LeeDJC wrote:It's always worth investing in a set of axle stands for things like this. It's surprising how many times you'll use them when you've got them too - instead of quite often balancing the car on a jack.
Halfords do them at a reasonable price. I've got a set of four and it makes it sooooo much easier working on the car. Bleeding brakes for example. You can get the whole car up on stands with all wheels off and it makes bleeding a breeze!
Also make sure it's chocked. but I'm sure everyone knows that.
Howie
2006 Fiat Idea Dynamic 1.3 Multijet
2010 Renault Laguna Dynamique tom tom 2.0 DCI 130
C5 VTR 2l 8v HDI Estate 112000 miles gone
Kia Rio 2007 1.5 CRDI 62,000 miles gone
2001 Dodge Durango 4.7 V8 170,000 miles gone
1999 Ford Crown Victoria 4.6 V8 151,000 miles gone
tried the job today, spent all morning getting the old one out, and until not getting the other one in half way, it's in level but it's still hard to push in, been at it with a hefty clamp trying to wedge it to place, but the clamp got bent!!!! It was frozen for over a week (it thawed quickly), now it's a half done job! DAMN IT!
Having recently done one on a BX 1.9 Tri, I personally have problems believing it can be done insitu knowing the dramas we had.
If it's out of the car, either press it in a vice or get to someone with a press to push it in for you.
Use a gas blowtorch around the outside carefully and then press it it.
Alan S
RIP Sept 19th 2008.
She said "Put the cat out" She didn't mention it was on fire!!
I had no problem either using a long bolt and end pieces, large enough to overlap the whole bush and housing, to draw it in.
Problem with using a clamp ('G' cramp ?) is that you may not be pulling it in 'square' unless the cramp heads are exactly in the centre of both the bush and the housing.
Any tilt and it will jam.
Dave.
Xantia Forte 1.8i, 16v X reg.(09/2000) 93K, aircon
Bolts and end plates would work, but as I said, having just done one that was really tight, I get the impression doing it insitu is spending 2 hours to try to save a half hours work.
If I'd have tried to even get ours out in the car, I'd have still been trying.
Alan S
RIP Sept 19th 2008.
She said "Put the cat out" She didn't mention it was on fire!!
deian wrote:tried the job today, spent all morning getting the old one out, and until not getting the other one in half way, it's in level but it's still hard to push in, been at it with a hefty clamp trying to wedge it to place, but the clamp got bent!!!! It was frozen for over a week (it thawed quickly), now it's a half done job! DAMN IT!
Any ideas? I assume the car isn't drivable now.
Thanks
Are you working alone? Sometimes getting some assistance on jobs like this can really help. You can bounce ideas of one another as well as provide moral support!!!
I'll be watching this thread as I think I'm going to have to do this job also.
Howie
2006 Fiat Idea Dynamic 1.3 Multijet
2010 Renault Laguna Dynamique tom tom 2.0 DCI 130
C5 VTR 2l 8v HDI Estate 112000 miles gone
Kia Rio 2007 1.5 CRDI 62,000 miles gone
2001 Dodge Durango 4.7 V8 170,000 miles gone
1999 Ford Crown Victoria 4.6 V8 151,000 miles gone
DISASTER... best thing to do next time is to take the drive shaft out so you can do it in a bench vice, me and my cousin spent ages warming it with a blow torch and hammering and so on only to knock it in milimeters are a time. Not happy. In the end we just hammered away until the clamp would hold on to it so it's no driveable, it feels good too, there won't be any sideways movement as the bush is 4mm out of line. The bush is in a hell of state after the hammer blows, deep freezing didn't help me much as it thawed too quickly, and we sanded down the housing and the bush to make it less tight, didn't work either.
So my advice to users wanting to attempt this job is make sure you have the tools to press the bush in, and for gods sake, make sure it's straight going in.
A blow torch on the hosuing helped, but the problem with that was the steel outer ring of the bush was absorbing the heat and therefore expanding, and also the hosuing cooled quicker than the steel ring, so you were getting the opposite to what you want to achieve i.e cold bush, hot housing.
Other than that, there is no choice but to get the driveshaft out which is an arse of a job in itself. I started doing it this way and i noticed where the track-rod-end was bolting to thehub carrier that the bolt was corroded enough for the nut to catch on it and turn the whole ball, as well as this i had hassles getting the top drop link bolt open, only until i destroyed the nut with a wrench that i noticed you could grab it on the other side! Doh! All is back on now, and the car is back to normal, what a waste of a weekend! Pissed off now!
So take warning, many unexpected complications can arise! Not for the faint hearted if you fall into bad luck like I did! And yes, two brains are better than one, my cousin who is a car nut helped me out of a deep hole here, and you also need a good selection of solid quality tools, steel bars, clamps, hammers, but most of all good technique! Good luck!
I have to agree... I did one last week.. deep freeze (although I put on top shelf of freezer not bottom!) blowtorch the housing, and grease on the outside of bush.. it was still very hard work with a mallet.. I didn;t ever really get it in square, it went in all but 1mm in the end, and the bush is good.. but it was not very satisfying...
It only take 30 mins to get the driveshafts out .. so I would suggests doing that and taking housing off to fit bush..
i'm glad someone else went through it too, i love my car, and love working with mechanical things, and i feel satisfied with most jobs, but not this one, it drives fine though, i thought the bracket would vibrate against the housing but it's ok so far, i will check it this weekend for signs of premature wear though.
