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Re: Rear top link bushings

To: "Doug Ingram" <dougi@home.com>, "Spridget List" <spridgets@autox.team.net>
Subject: Re: Rear top link bushings
From: Brian Thornton <bthor@master.adams.com>
Date: Tue, 16 Feb 1999 08:13:10 -0500
In-reply-to: <000101be596a$f3646140$ce114118@cs961957-a.gvob1.bc.wave.home.com>
Reply-to: Brian Thornton <bthor@master.adams.com>
Sender: owner-spridgets@autox.team.net
Doug,

If you look closely, you will notice that you have left the outer metal
sleeve of the original bushing in the radius arm.  You can remove this one
of two ways.  You can press it out if you have access to a hydraulic press
or you can cut the sleeve with a hacksaw blade and peel it away from its
housing.  Once removed, you will want to remove the rust that did such a
fine job of retaining the bushing in the first place.  To install the new
bushings, you will need the assistance of a hydraulic press.  It is very
difficult to align the bushing and drive it home with a hammer and suitable
dolly.  I was able to press in my new bushings in a matter of minutes with
the aid of a hydraulic press.  A word of caution about supporting the
radius arm during pressing operations.  You will dent the radius arm if you
don't support it properly.  I located a socket that was the exact dimension
of the bushing housing on the radius arm.  You will want to support the
radius arm by this housing and the housing only.  If you use the sidewall
of the radius arm, it will collapse under the pressure of the press.  I
learned this in a matter of seconds.  I had to locate another radius arm.  

Good luck, its not that bad of a job.

Brian
AN5
AN9

At 09:12 PM 2/15/99 -0800, Doug Ingram wrote:
>I pulled my rear top links (aka radius arms?), to replace the bushings which
>were hard and brittle. To remove the bushings, I actually had to drill out
>the rubber part, and then cleaned out the holes in the links, awaiting the
>new bushings.
>
>Bushings arrived, turns out they are actually steel cylinder core, then the
>rubber, then another steel cylinder. Looking at the links again, the old
>outer steel cylinders were tack welded to the links, and thus still in
>place.
>
>Now I'll have to remove these, and I'm wondering if the new bushings are
>intended to be pressed into place, or are they supposed to fit easily, then
>tack welded into place.
>
>Can anybody help?
>
>Thanks,
>
>Doug Ingram
>Victoria BC
>1958 Frogeye
>AN5L/636
>
>

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