The world's most stubborn front wishbone rear bush !

[EastPete]

I think I have just encountered the most stubborn front wishbone rear bush on my car this afternoon. The offside bush I changed the other day - that took a lot of brute force with crowbars etc. to get it to shift.
The nearside one started to move with the crowbar, but then stuck solid - even after attacking the rubber with an air-saw and partly 'dremelling' the inner metal bush, I could not get it off the end of the arm. So, 'NAUGHTY WORD-NAUGHTY WORD-NAUGHTY WORD- it', I thought - let's take the whole arm off. This was surprisingly easy - I used a bearing puller to crack the middle joint on the subframe - it only took a few minutes. The same bearing puller had the rear bush off in no time on the bench.

I am now thinking that in future, rather than sweat for three hours trying to prise off the rear bush with the arm in situ, I will just go for whole arm removal.

I know that there are folks on here who can change the bushes with the arms on the car in no time, with one hand, whilst eating a cheese sandwich with the other, but this is not my experience ! If you get the knack of cracking the lower pinch bolt/joint on the arm/hub and get a bearing puller (my set only cost about 25 pounds), it might be easier and more relaxing to swap the bushes with the arm off the car.

Just my twopenny worth !
Cheers

Pete

[David Lawrence]

Originally Posted by EastPete

I think I have just encountered the most stubborn front wishbone rear bush on my car this afternoon. The offside bush I changed the other day - that took a lot of brute force with crowbars etc. to get it to shift.
The nearside one started to move with the crowbar, but then stuck solid - even after attacking the rubber with an air-saw and partly 'dremelling' the inner metal bush, I could not get it off the end of the arm. So, 'NAUGHTY WORD-NAUGHTY WORD-NAUGHTY WORD- it', I thought - let's take the whole arm off. This was surprisingly easy - I used a bearing puller to crack the middle joint on the subframe - it only took a few minutes. The same bearing puller had the rear bush off in no time on the bench.

I am now thinking that in future, rather than sweat for three hours trying to prise the rear bush with the arm in situ, I will just go for whole arm removal.

I know that there are folks on here who can change the bushes with the arms on the car in no time, with one hand, whilst eating a cheese sandwich with the other, but this is not my experience ! If you get the knack of cracking the lower pinch lower/joint on the arm/hub and get a bearing puller (my set only cost about 25 pounds), it might be easier and more relaxing to swap the bushes with the arm off the car.

Just my twopenny worth !
Cheers

Pete

They are great tools for the job. Here was mine in place

[DMGRS]

Blimey, that looks a mission and a half!

[David Lawrence]

Originally Posted by DMGRS

Blimey, that looks a mission and a half!

That's what you do when 3 hours of hammering fails to shift it. Its quite satisfying when they crack open.

[sparkx]

After just completing this job myself. The nearside one was an absolute nightmare no amount of hammering jacking and levering seemed to work, until eventually the ball joint popped whilst levering with a 4' bar and 4 lb hammer. The replacement when on like a dream. The offside popped off using this method within 1/2 an hour. The only problem was with the nylock nut having to be hack sawed off. The refit was an absolute nightmare the new rear bush wouldn't go on due to a poorly manufactured wishbone casting. This was filed down to fit the bush. The rest was plain Sailing.
On the way to the MOT I came to an abrupt halt due to a failed pinch bolt holding the wishbone to the hub (possibly ovetightened) leaving the front wheel floating freely at 90 degrees to the rest of the car, and the driveshaft hanging out of the universal joint. Luckily the road was quiet and a mate was called with a hydraulic jack and we managed to refit the shaft, hub, and wheel. The MOT station were asked to change both pinch bolts before MOT'ing the car.
Car now passed MOT with some of the previous fails now down as advisories.
Result.

[Daveluck]

Pete, have got a link for the bearing pulling kit?

Cheers

Dave

[DMGRS]

Originally Posted by David Lawrence

That's what you do when 3 hours of hammering fails to shift it. Its quite satisfying when they crack open.

Best noise in the world - same when I eventually cracked the bottom ball joint on my old ZS.

[EastPete]

Originally Posted by Daveluck

Pete, have got a link for the bearing pulling kit?

Cheers

Dave

Here you go ; https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Pete