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TR2/3/3A Replace Rubber bushings in front suspension

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R

Redoakboo

Jedi Warrior
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I have replaced several ball joints and the pin's on either end of the steering arm. I have several rubber bushings to replace now. I have removed the nut and old bushing, but can't figure out how to get the new ones in? I have tried grease, tapping in with a socket; no luck. I have even thought I should try to freeze them to make them smaller in diameter.

Any ideas?

Dick Vinal 1954 TR-2
 
They're not a super tight fit. Some lube and a large pair of channel-lock pliers should be all the force you need to get them in. Grab the outside of both bushings and squeeze them in into the arm.
 
You might also try squeezing them in with a G-clamp if there is room.

Tom
 
It's the lower wishbone arm. You have to remove the nut and lower bracket, held on with two more bolts. Moss's diagram shows it as a spacer, but I could tell after removing the old one, it was definitely a rubber bushing.
 
So you are talking about the back of lower wishbone? Under the coil spring and spring pan? The bushings that are nylon on a tr3 and rubber on a tr2?
 
Bummer. To replace those bushings the lower control arms have to come apart from the spring pan and the trunnion. Essentially the entire front suspension must come apart to access those bushings. As a minimum, the arms must be separated from the spring pan and the trunnion. You MAY be able to accomplish this by placing a jack under the spring and then undoing the 6 bolts holding the pan to the arms...but that will be difficult to say the least. Over time the rubber bushings take a set that is never exactly centered over the pin. So trying to replace only half of a bushing will never work, as you are trying to push a symmetrical bushing in a bore and over a pin which are not.

The original TR2 used a rubber only bushing, but it was changed to a steel/teflon affair midway through the TR3 production. If your bushings are original on a TR2, the inner pin will be heavily pitted. The newer design takes this into account by also providing a steel sleeve to cover the pin, and then teflon bearing surfaces over that. It's a better set-up all around, and I really recommend you switch over while you are there.
 
I got the rubber bushing installed.

The problem was the threaded shaft was not centered and it was against the top of the arm. I put a pry bar under the end of the arm and kept hitting it until the shaft was centered. At that point , with a little grease, it tapped right in.

Dick Thanks for all the suggestions
 
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