lbell101

My rear end rebuild is coming along nicely thanks to the help of fellow forum members. I'm about to put the trailing arm bushings in and have a question. I see how the inner portions of each side are pressed in flush with the arm. But the outers on the old bushings look pressed together as well. Do I press the bushings together on the outer flange as well? If I do, what holds them together?
Thanks!!

Smokehouse69

Larry,
When I did mine I replaced them with Poly bushings, The kit I got replaced everything, including the bushing shell. After I drilled out the center retainer (7/16" drill bit I think), I pried the old shell and bushings out in two pieces. No real problem. Then I put in the new shells, slipped the two halves of the bushings over the center tube and staked the end of the tube with the staking bolt that came with the kit.
The staking bolt just spread the end of the tube out into the bevel in the top and bottom metal washers that came with the kit.
It might have taken 10 minutes to do both bushings. Of course this was after I removed the old bushings.
Not having to have the new bushings press in was good enough reason to go with poly bushings.

lbell101

Thanks - too late for poly now.
I just went and removed an old bushing and can now see that I have to compress and flare. I have the ability to compress and the ability to flare. Just not sure if I can do it at the same time!
Looks like I have a little jig building to do.

GTR1999

Hi Larry I can help you with these too, Too bad you didn't live close by then you could use my tools and shop!
I made a fixture to hold the bushings in place, 2 5/8 or 3/4" steel plates with bolts on the ends to sandwich the bushings. The center of the plates I tapped for 3/4-10. I used a 3/4"-10 x 2" or 2.5" socket head cap screw on each plate. I turned a 45* flare and turned the shoulder down so it fit into the ID of the sleeve to support and center it.
So now the plates hold the bushings in and one screw supports the existing sleeve flare while you thighten the the other screw to flare and hold everything.
I like this better then most fixtures I saw, a lot of the catalog fixture use a radiused drill rod to hammer the flare in place. Bair's has an excellant tool for this job if you are gong to buy one I'd recommend it.
The tool I made will require you to use a big pipe for leverage, just watch how much force you use.
Gary

lbell101

Thanks Gary!

That sounds like a great method. That way your jig wont take a beating.
I'm going to sneak out of the office right now and try to make one.
Thanks for the help - if I lived in CT you'd have to kick me out of your shop!

norvalwilhelm

The trouble with making all these little specialty tools is you only use them once or twice then store them. I am forever making special bearing pullers and tools. Have a whole shelf filled with them and only work on one vet. Like gtr1999 I made a similiar tool, worked great but only did it once. Make sure when you replace the shims to really pack them in tight. Made my shims out of stainless.
Good luck

lbell101

Ya - tell me about it! But half the fun is making the tools.

I used two 5"x5" plates and 4 hardened bolts to squeeze the bushing. I put an access hole on the needed side and flared the tube through there.
Worked good! The plates were 3/8" which is too thin, I could see some bending. Only has to do one more so that's alright.

Thanks for the help!!