trailing arm bush replace. question

[dickster]

i can see that the trailing arm bushes are shot, can't see the radius arm bushes but after 90k they probably are too.

are special tools/techniques required to change these bushes. or it is a diy job?

does the engine need to be moved to get to the inner bolt?

i have checked the archives and can't seem to find much.

all help appreciated!

regards

richard

[rfix'n]

I think it depends on the year of your car wether the engine has to be moved to get at the inner. On my SC it was not required in order to remove the trailing arm.

[dickster]

robfix - thanks good point!

mines an '86

can i remove the outer plate/cover on the radius arm just to inspect the outer bushes without disturbing anything?

i use the cover as jack stand points, and have noticed today that the part that takes the weight of the stand is not central and leads me to suspect that the radius arm bushes are also shot.

any advice appreciated - the subject does not seem to have been covered extensively.

i read the tech. article where the old bushes are cut off and new ones are just a slide fit(?) - is it that easy?

cheers and happy new year

richard

[Clark Griswald]

The outer bushings on a '86 do need replacing if they are original. The rubber "flows" and deforms regardless of mileage. The off-center cap does indicate a worn / deformed bushing.

The only special tool you need is the thin wrench to adjust the ride height bolts. Then you need to have an alignment performed.

I suppose it would be possible to carefully mark the position of the tbars and not have to mess with the height adjustment, thereby eliminating the need for the wrench. But this is a good time to dial in the ride height you want and get it just right.

[nick-moss]

Hi Richard

I have stripped my car completely recently for restoration.

There are 2 sets of bushes involved. The replacement of either will mean that you have to set up the toe-in and camber after replacement.

1. Control or trailing arm. They are easy to do if the bolt is installed so that it slides outwards away from the motor, if not it's a motor out job.

2. Radius arms: It is a sod to get the old bushes off, I hacksawed, cut, ground, and swore to get all the old rubber off. The new bushes slide on.


I am replacing my rubber bushes with polyurethane bushes from Weltmeister but you might find them easier from Superflex.

Good luck

[dickster]

thanks nick

so do the trailing arm bushes just come straight off (just the radius arm ones that are gits!)? then i could replace those with oe?

i am reading that replacement after market are not as good as originals, and the ones you've gone for squeek?! is that right?

thanks again

richard

ps you're not far from me! good luck with the restoration.

[nick-moss]

The word is that the radius arm bushes should be replaced with OE parts, poly ones are too stiff and noisy, and yes, I have heard that poly bushes squeek, but I probably won't hear them, no carpets or underseal!

[avi8torny]

I am in the process of changing these out while the T-Bars and spring plates are out. I am pulling the engine/Trans for better access to these bolts because I cannot get the leverage needed to break them free. I thought I could do it with the engine and trans installed....oh well. Winter project just got longer.

[Formerly Steve Wilkinson]

I'm told, by a friend who was a national solo autocross champ in his 911 and who does all of his own suspension and alignment setups, that the reason you don't want to put poly bushings on the inboard end of the trailing arm is that the arms need to move through three dimensions at that pivot point, and restricting them to two-dimensional movement, as hard bushings would, screws up the suspension geometry. His reasoning was persuasive enough, in my case, that I removed brand-new poly bushings from my arms and substituted the OEM bushings before reassembling the car.

STephan

I cheated and took them to work and pressed them out.
Another way would be to use a bearing separator and a puller that screws into the bearing separator.
I know it's kinda hard to visualise but the puller has 2 outer bolts that screw into the bearing separator. And a central screw that pushes down or pulls up.
The bearing separator clamps under the bushing. So you pull on the bushing and push on the radius arm tube. May need a bushing driver insert to push on.
Or take them to a machine shop and have them remove them.
Chris