Thread: installing a bushing kit

I got myself a bushing kit a while ago and the B13 is about to be put on stands on a garage floor.

All my tools are so so, my vise for example can't take much. It is casted and I already broke one.

I heard several things about installing a bushing kit, some use a torch, put it on the floor burning on the old rubbers till it starts burning and melting, then remove it, others tell me to drill little holes and somebody was able to use pulley puller on them.

How would you do it? Am I better of handing over all parts to a garage and ask them to press them for me?

They are really easy with the tool I made. I was able to get all of them out except the 2 small ones on the a frames. I used 5/16" threaded rod and rod connectors, an assortment of washers, a 2.5" iron cap, and an 8" long threaded nipple. All this stuff is cheap. I got the hardware at lowes, and picked up the cap and nipple at a local plumbing contractor for $7.00, they have tons of this stuff in their stock room from old projects.

You just need to drill a 3/8" hole in the center of the cap, and stick the rod through it. Put the rod connectors (these are just extra long nuts that are used to splice 2 sections of threaded rod together. Use these because they will hold up better since they have alot more thread to bite with. I stripped out a couple regular style nuts.) on either end and use the correct size washers (just a little smaller that the bushing you are removing. There are 2 different diameter bushings to remove), and put axle grease on the rod, washers, and nuts to make everything glide smoothly. I snapped, and stripped a few rods before I went up to 5/16" rod and used grease. You also want to use about three washers on the bushing side, so they wont bow out.

When you do this you will basically be pulling the bushings out into the pipe, like a reverse press. Spray the bushings down with some WD-40 as well, then just start tightening the nuts down until the bushing pops out. I did it this way with trial and error and it only took 4 hours max to do my whole ES master kit minus the 2 front small a frame bushings. If you know how, and what to take apart pretty efficiently, it should only take 1-1.5 hours for the same thing I did if you do it this way. No torch, no press, no problem, just a little elbow grease, a homebrew cheap simple bushing removal tool, and a couple hours of your time. If you want to do those two that I didn't you could just drill them out pretty easy. I didn't because they were fine, and they are in there so tight that I just don't see them flexing enough to worry. They are pretty solid, the only ones like that on our cars.

I can post some pics of the tool tomorrow if you need to see it to give you a better idea of how to make it.

I really would appreciate it if you can post some pics. I'm having a hard time translating your story while you wrote it very clear and also a friend of mine showed how and somehow I still don't fully understand.

I can't imagine I can pull this off in 4 hours. :o

i wanna see this too....but just cause i love home-brew solutions

Ok, sorry for the delay guys, here it is.

It's roughly 2.5" OD wide.

6" long

Here is how you would set it up to pull the bushing. I used one of my unused ES bushings for demo. Put one end of the threaded rod through whatever bushing you are pulling, then put 2 appropriate sized washers on, then another rod coupling.

Here's the business end. See the 3/8" hole I drilled in the galvanized cap, with the other end of the threaded rod, 1 washer, and the other rod coupling. Notice the flared end where it made contact. Alot of pressure is exerted on it.

This is the full view. All you will need are some 9/16" wrenches to tighten the couplings with, or one of those go through ratchets. Remember to put axle grease on everything that spins, and has metal to metal contact. A ton of stress, and heat is generated. All these parts need lube, and spray the bushing with WD-40, or PB blaster.

Parts list;
2-rod connectors (they come in 2 packs at home depot hanging above the threaded rod)
1-5/16"x2' threaded rod
3-5/16"x1" fender washers
2-5/16"x1.5, or 1.25" fender washers (I forget the sizes. take 1 each of your small and large ES bushings to compare sizes. They need to be a bit smaller than the bushings )
1-2.5" black iron, or galvanized cap
1-2.5"x4-6" black iron, or galvanized pipe nipple.

Oh, and this tool only cost around $15-20.00 to make.

Good explanation tswii!

I'll take this to the 'local construction market' I'm sure they carry the 5/16" rod and for the caps and stuff, no such thing here but I'll try to build a similar tool. I ended up with some deformed tool that actually needed to flexed to free the parts up again, but the thread went fubar and I wasn't using enough washers.

i have all the arms and suspension pieces already pressed in with bushings for sale. $125 + shipping

I got my cap and pipe used from one of those local plumbers. So if you have any plumbing repair business around you can get this stuff there for cheap. I know it's a different part of the world, but everyone has some sort of plumbing in most cases, lol.

That doesn't sound all that clean...