Removing suspension bushes

Simon · 09-26-07, 11:59 AM

These are almost impossible to remove. I've tried pushing out the rubber (not too difficult) but it leaves a steel sleeve inside the wishbone. I tried cutting with a hacksaw but I'm worried about cutting into the surround of the wishbone and weakening it. Any ideas? I've got about 20 to remove!
I did try pushing the sleeve out using a vice and suitably sized pieces of metal but no joy.

Simon

Martin · 09-26-07, 12:35 PM

Hi Simon,

I had similar trouble with the Jag rear suspension bushes I've got on my MG.
Hope you got the pictures O.K. !
The way I got them out was to buy a new set, then taking the wishbone down to the local machine shop and get them to press them out using the new ones to push the old out. That way, you get the old out and the new in all in one hit. Good luck.
Cheers,
Martin

Simon · 09-26-07, 01:10 PM

Martin, Thanks for the pics, fantastic car.
Trouble is, I'm replacing with polybushes so it's not a like for like swap.

Simon

Jonathan S · 09-26-07, 01:50 PM

They do make a special press that works ok. I have pressed our a lot of bushings with it. It also works well on ball joints and U joints.

Harbor Freight Tools - Quality Tools at the Lowest Prices

Russ Noble · 09-26-07, 03:10 PM

Or just cut the sleeve out with an oxy acetylene torch.

But don't use an ordinary cutting tip unless you are very skilled with it!

Instead, use an ordinary panel tip adjusted with excess oxy. It's easy to blow a line out across the bush, the same as you were doing with the hacksaw. The thin sleeve will cut easily and quickly and there will be minimal heat transfer between the surfaces to the wishbone so no problem with nicking it as you would with a hacksaw.

Cheers

Jeff Hamilton · 09-26-07, 05:34 PM

To get the rubber out drill the rubber with a 1/4" drill bit. After you drill a hole in it just keep drilling and the bit will walk arount the outside of the rubber and spit it out. Then take a sawzall and cut the metal.
Jeff Hamilton

Ron Earp · 09-26-07, 05:46 PM

Used fire a lot, works.

Ron

40 Bud · 09-26-07, 05:55 PM

As Ron says, try fire. There was a time starting in about 1990 that GTD tried epoxying the bushes in place to elimenate some of the squishieness of the rubber bushes. If you have some of those I would quess that fire is the only way to break loose the epoxy.

Ron Earp · 09-26-07, 08:09 PM

Russ is right on. The last Spec Miata we built I could not press out the bushings. Granted, my press is not great, but it'd never been defeated before. It was defeated.

I used fire, but no torch. Just use a propane torch, get them good and lit, drink a beer, then push them out with a metal rod. Stand away when the bushings are on fire and smoke a ciggie without breathing, or stand close to the part and breathe. Either way will give you about the same dose of tar.

Undefeated tools I still have:

*Fire
*The Mighty Mighty Saws All (with fresh blade)
*The All Powerful Grinding Wheel of Massive Abrasion

If time is not your enemy then these are pretty much unbeatable.

Recently defeated: The Paint-Opening Screwdriver of Unending Leverage.
I suppose a 50 year old Craftsman screwdriver with wood handle can't be used to lift up a 550 lb motor off the mounts. At least not for the 500th time it can't.

Certain tools have special powers. Don't believe me? Then you aren't drinking enough beer in the garage while working on things.

R