How do you remove bushings

[srJOEYdet]

Okay I just bought whiteline camber correction bushings. I have removed the lateral controll arm and both upper controll arms. I now need to remove the old bushings and do the whole thing in reverse with the new ones. But the old bushings will not budge. I have tried hammering a bolt that will push on the bushing, but fit through the controll arm, but it didn't work. My stepdad told me to take it to a machine shop. I don't want to soend the money. I have spent enough money on tools, It has to be possible to do this without a stand up press. Any ideas? Anyone ever removed the rear bushings before? Thanks,

Joey

P.S. This is for an S13 hatchback

[gfisch]

They're rubber bushings, right?
Those would probably be damn near impossible to get out whole. Id either try cutting the apart, or even better, burning them out w/ a torch.

[srJOEYdet]

They are metal on the inside, with a thin rubber piece around them. I am trying torching right now, not working very well.

Joey

[srJOEYdet]

Okay. So Picture me sitting next to my wheel well torching he hell out of the old rubber bushing gaskets... to the point where they turn to multen rubber, crackle, and drip off on fire. I am whaleing away on theese things, when one of those little balls of flaming goo lands on my torch hand. I quickly set the torch down, and purely by insinct wipe the penny sized burning rubber gob onto my work jeans. One problem, it was hot today, so I was wearing a pair of athletic shorts. That penny sized spot turned into a penny width streak which is now a second degree burn on my lower thigh. At least the rubber singed to my skin. It's like an automatic band-aid. But isn't burning rubber toxic? I have heard that it is. I just got done scrubbing the crap out of it in the shower. At least all of the old bushings are out.
    About the bushing kit. There are eight of them. Once I read the USELESS instructions, I removed the 4 on each side, and I look at them. Two of them are bigger than the rest. So I figure out where they went, and than do the two I was supposed to do. Grrrrrr. So now I have to buy those two bushings I f*cked over tomorrow, and remove all the thin metal sleeves, and install 10 bushings. Funny thing is that I am looking forward to it. And for everyone else's viewing pleasure, I have been taking pictures, and will make my first install write up and post it on my web page.

Joey

[bbp]

Joey,

You have undertaken a bitch of a job.  Tools needed for this are  a vise, a press,  some type of torch, a hack saw.

Burning the rubber out is the eastiest way to get started.  Burn out the rubber center and push the inner sleeve out of the arm.  Then take a hack saw and gently, carefully, did I say gently?  cut a slot thru the outer sleeve.  DO NOT cut in the control arm itself.  Once you have these slots cut, you need a press to get them out.  The new one go in pretty easy (don't skimp on the lube).  Then get yourself a good alignment.

After you are finished you will realize that it is worth every penny to have a shop do this for you.  It will save you blood, sweat and new control arms when you bend/screw them up.

[srJOEYdet]

Just what kind of press are we talking here? My dad has some sort of press. One other thing. I have to remove two metal sleeves from each hub also. Can you give me a ballpark estimate on how much it would cost to have them removed?
Thanks

Joey

[bbp]

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/photos/32800-32899/32879-t.gif

That is a press.

There is an inner "crush sleeve", the bolt goes directly thru this.  And an outer bushing sleeve, this is between the rubber and the part you are removing th bushing from.  The latter is the one you need the press for, although you can push both thru with the press too.

I have no idea how much to get them out, shop around.  I wound say like 10 bucks a bushing?  It's cheaper than damaging a part if you skrew up.

here what they should look like:

http://home.neo.rr.com/gerstonline/106-0602_IMG.JPG

[srJOEYdet]

thank you very much. If you catch this, go to tech talk and checkout my topic on my stubborn rotors.
Thanks,
Joey