Trailing Arm Bushings

[cysko9]

Anyone Have Any Good Ideas For Getting The Old Bushings Out Of The Trailing Arms??? Can't Seem To Just Pound Mine Out...
Thanks

[mac]

Knock the sleeve out first. Use a hacksaw blade to cut each bushing into 4 pieces and work each piece out. They're stuck from old age and it took some time. The new poly bushings with new hardware make a definate difference.

[454HO]

I always use a propane torch to heat up the outer shell of the bushing. Then press the inner sleeve and the rubber bushing out. Once the rubber is removed, I cut or crush the outer shell and then it pops out pretty easy. If you are replacing with Poly, some of them re-use the original outer bushing shell.

[DM310]

I just drilled mine out

[Shane]

I took my trailing arms off and pressed them out with a hydraulic press. You put enough pressure on anything and eventually it will move.

[XXL]

Originally Posted by Shane

I took my trailing arms off and pressed them out with a hydraulic press. You put enough pressure on anything and eventually it will move.

[cysko9]

ok... outer shell, inner shell, rubber...???? i only saw the inner metal sleeve and then the rubber that surrounds that... is there a third part to this thing?

I can get ahold of a hydraulic press so i'll go that route i think

thanks

[1971 Cheyenne]

a press would really be the way to do it. I prolly messed with mine for 8 hours with a little torch, knives, drills, hammers, vices, etc, eventually just a little bit of elbow grease got em out. good luck

[68LSS1]

Originally Posted by cysko9

ok... outer shell, inner shell, rubber...???? i only saw the inner metal sleeve and then the rubber that surrounds that... is there a third part to this thing?

I can get ahold of a hydraulic press so i'll go that route i think

thanks

Yes, there is a outer shell or metal sleeve that looks like it is part of the trailing arm but is actually part of the bushing. If you are using poly bushings you have to reuse that so you can leave it it the trailing arm.

[cysko9]

alright,
thanks
that piece that looks like the arm is what i was refering to i think

[cysko9]

yah, so i tried pressing the things out last night.... and all i accomplished was bending the things.....
any suggestions? is there a particular was to press them?

[bigjimzlll]

just use the hot wrench..get it smokin and tap them out

[cysko9]

ok, time to drag this post back out..... what is the best way to get new rubber bushings back in?

[68LSS1]

With either a press, a balljoint press or a big C clamp with a couple of pieces of thin aluminum or metal. Actually, they go in quite easily with a C clamp.

[Joe67]

I used a propane tourch to heat up the outer sleeve and burn the top of the bushing then they came right out with a piece of wood and a mallet behind them.
I didn't remove my outers, just the inner and bushing itself.

took just a few minutes

[cysko9]

How did you position the aluminum pieces? Inside the two forks of the arm?

[Joe67]

Are you trying to remove the inner and outer bushings?
The outers are a PITA, the inners come right out with some heat

[cysko9]

no, ive got the old ones out. im trying to put the new ones in... no biggy though, i'm headed to a napa today at lunch. id press them in at work with our hyd. press but i don't have anything to keep the forks from bending together (and they are already a little squished from trying to press the old ones out....

[Joe67]

Originally Posted by cysko9

no, ive got the old ones out. im trying to put the new ones in... no biggy though, i'm headed to a napa today at lunch. id press them in at work with our hyd. press but i don't have anything to keep the forks from bending together (and they are already a little squished from trying to press the old ones out....

Sounds like you are installing new outer bushings. I re-used my originals. I had no choice since my poly bushings come with inners only. It sounds like the easier way to go anyway.