual
http://forums.y-blocksforever.com/Topic98723.aspx#bm98774
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By 5d6fairlane - 10 Years Ago
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As I recall use the air chisel on each side of the bushing stopping just short of the control arm then the shell will collapse. If you are lucky it will drive the whole bushing out but not likely. Putting them back in is a bigger pain because you have to support the back side of the control arm under each bushing. I really cant remember how I got them in because I had to rig up some tool maybe with a rental bushing install kit. I do remember that finding Quality bushings were a problem and that NAPA had some older Moog that were well made. TRW catalog is incorrect also.
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By Daniel Jessup - 10 Years Ago
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Here is a link to my "blog" http://forums.y-blocksforever.com/Topic106486.aspx
One thing I did as well was to heat up the rubber and pull out the sleeve in the middle. This made getting at it pretty easy. I think on a couple of them I used a jigsaw with a metal blade to cut the wall of the bushing and then just simply tapped them out.
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By Vic Correnti - 10 Years Ago
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I use a vise and different diameter sockets.
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By Rono - 10 Years Ago
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Daniel;
I read your entire blog on your front suspension work this morning. When you did all that work I was in the middle of my moving adventure and setting up the new house and shop in Bishop. Hard to believe that was almost a year ago now. Anyway, lots of good pictures and information. I'm sure I'll be referencing your work again when I get fully involved with the Ranch Wagon.
Rono
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By lyonroad - 10 Years Ago
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Rono, here is how I installed the bushings. To separate the rubber from the old bushings I drilled out the rubber with a small drill bit (1/8" or so). To get the bushings out of the A arms I used a hack saw to cut through most of the bushing then twisted it to pieces with a vice grip. I had to take off the hacksaw blade, insert it in the bushing and then reattach it to the handle if that makes sense.
Mark
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By Rono - 10 Years Ago
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Thanks Mark. Did you use this technique because you didn't have a floor press? I'll go with whatever works best without damaging the control arms.
Rono
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By lyonroad - 10 Years Ago
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No floor press and I didn't have any sockets large enough to use Vic's approach. I used short pieces of exhaust tubing and some scrap aluminum plate that I was able to drill large holes into fairly easily. I also made use of the large washers that came off the original bushings. If you are going to reuse the washers don't use them for the installation process as they tend to get flattened out. I took a large bearing puller apart and used the threaded shaft and the three armed nut. With some anti-seize they went in very easily.
Mark
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By dbird - 10 Years Ago
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I used Vic's socket method for installation, which worked well. For removal, I used a variation of Daniel's in that instead if burning the rubber our, I used a drill with a bit roughly the width of the rubber to remove the majority of the rubber and remove the center then scored it with a saw to be able to split it, so it would fall right out. Just taking the center out makes it much easier to press out.
Don
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