Swaybar bushings, help!

tangerine69s · 10-18-2007, 10:11 PM

Hello,

I'm not a great mechanic, of course, and I have a probem that seems easy but it's getting me mad.

I bought 2 swaybar bushings part #901-343-782-00-M260, it's the bushing that joins the swaybar drop link to the car. I mounted them into the drop links and now I don't know how to push them hard enough to make them enter into the pin on the car.

Can you help or give me any clues how to push it to enter in the pin? Any special tools.

I forgot, the car is a 1974 911 Carrera

Thanks,

Josep

tonythetarga · 10-19-2007, 02:44 AM

Are these the hard plastic type or rubber bushings? I have a later car with a different style bushing, but I seem to recall that the hard bushings need to be heated up in hot water to make them pliable enough to put on.

tangerine69s · 10-19-2007, 03:18 AM

Hello,

they are hard plastic in white, now they are inside the drop link, how can I do?

Josep

tonythetarga · 10-19-2007, 03:43 AM

you might try heating them up with a blow dryer or a heat gun.

RoninLB · 06:22 AM

with car down on ground

I wack mine cold with a piece of 2' 2x4 extension and a baby sledge from on the side of the car. I also grease them first. Dirt stays outside the tight bushing.

911pcars · 10-19-2007, 05:04 PM

Lube the ball socket, then use a long water pipe, pry bar or equivalent. Find a convenient area on the chassis/suspension close to the ball to anchor the end of the pipe, then add leverage with the pipe to force the drop link assembly toward the ball. It should pop right in. It's easier if you have enough swing room under a car (i.e. car on lift, not on jack stands). It's also easier if the chassis is lifted with the suspension at ride height rather than hanging at full droop, as it would be on a muffler or alignment rack.

As Ron suggests, a 2x4 and BFH also works, but cunning persuasion is always better than beating it to submission.

Sherwood

Steve@Rennsport · 10-19-2007, 07:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 911pcars

Lube the ball socket, then use a long water pipe, pry bar or equivalent. Find a convenient area on the chassis/suspension close to the ball to anchor the end of the pipe, then add leverage with the pipe to force the drop link assembly toward the ball. It should pop right in. It's easier if you have enough swing room under a car (i.e. car on lift, not on jack stands). It's also easier if the chassis is lifted with the suspension at ride height rather than hanging at full droop, as it would be on a muffler or alignment rack.

As Ron suggests, a 2x4 and BFH also works, but cunning persuasion is always better than beating it to submission.

Sherwood

Good suggestion,...

I use a monstrous pair of Snap-On slip-joint pliers and its very easy.

tangerine69s · 10-19-2007, 11:34 PM

Hello,

thanks all. I tried the heat and didn't work. At last I did it in a more "original" way.

I used an old seat belt tied to a strong cord with the bushing aligned to the pin, then the cord linked to a car. True, it worked, it was not an easy task, strong force needed.

Josep

911pcars · 10-20-2007, 12:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oldautoradio

Hello,

thanks all. I tried the heat and didn't work. At last I did it in a more "original" way.

I used an old seat belt tied to a strong cord with the bushing aligned to the pin, then the cord linked to a car. True, it worked, it was not an easy task, strong force needed.

Josep

Joseph,
I'm trying to picture this. You used another car to install the drop link ball and socket? Did it have a towing package?

Whatever works I suppose.

Sherwood

tangerine69s · 10-20-2007, 02:12 AM

Hi,

the belt carefully fitted with the drop link and ball socket correctly aligned. A cord pulling the belt so it will force the drop link to enter the socket. As we need strong force, I tied the cord to the car`s towing point and then started the other car pulling the cord making the bushing enter without problems.

Of course the 911 was inmobilised with the parking brake and a couple of wood cubes at the rear of the wood.

Josep

Quicksilver · 10-20-2007, 03:38 AM

Still trying to visualize it.

I want video!!!

tangerine69s · 10-20-2007, 04:48 AM

Will send a photo later.

3.2 CAB · 10-20-2007, 08:51 AM

The easiest way I found was to use a large "C" clamp, just tighten it up till the bushing pops onto the ball stud.

kilodawg · kilodawg's Garage

Just completed this minor project this morning on the '73. It took me longer to figure out the best way to get the bushings into the drop link than it did to get the drop link and bushing pressed onto the peg.

In hindsight though it's real easy and having done it once I think I could do it again in under 45 minutes from getting the jacks out to clean up complete.

I used a pair of pliers to get the bushing into the drop link and then an 8" C clamp to press the drop link onto the peg. I found it very helpful to put a thin piece of wood between the back of the banana arm and the C clamp to keep it from slipping.

Again not being mechanically inclined by birth I found this to be another confidence builder...

Chuck Moreland · 01-06-2008, 08:27 AM

Probably as many ways to do it as there are people doing the job.

But go easy on the grease. Too much in the socket creates a hydrolock condition that keeps it from popping on.

unclebilly · unclebilly's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by oldautoradio

Hello,

thanks all. I tried the heat and didn't work. At last I did it in a more "original" way.

I used an old seat belt tied to a strong cord with the bushing aligned to the pin, then the cord linked to a car. True, it worked, it was not an easy task, strong force needed.

Josep

This system works quite well. If you rig it up with some extra fishing line and some pullies you can also pul out teeth at the same time. you sit in the car on the passenger side and have someone slam the driver's door... works like a charm!