Rear suspension & bushes

[Andy_with_a_screwdriver]

Spent the afternoon sweating off the factor 30 trying to strip down my offside rear suspension..
I've got the upper & lower arm to change plus anti roll bar links which have started to perish.
I've got the suspension upper link ball, but having got the lower arm off the trailing arm rear suspension bush is worn as well. The lower arm bush looks pretty shot, see picture compared to the new one I gave an extra coat of paint.
Will order it from rimmers plus some extra bolts for the lower arm I forgot to get.

https://rimmerbros.com/Item--i-GRID001553

I spent ages struggling to get the anti roll bar saddles undone, 2 came out reasonably well, one bent about 20 degrees but eventually came out, and the last wouldn't budge. I even tried Irwin bolt removers with no luck, I gave it a good soaking and will try tomorrow morning again. If not i'll be grinding it off and then trying to drill it out. More bolts to order.

Is there a straight forward way to get the two bushes out? Hammer and chisel?

[Mike Noc]

Originally Posted by Andy_with_a_screwdriver

Is there a straight forward way to get the two bushes out? Hammer and chisel?

You can get the old bushes out by drilling through the rubber, carefully cutting the outer sleeve with a junior hacksaw blade and then drifting them out, but you will need a puller of sorts to get the new ones in without damaging them, and using one is the easiest way to get the old ones out.

To get the top rose joints out there is info here if the bolts are seized in Post#16:

https://the75andztclub.co.uk/forum/s...=279330&page=2

A puller can be anything from a bit of threaded bar, nuts and washers GhettoTech style to a dedicated puller for those particular jobs, which are available on The Bay.

I bought this kit a couple of years ago and it has done everything I have asked of it - well made and strong for the price I paid:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/i/222275711016









.

[Andy_with_a_screwdriver]

Thanks for the link Mike,
I'm just about to start, I've got a vast range of old sockets, threaded bars washers etc so I'll have a stab doing that way if it fails I'll be down my local motor factors to see what tools they've got.

Still got the upper arm sub-frame bolt to deal with too

[Mike Noc]

Getting the originals out is usually more difficult than putting the new ones in Andy, so drilling and cutting the old ones helps if you are going down the GhettoTech route.

[Vossy]

Originally Posted by Andy_with_a_screwdriver

Thanks for the link Mike,
I'm just about to start, I've got a vast range of old sockets, threaded bars washers etc so I'll have a stab doing that way if it fails I'll be down my local motor factors to see what tools they've got.

Still got the upper arm sub-frame bolt to deal with too

I have recently done mine too, if its any help I sprayed every hole I could get to the bolt with rust penetration fluid a few days before I did the job, the bolts came out as sweet as a nut, big sweaty moment over with, they went back with so much copper slip grease too even though they will never have to come out again in my lifetime.

[Andy_with_a_screwdriver]

Finally got everything off including the trailing arm. For those who are in the know or have done this before does this trailing arm bush look worn.

https://rimmerbros.com/Item--i-GRID001553 (NO.2 )

There doesn't seem to be too much play, rubber just seems to be peeling back around the bolt hole.

Although bolt was jammed, I got the no.3 bush out ok cut it internally with an upside down hacksaw then tapped it out.
Just got to drill out the antiroll bar bolt that is seized in the fixing now

[Andy_with_a_screwdriver]

https://www.the75andztclub.co.uk/for...uspension+bush
Just read the very useful guide by MWman (post #5),
I should have read before I started.

I'm a bit concerned as I've removed the trailing arm bracket and plate to change the bush and noticed they need to be re-fitted and aligned as they were previously. As there was some surface corrosion around the area I've rubbed it down and painted it with hammerite, and am unable to see the position. Any advice on how to get this right?

I've stopped work this mornig for the moment as I can't get the bushes back in as I don't have a puller. I've tried a homemade method but it's not working. I spent yesterday cleaning the sub-frame and all metal areas around the wheel arch giving everything a good rub down and hammerite covered with wax.
I've got the choice of buying a bush puller kit or taking the trailing arm to a local garage to get them to put them in. Only snag is I've still got the handbrake cable & abs sensor attached as I've not taken the hub off, and that'll probably be hard work now it's laying on the floor.
I phoned a mate of mine who is a mechanic and asked how he fitted bushes and his answer was to drive them home with a hammer or put it in a press.

[Andy_with_a_screwdriver]

Originally Posted by Mike Noc

You can get the old bushes out by drilling through the rubber, carefully cutting the outer sleeve with a junior hacksaw blade and then drifting them out, but you will need a puller of sorts to get the new ones in without damaging them, and using one is the easiest way to get the old ones out.

To get the top rose joints out there is info here if the bolts are seized in Post#16:

https://the75andztclub.co.uk/forum/s...=279330&page=2

A puller can be anything from a bit of threaded bar, nuts and washers GhettoTech style to a dedicated puller for those particular jobs, which are available on The Bay.

I bought this kit a couple of years ago and it has done everything I have asked of it - well made and strong for the price I paid:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/i/222275711016









.

Thanks for the link Mike but it is now no longer available on ebay. Has anyone got a suggestion for a suitable kit to buy to enable me to fit the bushes?
I see there a lot of BMW versions out there do these have the right sizes?