I've put both types of bushings in the TA of my car and prefer the poly
bushings.
When I put the TRF bushings in, I used the threaded rod technique. To get
the
bushing to go in, I soaped it up well, put a small socket on the side to be
driven
in over the rod and pushing on the steel sleeve. I think it was a 1/2"
socket
from a 1/2" drive socket set. This left lots of room for the rubber to
squeeze
around the socket as the bushing was compressed and they all slid right in
like that.
The poly bushings are *much* easier but remember to lube them or they will
squeek! They got rid of the wonderful "wiggle" that I had at times from the
backend trying to help me steer!
Rob
At 08:49 AM 6/19/2000 , you wrote:
>
>A few winters ago I replaced the TA bushings in my '71. At that time, I
>bought a set of heavy-duty rubber bushings from TRF. They are harder than
>stock rubber bushings, and come with a steel bushing through the centers.
>
>Initially, installing these bushings with a vice was a major, repeat major,
>pain in the booty. The problem I had was that during installation, the new
>bushings would flex-out wide, making them larger and larger with the more
>force I applied to push them home. The old immovable object/irresistible
>force deal.
>
>To get them in, I relied upon my father-in-law who has a machine shop in his
>basement. First he made a "funnel-like" adaptor out of a piece of
>thick-walled pipe about the same OD as the bushing, about the same ID as the
>trailing arm holes, and about the same length as the bushing. On a lathe,
>he machined a large radius into the ID of the tube on one end. The plan
>being to place the tube between the trailing arm hole and the new bushing to
>help compress & slide the bushing home using an arbor press or if needed the
>hydraulic press. The tube would compress the bushings as they were pressed
>into the arms.
>
>We used lots of silicone grease, and the adaptor worked extremely well using
>only a hand arbor for leverage. The bushings easily slid right through the
>tube adaptor and into the arms. Only one of the bushings required the use
>of the hydraulic press, but if I remember right that was to free a stuck
>bushing on the way out. We also made a set of tools from old bar stock to
>push-out the old bushings using the hydraulic press.
>
>A friend of mine used the tube adaptor with a threadded rod and had great
>luck too. But before going with rubber bushings, check with others who have
>used polyurethane bushings. The poly bushings I used in the front of my TR
>installed very easily.
>
>The results you can expect from replacing these bushings are a more
>predictable, contolled car with a much more refined ride. You'll be happy
>with the difference new bushings will make.
>
>HTH, Kevin
>
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