Easiest/Fastest Way to Remove Trailing Arm Bushings

[528elover]

Hi all,

I'm in the process of removing the trailing arm bushings in my car. I've tried several methods, and nothing seems to be very productive or efficient.

I tried burning the bushings out, but that simply made a mess. Then, I tried to build a bushing removal tool I found on e30tech.com, and that only managed to remove the inner bolt sleeve. I had to cut out the metal shell with a sawzall. The first bushing took about 3 hours. I have 3 bushings left to go and don't want to waste this kind of time.

So, if anyone has some nifty ideas, I'm all ears....

Thanks!

[Night Wolf]

Here is the method I used on my e30 convertible with pictures. It is about halfway down in post #4. I made a tool using sockets of just the right size and they pulled out easy.

http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=179507

[Frybrid 524td]

Here is the method I used on my e30 convertible with pictures. It is about halfway down in post #4. I made a tool using sockets of just the right size and they pulled out easy.

http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=179507

E30 trailing arm bushings don't have a metal shell around them though. Pulling a rubber bushing out is a lot easier than pulling a metal encased rubber bushing.

[528elover]

Here is the method I used on my e30 convertible with pictures. It is about halfway down in post #4. I made a tool using sockets of just the right size and they pulled out easy.

http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=179507

Hey Nightwolf,

Thanks for the tip. I actually made a similar tool, but as I Frybrid mentioned the E28 trailing arm bushings are different in design from the E30. Whereas the E30 bushing is all rubber, the E28 bushing is a metal shell encased in rubber, with a long metal bolt housing in the middle. It is more similar to a an E28 subframe bushing.

When I used the tool, all it did was push the metal bolt tube out of the bushing (with great difficulty).

I'm wondering if anyone has tried a chemical to dissolve the rubber, which would make the metal shells easier to pound out and remove. If I remember correctly, acetone works well on dissolving rubber. A google search reveals that "MEK" or methyl ethyl ketone works well. Anyone try this before?

[Frybrid 524td]

Careful with MEK; that's really hazardous stuff.

I couldn't get a press to fit around the trailing arm because I'm using the >88' trailing arms with the reinforcement brace that spans between the two "arms" of the trailing arm. That brace prevented me from getting the trailing arm far enough onto the press to line up the bushing.

I had to use a lot of heat and a mallet and chisel to get the old bushings out. As long as you're careful with the Sawzall, I think that is your best bet.

Did you get the welding done to the subframe?

[C.R. Krieger]

I'm wondering if anyone has tried a chemical to dissolve the rubber, which would make the metal shells easier to pound out and remove. If I remember correctly, acetone works well on dissolving rubber. A google search reveals that "MEK" or methyl ethyl ketone works well. Anyone try this before?

No. It would take days, if not weeks.

[davintosh]

Careful with MEK; that's really hazardous stuff.

I couldn't get a press to fit around the trailing arm because I'm using the >88' trailing arms with the reinforcement brace that spans between the two "arms" of the trailing arm. That brace prevented me from getting the trailing arm far enough onto the press to line up the bushing.

I had to use a lot of heat and a mallet and chisel to get the old bushings out. As long as you're careful with the Sawzall, I think that is your best bet.

Won't it be just as difficult to get the new bushings in place?

[Frybrid 524td]

Careful with MEK; that's really hazardous stuff.

I couldn't get a press to fit around the trailing arm because I'm using the >88' trailing arms with the reinforcement brace that spans between the two "arms" of the trailing arm. That brace prevented me from getting the trailing arm far enough onto the press to line up the bushing.

I had to use a lot of heat and a mallet and chisel to get the old bushings out. As long as you're careful with the Sawzall, I think that is your best bet.

Won't it be just as difficult to get the new bushings in place?

I'm currently looking around for at al the local shops for one with a better style press. I'll find some way of installing the new bushings.

[Frybrid 524td]

double post

[535is-pa]

i had a hell of a time getting them out, getting them in was easy after i cleaned up the surface, i guess they where just rusted in place, i bent a trailing arm with a press and had to replace it so be careful. i didnt try it with these bushings but maybe there a perfect candidate for burning the rubber out and then cutting the outer shell.

my rear alignment was not as good as it used to be after doing this, good time for a camber toe kit. the replaced trailing arm could be the culprit but still these bushings have alot to do with rear alignment.


if you didnt buy parts already there is spherical bearings found on e32's for this location.

oh and all thread and sockets/pipe fittings is a great bushing tool: http://www.m3forum.net/m3forum/showthread.php?t=255760

[Frybrid 524td]

if you didnt buy parts already there is spherical bearings found on e32's for this location.

I posted pictures of the E32/E34 M5 "rotary slide bearings" in this thread: http://www.mye28.com/viewtopic.php?p=875693#875577

[Night Wolf]

Here is the method I used on my e30 convertible with pictures. It is about halfway down in post #4. I made a tool using sockets of just the right size and they pulled out easy.

http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=179507

E30 trailing arm bushings don't have a metal shell around them though. Pulling a rubber bushing out is a lot easier than pulling a metal encased rubber bushing.

Did not know. In that case, it sounds like they are similar to the e30 rear subframe bushings. For that I used a torch and burned them out. The outter metal casing ended up dropping shortly after. Help from a chisel and hammer works too.

[Blue Shadow]

First MEK is not really hazardous. It is a 1 (0-4) scale for health and a 3 for fire in the NFPA square-on-point 4 color chart.

If you are going to mess with a chemical you don't know about, grab the MSDS from google and read it to see if it is a 'really dangerous' chemical or not. Sure MEK is not water, so caution needs to be used when employing chemicals.

As for the bushings, burn them out with a propane torch until the center metal tube pops out. Then cut em out with a hack saw, easy and quick enough. Not three hours but then not ten minutes either.

[528elover]

I had to use a lot of heat and a mallet and chisel to get the old bushings out. As long as you're careful with the Sawzall, I think that is your best bet.

Did you get the welding done to the subframe?

Ok, got it done. That job was the worst I've done on this car to date. I made the e30tech.com "press" (http://www.e30tech.com/forum/showthread.php?t=9905) which is great for all rubber bushings, but not the E28 bushings which consist of a metal bolt tube surrounded by a metal casing encased in rubber. The technique which finally worked was to take a 3/32 drill bit and carefully drill between the outer metal ring and the rubber. If you can weaken the rubber that holds the metal ring, it will be easier to get the whole bushing out.

Once doing this, I then built the press to push out the bushings. I had to heat the bushings up pretty well and I heated the TA bushing tub as well. The key was the drilling and the heat which finally allowed the bushing to come out.

These bushings are tough to get out and don't go without a fight. I'm installing AKG polyurethane bushings, so hopefully I'll never have to do this again. If I had to, I would definitely take them to a shop and have them pressed out. Here are some pics:










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[tig]

FWIW, this is what the insides of my TAs look like after someone else forcably removed the bushings. I discovered this after removing the KMac urethane bushings I had installed. Ugh.





When you do yours, don't be THAT guy.

[derrith]

baum b333050

[juan c.]

baum b333050

Any ideas where to get that tool? I can't find it on their site.