This is how you change rubber bushings

Went through three bushings last night and this morning before I was able to efficiently change a rubber suspension bushing. I broke 2 c clamps. I even got a bushing stuck in the spring hanger, broke the welds holding the hanger together, then melted the bushing fixing the frame with a welder. Any ways...do this.

Throw the bushings in the freezer the night before
Don't try to kncok the whole bushing out at once, you'll never get it.
Use a deep socket to knock out the inner sleeve and rubber sleeve. I used a 9/16 husky deep socket
Frown at how long its going to take to remove that outer sleeve...plug in the sawzall
I used a dewalt blade which fit fine, my milwaukee blades were too wide.
Slice that sleeve once at the bottom, once at the top.
Hit it with a screw driver. the two halfs will pop out like butter.
Don't know how long it takes with a hacksaw, but this whole proccess takes a minute with a sawzall.
The installation trick is not a C-clamp, its not a file, and its not a sledge hammer. Its a dremmel.
Hook up the dremel with a stone or one of those round sandpaper things and just barley remove all the rust so its clean metal again.
Grab one of the new bushings by the ends so you don't get frost bite.
Press it in. It should just barley tap in. The icy metal makes great lubrication and once it thaws, its in there good.

I perfected this method which made my bushing installation go from over an hour each to five minutes.

 

Good method, esp the freezing if you're going to replace with rubber bushings. Freezing was unnecessary when I replaced with poly, however.

Rather than use a deepwell scocket to try to press out the sleeve/bushing, I just fired up the propane torch and set the rubber on fire. Flaming goey gobs can easily be pushed out with a stick/screwdriver, leaving the outer sleeve exposed for the surgical sawzall. No pounding required. Plus, you get flames and smoke! Once the rubber is soft enough, the inner sleeve pushes right out.

 

Suggestion for the bore. Instead of a dremel use a brake hone. Keeps everything round.:v6:

 

Sorry to bring up an old thread, but I wanted to confirm that my 73 has an outer sleeve. I am in the process of removing my springs and shackles. The inner sleeve and the rubber was not hard to get out. Then, I begin to tap the poly bushing into the hole, and I see that the hole in the frame is smaller than the bushing. Then, I see a thin metal sleeve inside the frame hole. This is what Strider talks about removing with the sawzall above, correct? Also, what type of grease do you use to put things back together? I have seen some say lithium-based and some say wheel bearing grease. Thank you again.

 

Yes, the metal sleeve has to come out, the above works well. You can also insert a hack saw blade through the hole, then re-attach to the handle. When I bought my kit it came with some greese...so I don't know what kind it is.

 

Yes, 73's do have an outer sleeve. Yes, that is what Strider is talking about, the removal of that thin sleeve. I used a torch, got the hanger hot, and then used a chisel and a BFH to pound them out in 1-2 hits. Worked like a charm.

 

Thanks everyone. I appreciate your help. Now I can proceed with my suspension project.

 

I used a hacksaw blade to cut a slot in the outer sleeve (careful not to get into the hanger), then it punched right out.

 

I vote BFH and sharp chisel

 

A Good air hammer works with out sweat, cut out old outer after you use the flame touch on rubber, drive in new with the hammer attachment. about 10 with each one.

 

I bought a cheap HF 12 ton press for another project but found last weekend that it works GREAT for getting those bushings out. I did two springs...the outer shell came out w/ the first one. It didn't with the 2nd one, but the air chisel made short work of that.\

In the past it would take me hours to do this w/ drilling, torches, hacksaw, etc. Way easier with the press & air hammer.

 

x2 torch sawzall BFH done

 

I burned out the rubber of my stock rubber bushings with a torch (don't overhead spring steel or it's no longer SPRING steel, it'll temper out the hardness). Then I used a chisel to drive the sleeve out of the springs, and a hacksaw to slit the sleeve in the hanger before driving it out.

Sawzall is a bit agressive for my tastes. Don't have air tools. So I do things the hard way out of necessity.