trailing arm bushing???? - The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network

Alexis · 01-14-2003, 05:49 PM

how do you guys take them out......sorry i had to make 2 post but the suspension board isnt going anywhere... any tips. i dont have a torch just hand tools. i've been trying to drill the bushing out but thats gotten knowhere. any help would save my day. thanks.

**1971Stepside** · 01-14-2003, 06:24 PM

I did not have a torch either so I took a drill and drilled as many holes around the rubber as I could. It was so old and brittle that the drill bit essentially chewed it all out. I grabbed the inner steel with a pair of vice grips and they came right apart. Took 15 minutes for both.

**COBALT** · 01-14-2003, 06:44 PM

You can do that, but as for keeping my trailing arms in good shape without scraping the inside s up I went to the hardware store and got a cheap-o propane torch for $20 including the nozzle. Trust me you'll have OTHER uses for it in the future. They burned out easily (took a couple of minutes each), but it left my trailing arms in good shape. After that I scrubbed the insides with some scotchbrite and some brake cleaner. Good as new.

I wire brushed the trailing arm outsides, and took them to the welding shop to get the cracks patched. Then I soaked them and blasted them with cleaner, and brushed them again before drying them off and painting them.

**1971Stepside** · 01-14-2003, 06:52 PM

Not to be argumentative, but the drill bit did zero damage to the inside of the bushing. I am very anal about the quality of what I am building and putting into my truck.

The torch would be a good $20 investment.

Alexis · 01-14-2003, 07:00 PM

haha

i went to get a 12.99 dallor torch......did the job right. i was worried when drilling that i damage the inside. but thanks for the info. ended up spending a few more min. torching a little army guy. lol.

**COBALT** · 01-14-2003, 07:07 PM

Sweet. I used to torch the "captain" army guy. You know, the one that has binoculars in one hand and waving the troops forward with the other. I always thought it was funny to see the one guy telling everyone else to rush getting blasted. The last to go were the guys that are on one knee with the machine gun on the tripod. I always liked them the most for some reason. Them, and the bazooka guys.

DanoDMano · 01-14-2003, 07:21 PM

The "captain" army guy didnt hold up to firecrackers very well, that is for sure!!!!!!

neonlarry · 01-14-2003, 07:44 PM

I took mine out with a hole saw. That worked pretty well, and it didn't chew up the inside of the whole. Putting the new ones in is way harder. The energy suspension bushings don't come with good instructions, and I ended up putting the bushing in backwards, so now it won't fit and I have to figure out how to get it out. I got the other one in ok, but I decided I didn't feel like working on it anymore today. lol

slam33 · 01-14-2003, 10:22 PM

All you want to do is burn out the rubber. A hardware store propane torch works best. You don't need or want to heat the arm cherry red. Just burn out the old rubber and push out the guts. Leave the sleeve and get the poly bushings. they go in easy and work great. If you use all the grease they come with, they won't squeek.

01-14-2003, 05:49 PM	#1
Alexis Member since 2000 Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Mountain View Ca / Mexico Posts: 7,874	trailing arm bushing???? how do you guys take them out......sorry i had to make 2 post but the suspension board isnt going anywhere... any tips. i dont have a torch just hand tools. i've been trying to drill the bushing out but thats gotten knowhere. any help would save my day. thanks.

01-14-2003, 06:24 PM	#2
1971Stepside Almost Satisfied Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Springfield, MO Posts: 2,932	I did not have a torch either so I took a drill and drilled as many holes around the rubber as I could. It was so old and brittle that the drill bit essentially chewed it all out. I grabbed the inner steel with a pair of vice grips and they came right apart. Took 15 minutes for both. __________________ 1971 C10 Stepside. LSx 6.0 with BTR Stage IV, Speed Engineering Headers, 4L80e transmission w/3200 Circle-D Stall. 3.73. Posi. Purchased this truck when I was 17. I started the rebuild (or take apart) in 1993. I have drug it around all over the country in pieces. Finally back on the road in 2021. "I can't complain, but sometimes I still do. Life's been good to me so far."

