headed out to start poly bushing swap
#1
Race Director
Thread Starter
headed out to start poly bushing swap
I am pretty good with the tools will be removing all the A arms, how many hours does it usually take to removed and reinstall the poly bushings??
I have been told it takes some shops 8 hours to do it
sounds like i am in for some fun!, going to use a ball joint press to remove some of the uppers.
any tips or trick appreciated!
I have been told it takes some shops 8 hours to do it
sounds like i am in for some fun!, going to use a ball joint press to remove some of the uppers.
any tips or trick appreciated!
#3
Drifting
I do all my own work but after reading how much of a pain it is I paid the local GM Corvette Mechanic $400 (his price) to do it. He did it as a side job. I tipped him $40 and he even aligned the car afterwards. Money well spent in my opinion.
I will say you will feel every knat you run over afterwards.
I will say you will feel every knat you run over afterwards.
#4
Race Director
Thread Starter
is this the kind of ball joint press that makes this project easier??
if not please let me know as i only have 1 of the bushings out which is the bad one that was pretty easy to remove with some heat on the rubber (damn alum stays hot for quite a while after heating)
if not please let me know as i only have 1 of the bushings out which is the bad one that was pretty easy to remove with some heat on the rubber (damn alum stays hot for quite a while after heating)
#5
Race Director
Thread Starter
I do all my own work but after reading how much of a pain it is I paid the local GM Corvette Mechanic $400 (his price) to do it. He did it as a side job. I tipped him $40 and he even aligned the car afterwards. Money well spent in my opinion.
I will say you will feel every knat you run over afterwards.
I will say you will feel every knat you run over afterwards.
i dont have a vice so that makes it even more fun
#7
The front uppers are stupid simple to remove. Just clamp one end of the cross shaft in a vice and start twisting the a-arm while pulling it up. There is not single busing on the suspension that needs to be destroyed with heat, drill, saw, etc. to be removed.
#9
Race Director
Thread Starter
any tricks to the rears??
thanks man, the calipers are laying on the ground so no worries, they arent hanging
#11
Drifting
Everytime I've seen a fork used it rips up the boot. GM specs a tool from Kent-Moore that grabs onto the upright, and pushes the taper out. Dunno how many ton arbor press, it was a hand crank deal, not a hydraulic setup.
#13
I simply used a bearing separator on top of some notched press plates to hold the exit end of the bushing and I built a tool to go around one leg of the a-arm when in the press and pushed the bushing out with that on top of a socket. For the rear lower shock mounts I found a piece of tube just the right size to place the arm on and push the bushing out. This tool is similar to what I built:
http://corvetteforum.shelor.net/bushings/
do not use a pickle fork to separate the ball joints. The correct tool is a pitman arm puller. Its just a ball joint puller, but in my kit I've found the one to be the correct size. Ball joints can be separated with a heavy hammer blow or rattled off with an air hammer, but I'd rather not do it that way. Especially on an aluminum casting. If for some reason you do use that method do not hammer on the ball joint or it's stud.
http://corvetteforum.shelor.net/bushings/
do not use a pickle fork to separate the ball joints. The correct tool is a pitman arm puller. Its just a ball joint puller, but in my kit I've found the one to be the correct size. Ball joints can be separated with a heavy hammer blow or rattled off with an air hammer, but I'd rather not do it that way. Especially on an aluminum casting. If for some reason you do use that method do not hammer on the ball joint or it's stud.
Last edited by trackboss; 07-21-2009 at 10:59 PM.
#14
Race Director
Thread Starter
thanks for the info. i will just leave the one spindle on i dont think it will be in the way anyways..
will have more to post tomorrow since i didnt have the big enough size rear axle nut to get those lowers off the car.
will have more to post tomorrow since i didnt have the big enough size rear axle nut to get those lowers off the car.
#15
Race Director
A local machine shop should press out all of your busing for like $80 bucks, just remember don't accidently push out the shock bushings.
#16
Former Vendor
NO FORKs should be used, Give it a good whack on the spindle on the side right by the ball joint.
Clean those shocks off so they look as pretty as they work!!!
Randy
Clean those shocks off so they look as pretty as they work!!!
Randy
#17
Burning Brakes
#18
Race Director
Thread Starter
ok just got back in the house got all the bushings out except for the rear bottoms due to i didnt have a big enough socket, it is a 1 5/16 but it has to be a damn deep socket!! dam if only i had known that today earlier when i bought the regualr size socket.
also got all the upper bushings in those were no problem.
the problem is the bottom big bushings keep popping themselves apart?? i was like WTF we pressed them together in my vice i bought today but they keep falling back apart with minimal grease wiped arond the inner and outer diameters.
let me know what teh solutions is to that otherwise it went well tonight
also got all the upper bushings in those were no problem.
the problem is the bottom big bushings keep popping themselves apart?? i was like WTF we pressed them together in my vice i bought today but they keep falling back apart with minimal grease wiped arond the inner and outer diameters.
let me know what teh solutions is to that otherwise it went well tonight
#19
Race Director
Don't see how the bushing would pop out on the bottom if you installed the metal outside washers as they are pressed on.
ok just got back in the house got all the bushings out except for the rear bottoms due to i didnt have a big enough socket, it is a 1 5/16 but it has to be a damn deep socket!! dam if only i had known that today earlier when i bought the regualr size socket.
also got all the upper bushings in those were no problem.
the problem is the bottom big bushings keep popping themselves apart?? i was like WTF we pressed them together in my vice i bought today but they keep falling back apart with minimal grease wiped arond the inner and outer diameters.
let me know what teh solutions is to that otherwise it went well tonight
also got all the upper bushings in those were no problem.
the problem is the bottom big bushings keep popping themselves apart?? i was like WTF we pressed them together in my vice i bought today but they keep falling back apart with minimal grease wiped arond the inner and outer diameters.
let me know what teh solutions is to that otherwise it went well tonight
#20
Race Director
Thread Starter
here is a few pics of how it pushes itself out
unless maybe the shafts are shorter for the small ones on the bottom then the bigger bushings but even when pressing them together without the washers they still spread apart