LCA bushing fear

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RGAZ

RGAZ

Diehard
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73 duster, cleaning up the suspension and not sure if I should change this…
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It’s tight but the rubber is pretty hard and I think the sleeve is coming out. Replace? Is the sleeve chart I found on here still accurate?

Rgaz
 
While it may not look great, the pin is exactly in the right location, and even centered in the bushing!
On a budget, I would leave it, mostly cuz having replaced several of them, I know what a PITA it is.
However, Do not tighten the pin until/unless the front suspension is close to it's final ride-height. In that way the bushing should last for many more years.
 
Yeah, I will change it. Not seeing too many options right now and I don’t want a loose one. Good thing I have time because I’m still waiting on rear springs to arrive from ESPO.

Rgaz
 
RGAZ said:
Yeah, I will change it. Not seeing too many options right now and I don’t want a loose one. Good thing I have time because I’m still waiting on rear springs to arrive from ESPO.

Rgaz
Click to expand...
If you have access to a welder, a 110 AC wire feed will work, and the time.
There are good articles out there that show how to remove the factory slop while adding stiffening plates.

Control Arm Stiffening plates
 
Yur gonna need an Oxy-acetylene rig, an air chisel (with a generously-sized compressor), and a press with various adapters, and probably a big vise..
If you're a newbe on the torch, I recommend you have new pins on hand.
If you farm the work out, then after you get it back; you have no way of knowing the integrity of the pins...... nor the sockets.
 
You could also leave the sleeves and use poly…

Whether that’s definitively the right way to go is a debate for another thread
 
Manual says press pin out from hex end, I have a press that should do it. And then chisel out the sleeve. I have an air chisel and a 3 stage compressor. Should be doable. What’s the torch for? Burning out the rubber? I might just chisel it out and make a mess.

I am considering welding in stiffeners, I have the equipment for that as well.

I’ll get it all out and then decide on the bushing to use.
 
I’m not sure what AJ is talking about for any of this.

The rubber of that bushing is completely degraded, it would last all of tens of miles and all the work to install the LCA would have to be immediately repeated.

A torch is also not necessary in any way, burning out the bushings just makes a mess an in this case when you press the pin out you can just peel the entire bushing out. They are a friction fit, so, once the pin is removed the bushing isn’d really held in by anything- they are not bonded to the metal sleeve at all.

A press will be needed for sure, any additional stuff will depend on what you decide to do for bushings and if you need to remove the sleeve. For a lot of poly bushings the sleeves can be left in place. If you’re removing the sleeve there are several methods- you can try splitting it with a chisel and then pressing or prying it out, you can weld a washer to the sleeve and press it out, or you can buy a tap that will thread into the sleeve and press it out that way. The latter is by far the easiest, although it does require buying a tap.
 
i would 1000% replace that.

on the R&R job, it's really not all that difficult if you have tools-- you can buy the fancy-schmancy ones or just get caveman on it.

you have a press, a big air compressor and know what an air chisel is so i have a feeling you know your way around the shop. you also mentioned the FSM, and the process in there so it sounds like you've got a good handle on things.
 
72bluNblu said:
A torch is also not necessary in any way, burning out the bushings just makes a mess an in this case when you press the pin out you can just peel the entire bushing out. They are a friction fit, so, once the pin is removed the bushing isn’d really held in by anything- they are not bonded to the metal sleeve at all.
Click to expand...

exactly. after i press the pin out i usually just get in there with a BFS and pry out what's left of the bushing.

after that you're left to your own devices on what to do with the sleeve. or, like not do in the case of non-stock bushings.
 
Can somebody find the video by a member here talking about the various ways to replace the bushing with the least pain?!!?!?
 
Those videos are perfect. I think I will be doing both tasks since I will have both out. Probably will make my own stiffening plates, pretty basic.

RGAZ
 
I drilled the rubber out then melted out what was left with a propane torch, then used a sawzall on the inside of the bushing in the LCA just enough in 3 spots to use a chisel to collapse it and pop it out... putting the new one in is TIGHT.. i have a huge vice and it wasn't happy doing it.. it worked though
 
RGAZ said:
Yeah, I will change it. Not seeing too many options right now and I don’t want a loose one. Good thing I have time because I’m still waiting on rear springs to arrive from ESPO.

Rgaz
Click to expand...

remytherat said:
You could also leave the sleeves and use poly…

Whether that’s definitively the right way to go is a debate for another thread
Click to expand...

Sooo much simpler to use poly as mentioned, and they basically last forever.
No pressing either.
You also don’t have to tighten it down with load on them.
You can clean the old rubber out of the bushing sleeve,pop the poly in and put your T bar socket on.
You don’t even have to take the pin out of the K member.
 
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That’s what I did. It was cheap and took about 30 minutes. Whether or not they will squeak is a dice roll unless you use the polygraphite bushings or whatever.
 
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