Flaming bushes

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AlWilliams
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Flaming bushes

Post by AlWilliams »

I am relacing all the bushes in my 93 ZX td and judging by the state of them they are original.
So far (for the front wishbones) I have exhausted all methods of brute force involving a large hammer and anything resembeling a drift. Looking on this forum I now know heat is the way forward.
But... blow torch in hand, how hot should I be aiming to get it?
Any other tips on this would greatly appreciated.
many thanks.
Al
P.S.
I said in a post last week it was MOT time, well, it failed (rear bushes and suspension turret top mount. However it passed on the emissions thanks to the maximum fuel screw being tweeked out. From a black smoking embaressement to a 1.94 ave test score,good work fellas.
alan s
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Post by alan s »

Over the years I've had a lot of success by making up my own pullers using big bolts, washers and pieces of pipe. It's amazing how a constant pressure will release something in time particularly if you use heaps of oil or penetrene and heat and simply keep cranking up the pressure on the nut. I use this method to also refit bushes at times but it's almost an impossible task to try to explain it in words.
Ball races as in the rear arms of some of the hydraulic Citroens are best removed if seized in by welding a bolt or piece of steel across the face of the outer race and giving it a clour with a drift and a lump hammer while it's still hot.
I'd suggest playing around with the bolt, nut, washers and pieces of pipe to use as a makeshift press/puller. I'm sure if you sit and look at it armed with those bits, you'll figure the logic of it all out. Should save a few knuckles too.
Alan S
jeremy
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Post by jeremy »

Are these bushes the type with a steel ring on the outside? If so, hacksaw from the centre and throughthe outer ring of the bush. this will remove the tension and allow the outer ring to collapse and the bush usually comes out quite easily.
Clean up the hole and then put the new one in the deepfreeze for a while prior to re-fitting. This will reduce the diameter marginally and make it go in easily.
jeremy
Dave Burns
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Post by Dave Burns »

I drill down the bush with something like a 5mm bit so it splits the bushes outer casing all the way along, then they just push out easey.
Pull new ones back in with spacers (usually big sockets and such) and a good high tensile bolt, something that wont simply stretch and snap.
Sand any rust away and grease the arm before refitting the new bush.
Dave
AlWilliams
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Post by AlWilliams »

Many thanks for the help, will be attempting the above shortly.
Al.
AlWilliams
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Post by AlWilliams »

Arrrggg.
I have exhaused the options, my equipment and patience. Not one of the three will shift under any method tried, I am now seriously considering buying a new wishbone from GSF and starting from scratch.
I guess 11 years in place was too long a time!
RichardW
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Post by RichardW »

Al,
Front or rear bushes on the wishbone?
On mine the front bushes fell out, and the rear was easily removed by cutting the rubber away with a jigsaw, then carefully cutting a slot in the inner metal ring with a hacksaw to release it. However, when I got to the motor factors the bushes came to £25, and a new arm was only £33, so I bought the new arm, and when he brought it out, it had a new ball joint fitted too. Winner! (I have a spare N/S arm in my garage sans any bushes now).
When refitting the arm, get the long bolt that goes through the roll bar clamp in first, as it was a bit of a game getting that back in. I had to use a g-clamp to twist the pre-load in the bush in order the get the bolt in (having already fitted the front pivot bolt and ball joint - neither of which would then easily come out!).
AlWilliams
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Post by AlWilliams »

Thanks for the reply,
Currently I am stuck on the drivers side wishbone, all three bushes. The rear one, as you did I have cut a slot to release, the blighter still isn't going anyway. On the positive side, when all the headaches are resolved my little ZX should handle like a roller skate :-)
bxbodger
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Post by bxbodger »

Take the arm and new bushes down to your nearest engineering workshop / back-street garage and for the price of a few beers they will have the old ones out and new ones in no time. The same applies for wheelbearings- if theres a facility near you, use it!!!!!
I gave up on cutting / burning / drilling bushes when I spent a whole afternoon trying to do the bottom kingpin one on a skoda rapide - I took it to the nearest place with a press ( an independant Audi garage, of all places...) and it was done in seconds- I saw the light!!!!
chemexhants
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Post by chemexhants »

bxbodger is absolutely right. An engineering workshop will pop them out using an air chisel. Had my ZX bushes done this way.
Stephen
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