Removing suspension bushes

[JonB]

Hi

Quick Q: How hard is it, generally, to remove wishbone and front suspension arm bushes? I don't have a press, just a fat screwdriver and a big mallet..

[Concrete-crusher]

Hard unless you use a press or maybe a vice and some sockets

Steve

[john.p.clegg]

..or a hole saw,( for the rubber )followed by a hacksaw.( for the outer shell ).

John

[MarkDa]

Last lot of fronts I couldn't shift with threaded rod and coupling length nuts; when pressed out a garage it took 10T before they came out!
Well worth a trip and ?5 to save all that hacksawing and wrestling in my book.

[Briggs1]

Heat (propane torch) to remove the rubber. Hack saw blade to remove the outer ring. Begin very gentle with the hacksaw . I have been able to get most of the way through them and then grab one side with vise grips and twist the outer sleeve so it peels apart at the hack saw line. Not terribly difficult or time consuming.

[661]

Where is 'South Coast'?
Eastbourne here, with a press.
To be fair , any machinist locally would do it for pennies.

[Concrete-crusher]

I have a press in Romsey if needed

Steve

[RedBarnMan]

+1 on the remove rubber with hole saw (I have found my Bosch Progressor hole saws to be good for this) then carefully saw through most of the outer steel bush with an 18tpi hacksaw then they will easily press out. This takes less than 5 minutes per bush. I don't like applying 10T of force to anything unless it is really well supported and designed for that sort of load as you can distort the component and rather than remove the part you end up wedging it in until something goes bang.

[Chrispy]

Yep, that's how I've always done bushes in the past - not on Elan's yet but they're nothing special.

[The Veg]

I've had good result with a cheep Chinese-made 6T press (bought from Harbor Freight, for my fellow Yanks' perspective). It took a little practise to get good result, partly because instead of proper arbors the press just came with a pair of rough-cast iron slabs that don't like to stay put under pressure (C-clamps helped that). I use large sockets to push out the bushes. So far I've only done the front arms with it, but it works a treat now that I've got the hang of it.

[1owner69Elan]

I opted for an inexpensive bench press. Made bushings and bearing work much easier. Both removal and insertion. I used it a lot when going through everything on my car.

Beats hacking away at things, IMHO.

To quote Brian Buckland(p. 44)

?With a tool like this you can press in water pumps, rear wheel bearings, wishbone Metalastik bushes in fact any force fit component.?

?..., if you do one complete wheel bearing change yourself you will more than pay for it in one single job.?

[mbell]

I've had good result with a cheep Chinese-made 6T press (bought from Harbor Freight, for my fellow Yanks' perspective).

Thanks, that answers something I had been wondering for when I do this job.

[Chrispy]

I have bent suspension arms removing bushes with a press. I prefer to cut them and use the press to install the new bushes.