How to Drive Out Bushings

Iskandar Blogger 9:26 PM

Rubber bushings, the isolators that sit between a suspension bolt and the chassis, often come heat-pressed into place from the factory. Pressing out a control arm or chassis bushing can be a trying procedure, and an expensive one if you pay someone else to do it. However, it is quite a manageable task to complete at home; a few basic hardware store supplies are all you'll need to build a tool that doesn't involve setting your yard on fire.

Instructions

    1

    Cut a 3- to 5-inch length of pipe about 1/2-inch larger (inside diameter) than the bushing. Purchase a long, coarse-thread bolt about six inches longer than the bushing is wide and sized to fit the bolt hole in the bushing. You'll also need four washers; two slightly larger in diameter than the pipe, and two slightly smaller in diameter than the bushing.

    2

    Slide the two smaller washers over the bolt and down against the bolt head. Push the bolt through the hole in the bushing until the washers stop against the end of the bushing. Put the pipe piece over the protruding bolt, positioning it so that it encircles the other end of the bushing. The pipe will serve as a sort of "cup" to catch the bushing, and will act as a mandrel for the removal mechanism to press against.

    3

    Drop the two larger washers over the end of the bolt protruding from the end of the pipe. Push the washers down against the pipe, then thread a nut down onto the bolt. Now, you can commence with pushing the bushing out. Place a socket over the bolt head, and connect it to a ratchet with a 4- to 6-inch extension. An impact wrench will make this job a lot easier. Slide a box-end wrench over the nut on the other side of the bolt.

    4

    Tighten down on the bolt head. When you tighten the bolt, the bolt head will push the smaller washers into the bushing. The bushing will slide along the bolt and into the pipe. Once you've pushed the bushing out, un-thread the nut and remove the bushing from the bolt.

    5

    Use a hack-saw blade or reciprocating saw with metal blade to just cut through the metal shell that your bushing probably left behind. Sometimes the outer sleeve comes out with the bushing, but most times it does not. Cut through the sleeve -- but not into the bushing frame -- in at least two places, then knock it out with a hammer and chisel.