01-14-2003, 06:44 PM	#3
COBALT Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Seattle, WA, USA Posts: 5,817	You can do that, but as for keeping my trailing arms in good shape without scraping the inside s up I went to the hardware store and got a cheap-o propane torch for $20 including the nozzle. Trust me you'll have OTHER uses for it in the future. They burned out easily (took a couple of minutes each), but it left my trailing arms in good shape. After that I scrubbed the insides with some scotchbrite and some brake cleaner. Good as new. I wire brushed the trailing arm outsides, and took them to the welding shop to get the cracks patched. Then I soaked them and blasted them with cleaner, and brushed them again before drying them off and painting them. __________________ '69 3/4 ton C20 2wd-350ci/TH400 '69 3/4 ton Custom 20 2wd-350ci/4sp Manual '99 2wd 5.7 Chevy Tahoe Seattle, WA.

01-14-2003, 06:52 PM	#4
1971Stepside Almost Satisfied Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Springfield, MO Posts: 2,932	Not to be argumentative, but the drill bit did zero damage to the inside of the bushing. I am very anal about the quality of what I am building and putting into my truck. The torch would be a good $20 investment. __________________ 1971 C10 Stepside. LSx 6.0 with BTR Stage IV, Speed Engineering Headers, 4L80e transmission w/3200 Circle-D Stall. 3.73. Posi. Purchased this truck when I was 17. I started the rebuild (or take apart) in 1993. I have drug it around all over the country in pieces. Finally back on the road in 2021. "I can't complain, but sometimes I still do. Life's been good to me so far."

01-14-2003, 07:07 PM	#6
COBALT Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Seattle, WA, USA Posts: 5,817	Sweet. I used to torch the "captain" army guy. You know, the one that has binoculars in one hand and waving the troops forward with the other. I always thought it was funny to see the one guy telling everyone else to rush getting blasted. The last to go were the guys that are on one knee with the machine gun on the tripod. I always liked them the most for some reason. Them, and the bazooka guys. __________________ '69 3/4 ton C20 2wd-350ci/TH400 '69 3/4 ton Custom 20 2wd-350ci/4sp Manual '99 2wd 5.7 Chevy Tahoe Seattle, WA.

01-14-2003, 07:00 PM	#5
Alexis Member since 2000 Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Mountain View Ca / Mexico Posts: 7,874	haha i went to get a 12.99 dallor torch......did the job right. i was worried when drilling that i damage the inside. but thanks for the info. ended up spending a few more min. torching a little army guy. lol.

01-14-2003, 07:21 PM	#7
DanoDMano Pronounced "Pew-al-up" Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Puyallup, Washington Posts: 845	The "captain" army guy didnt hold up to firecrackers very well, that is for sure!!!!!! __________________ Classic GM Trucks of Washington Club Member 1970 FS chevy,350/350, Edelbrock cam and intake. Holley 650 carb,HEI,AT,Tangier Orange, 18's, Power Locks, Truck Photos

01-14-2003, 07:44 PM	#8
neonlarry Registered User Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Vacaville, CA Posts: 2,745	I took mine out with a hole saw. That worked pretty well, and it didn't chew up the inside of the whole. Putting the new ones in is way harder. The energy suspension bushings don't come with good instructions, and I ended up putting the bushing in backwards, so now it won't fit and I have to figure out how to get it out. I got the other one in ok, but I decided I didn't feel like working on it anymore today. lol __________________ 70 C/10 Light Red 350/TH350, HEI, Duals w/40 series Flows, 91 seat, LED taillights 99 Pontiac S/C GTP, SLP Ram Air hood, GMPP Konis & springs 95 Neon ACR, MP PCM, AFX UDP, 3.0 CAI

01-14-2003, 10:22 PM	#9
slam33 Registered User Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Long Beach, Ca Posts: 1,432	All you want to do is burn out the rubber. A hardware store propane torch works best. You don't need or want to heat the arm cherry red. Just burn out the old rubber and push out the guts. Leave the sleeve and get the poly bushings. they go in easy and work great. If you use all the grease they come with, they won't squeek. __________________ 71 LWB 350/350still working on it but it's going tp be sweet. www.geocities.com/stevemau/slam33page.html " TARGET=_blank>http://www.geocities.com/stevemau/slam33page.html?1004806705410 </A>



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