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Radius arm bushings

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dancrim

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Has anyone replaced the bushings in the radius arms. Any tricks to removing the old ones and pressing the new ones in? Also,do you have to pull the rear end back to get the arms out?
 
dancrim said:
Has anyone replaced the bushings in the radius arms. Any tricks to removing the old ones and pressing the new ones in? Also,do you have to pull the rear end back to get the arms out?
Click to expand...
My car is completely dismantled undergoing a restoration from the gound up so I don't know about having to pull the rear end to replace those bushings, but I used a press and an old bushing to remove the 4 old bushings and to install the new ones. I did take some fine grit sandpaper to cleanup the surface for the bushings to slide in easier.
Go slow and get an extra set of hands to help and you shouldn't have too much problem installing the bushings. If you have a machine shop close by, you could have them do it.
The hardest part of removing the old bushings is when they are frozen in place over the years. I did remove a bushing back in '74 but I was also changing a broken spring too. I greased the bushing bolts on all of them when I did this and it only took me a few minutes to remove them when I dismantled my car. The same goes for the front bushings. A little bit of grease or anti-sieze works wonders down the road.
Patrick
 
dancrim said:
Has anyone replaced the bushings in the radius arms. Any tricks to removing the old ones and pressing the new ones in? Also,do you have to pull the rear end back to get the arms out?
Click to expand...
If you're talking about the rear leaf spring bushings they can be a real problem. Usually you have to cut the bolts off and remove them with the springs. There's a metal sleeve inside them that rusts to the bolts.
 
This is a job that I left to the guys with the hydraulic press and the appropriate accessories. Small investment, perfect result. You can do it in a two stage process, getting the old busings out first, bead blast the radius arms, then prime and paint. Take the shiny arms back to get the new bushings pressed in.
 
Johnny,he's talking about radius rod bushes, on the Phase 2, they mount above the leaf spring & connect to a pocket in the inner apron.Old bushings can either be cut or pressed out. Not that difficult,I agree, I would paint or powder coat the arm before installing new bushes. Genos2
 
Guess I'll make some pressing dies on the lathe and beg or borrow a press.
I'm hoping this will cure my "jerk to the right" problem when hard shifting
No pun intended.
 
Harbor freight has inexpensive bushing press arbor kits, I got one & it works well. Also old bearing races &seal installers work well,no point in building arbors for a one time use,unless your bored. Merry Christmas to all-Genos2
 
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