Subject: LRO: Bashing bushings

From: "A. P. (Sandy) Grice" <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 05 Jun 2001 11:47:51 -0400

>Rich Williams <[email-masked]> wrote:

>Last but not least, I have yet to remove the frame bushings.  My instincts
>tell me that they are better off left in situ until AFTER the frame is
>blasted then replace with new bushings.  Thoughts anyone?

>Are there any tricks to removing these stubborn things? Hydralic press?

Bushings can only be removed destructively.  The center tube can usually be
driven out and sometimes it comes out rusted to the shackle bolt.  I
usually drive a thin-bladed, square shank screwdriver between the rubber
part and the outer shell and twist the screwdriver to 'walk' it around the
rubber piece.  Peels up nice... Failing that, they have to be burned out
with not a little smoke and a considerable amount of trepidation.  (Not
reccommended for the faint of heart or short of breath....)

The outer shell can be sawn through with a hacksaw blade, or as someone
else has said, driven out with a v-pointed air chisel.  Take care not to
damage the interior diameter too much.  You can use a brake cylinder hone
to dress it up and remove any rust.

Now here is the absolute fastest, easiest, most pain-free way to re-install
bushings.  I made a special tool by welding an appropriate-sized, 1/2"
drive socket to a pointed .401 Parker shank tool.  The socket should be
ever-so-smaller than the outside diameter of the bushing and the pointed
bit keeps it centered.  Chuck that bad boy in the air hammer, grease
everything up and lay into it.  It'll reinstall a bushing in under two
seconds.  No lie.  (I'm getting a patent tomorrow....)

As I get older, I find my collection of air tools growing....

Cheers

	*-----"jeep may be famous, LAND-ROVER is legendary"----*
	|                 A. P. "Sandy" Grice                  |
	|    The Rover Owners' Association of Virginia, Ltd    |
	|     1633 Melrose Parkway, Norfolk, VA 23508-1730     |
	|     757-622-7054  (H)423-4898  (FAX)757-622-7056     |
	*------------------------------------------------------*