rear end bushing replacement ?
- Thread starter gaminoree
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Gaminoree,
Get a couple good sharp ¼” drill bits and of course a drill. You will need a vise to hold the control arm (don’t vise it down to much because you could crush the arm). Place the drill bit tip between the rubber bushing edge and the outer bushing shell. Drill straight through the rubber and against the shell. Once the drill bit penetrates through do not pull it back out, rock it side to side / up and down gently while the drill is running. What will happen is, one side of the drill bit will ride around the inner edge of the bushing shell and the other side will pull the rubber bushing out of the shell.
Now if you need to remove the shell, cut in half with a hack saw or sawzall between the control arm surfaces. Next strike the inner edges with a cold chisel to cause a kink in the shell halfs. This may take some work but go slowly and they it will come out.
Or, if your poly bushing requires the shell leave it be and just dress it up because there will be some marks/sharp edges where the drill bit rode on the shell surface, you do not want any sharp edges cutting into the bushings. Next lube up the poly bushing and press it into the old shell. Hope this helps.
Get a couple good sharp ¼” drill bits and of course a drill. You will need a vise to hold the control arm (don’t vise it down to much because you could crush the arm). Place the drill bit tip between the rubber bushing edge and the outer bushing shell. Drill straight through the rubber and against the shell. Once the drill bit penetrates through do not pull it back out, rock it side to side / up and down gently while the drill is running. What will happen is, one side of the drill bit will ride around the inner edge of the bushing shell and the other side will pull the rubber bushing out of the shell.
Now if you need to remove the shell, cut in half with a hack saw or sawzall between the control arm surfaces. Next strike the inner edges with a cold chisel to cause a kink in the shell halfs. This may take some work but go slowly and they it will come out.
Or, if your poly bushing requires the shell leave it be and just dress it up because there will be some marks/sharp edges where the drill bit rode on the shell surface, you do not want any sharp edges cutting into the bushings. Next lube up the poly bushing and press it into the old shell. Hope this helps.
John Larkin
Sublime Master of Turbology
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I did this also. Be very careful if you sawzall the shell while still inside the rear end housing ears. Don't want to nick the inner surface. Try to crush it inward with a cold chisel, then remove.
Or you can cut a piece of 1"x1"x1/8" thick angle iron the right length to go inside the control arm beside the bushing to keep the arm from collapsing and just press the bushing out. You really need the spacer anyway to press in the new bushings so just use it twice 
. For the two upper bushings in the ears on the rear end, the best way is to get HRPartsnStuff's tool to change them. The worst way is to use the big hammer, because every now and then you break off the ear 
.
. For the two upper bushings in the ears on the rear end, the best way is to get HRPartsnStuff's tool to change them. The worst way is to use the big hammer, because every now and then you break off the ear .
