Phillip,
The metal sleeves were part of the old rubber bushings.
Poly bushings have no sleeves and thus won't rust to the pin.
You'll have to drop the a-arm down to fit the new bushings in then squeeze
it back in place.
When removing the next set of fulcrum pins (passenger side) if you find a
screwdriver isn't enough to
pry the bolt with try a ball joint separator (worked like a charm for me,
and you need one anyway) :-)
You can do the trunion bushings and wheel bearings yourself ! No problem !!
I just finished rebuilding my entire front suspension for the first time
ever (mine and the midgets)
good luck !
Dave
'67 Midget
At 08:31 PM 6/6/98 -0400, Philip Hubbard wrote:
>Great news all! I got both fulcrum pins out of the driver's side A-arms.
>Yippee.
>Here's what I did based on list advice. I soaked, really soaked the whole
>bolt area with liquid wrench and left it for about half a day. Then I
>decided to just pound the hell out of the recalcitrant pin and buy a new
>one if I screwed it up. Just in case I might be able to save it, I put a
>chunk of wood about 1/2" thick against the nut before I began the pounding.
> Pounded it flush with the a-arm. Then I took a screwdriver, put it
>against the washer welded to the nut and pounded more. Pop! Out it came.
>As Haynes puts it I "tapped" it out. :) Alright, so now the threads were
>a bit loused up and the nut wouldn't go on. While waiting for the liquid
>wrench I had gone out to get some tools. Bought a cheap (relatively) tap
>and die set and a vice. Guess what? I actually used the die to save the
>bolt. Ok, it's only a $7 item, but now I don't have to order it and most
>importantly - I did it!
>I feel inordinately pleased by this. hehehe
>
>Ok, what next? I've quit for the night and am ready for some advice. It
>looks like there is a metal sleeve still in the a-arm assembly as Mike S.
>pointed out. My poly bushings are pretty thick. Even I can see that I
>can't squish them in from the outside of the a-arms. Am I supposed to
>swing the wishbone down, then pop the bushings on, then reassemble? Or do
>I have to pound the sleeves out somehow? I'm in a bit of a quandry here
>because this side had =no= bushings to begin with so I have nothing to
>compare with. Absent any other advice I think (weather permitting) I will
>take the fulcrum pins out of the other side which will tell me how the
>whole thing looks when it is right. The passenger's side has bushings. :)
>
>It's funny though. In Moss and VB catalogs (and the Haynes manual) I don't
>see any metal sleeves.
>
>If I ever finish this job, dare I tackle the trunion bushings or wheel
>bearings? I'm seriously thinking of finishing these bushings and making a
>stab at the trunion bushings and going for a spin. Oh, first channging the
>rotors. If I have lost my clunk and funny feel to the front end, I may
>hold off on bearings or have a pro do it. Or maybe I'll just do it. hehe
>
>Thanks for all the help and moral support so far. It has made =all= the
>difference in the world.
>
>Philip
>Burgundy 1974 Midget
>
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