TJKirby82CE

I am getting together the pieces and tools to rebuild my front suspension. I saw that VB&P has poly boots for the tierods and ball joints. What are your experiences with these pieces? AND.....
1. Do poly a arm bushings have to be pressed in?
2. How can I remove the stock a arm bushings at home, I have just about every tool except a torch.
Thanks in advance-Travis

lyonsh

I have the poly boots. IMHO, they look better than rubber. I like 'em. As to your questions:

1. Yes.
2. You can drive them out with an air hammer. Just take your time and move the chisel around the edge so they come out evenly.

Alternately, you can send your A-Arms to VB&P and let them replace the bushings. They have a fixture that prevents bending the bushing pocket in the A-Arm when they press the new bushings in. They do good work.

TJKirby82CE

Thanks, I have an air chisel so I can get them out! I am dismayed that poly bushings have to be pressed in. At harbor freight they have a press for 100$ that presses up to 12 tons. Seems like this would be a good buy, same as paying someone else to do the bushings. What do you think?-TK

Brutus

The poly arm bushes don't have to be pressed in at all TK. All you have to do is spend some time cutting or drilling the old rubber bushes out of the existing sleeves. Then the poly ones just slip straight in. Just make sure you use the the right grease when you install them. Those poly boots are very good too. Their durability allows them to look neater and do their job much longer than the rubber ones.
Btw, I forgot to add that the easiest way to remove the old rubber bushes is with a 1" timber hole saw. This was just another of the handy recommendations I got from the Forum members when I was doing my front end rebuild.


[Modified by Brutus, 7:25 PM 1/29/2002]

TJKirby82CE

Thanks, I am leaning toward poly so I can do it in a 3 day weekend. I have never heard of useing a hole saw to remove a bushing, Im not sure how this would work but, then again I have never acutally seen a bushing installed in a control arm yet. This is all very new to me, but im getting there! :smash:

MikeC

You'll see how it is done when you get the first a-arm off. I burnt them out with a propane torch, it was a big pain in the butt......use the holesaw technique!