Getting out all the Bushings

[Big Blue]

I have a Blazer chassie. I took my front and rear off the frame.
I want to replace ALL the bushings.I got two off so far...they were a sunz of bi##h to remove.Burned,hammered,chiseled them off. Theirs got to be an easery way.please tell me their is.....I really want to replace them but if not they all look good to me,guess they stay on.

Thanks John

[68LSS1]

Are they like the suspension bushings? Or are you talking body bushings? If suspension, you can get the part to a press, that's the easiest. The second best way I've found is to drill holes through the rubber bushing part until you can easily smack the center metal bushing out. Then you can usually work and pop the rest of the rubber out with a couple screwdrivers. If you can put a slight bend on the tip of a screwdriver without breaking it, helps also. As for the rubber that sometimes gets left behind and is stuck to the sleeve you can get small flap wheels that fit Dotco's (small straight or 90 degree air tools, drills are too slow) that make quick work of that.

[Big Blue]

Thanks 68LSS1,
These are the suspension ones,getting the part to a press would mean taking the whole front and rear suspensions to a shop,, whow, where do i take this too?

Drilling holes through the rubber bushings seams like my option. Are they just as hard to put back in?

Thanks again,,John

[68LSS1]

Are you putting poly or rubber back in? I usually go back in with poly so that's what I'm more familiar with. The biggest thing here is to ensure all the rubber is out of the sleeve. Get a big c-clamp with a couple pieces of scrap sheet metal and they usually go back in relatively easy. Most of the time with poly you use the existing outer sleeve so that makes it easier as the only way to get the outer sleeves out is press them (not all places have/use the outer sleeve).

[Big Blue]

Thanks 68LSS1,
Going back in with poly ones.
You said " Get a big c-clamp with a couple pieces of scrap sheet metal and they usually go back in relatively easy" could you explain what you mean here.

Thanks for responding, John

[Ltd4wheel]

The C clamp and scrap metal is what I've used also and I have also used dry ice to chill the bushing that way the rubber drills out with out the drill bit geting stuck. Good luck

[68LSS1]

Get a heavy duty 8" or so c-clamp. Push the bushing in far as it will go by hand then put a scrap piece of metal over the bushing and a scrap piece over the "hole" on the other side. Put the c-clamp over the metal which sandwiches the bushings and squeeze the bushing into place. You will only be able to insert the bushing as far as the bottom plate at which point the bushing will bottom out but that's usually good enough. There may be a 1/8' or so protruding out between the head side and the sleeve. If the particular piece takes the ring bushing that goes on the outside around the sleeve then you can install that and use the c-clamp again to fully seat the bushing.

[Big Blue]

Ok 68LSS1,Got ya now. Hay thanks for the replys. I thought their would be more options on this . Guess not to many do these replacements.

Thanks John

[68LSS1]

I've tried everything I could think of in the past; burning, air hammer, rivet gun, etc. This is what worked for me as far as being the quickest. I swear if I ever do it again I'm going to get a cheap port-a-power from Harbor Freight or somewhere. I guess you might be able to rent one from a rental place but then you'd still need to find some thick wall tubing and make a couple tools to press them out. If there is another way I wish someone else would speak up. Good luck.

[woodchip]

I have just removed & replaced the control arms & the rear traction arm or panhard bar bushings. I used a tool I got at harbor freight, its called a 3-in-1 ball joint/u joint/c-frame press service kit. Item 38335-ovga $39.99. Had to use a 1/2 inch socket with the tool to get the panhard bushing in but it pressed them right in, anyway it was better than beating banging on them. I hope this will be of some help. I also took these bushings out with this tool, even if I did try to push one of the control bushing out the wrong way, don't work to well that way. The web site http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=38335

[Big Blue]

Thanks woodchip, That what kind of method I used to get the one side out. Got me one big c-clamp, opened it as far as it would go, on the one end i placed a big socket so the inner sleave would push out....it worked. I don't plan on doing the rest though, unless someone else does it.

Thanks John