I'm having a heck of a time replacing the 2 big bushings that go through the differential crossmember to the frame. I bent back the tabs that hold them in, I'm guessing they should press out then, but I'm afraid the crossmember will get destroyed in the process. Anyone have any insight or tricks?

Thanks,

Matt

They do press out, and the new ones press in.  That does mean you need a press of some sort.  You won't push them in without something.  If the member is properly supported, you won't hurt it.  This is provided the bushing are not badly rusted in place.  Then you may need to cut the old ones out, clean up the member, and press the new ones in.

Mine were really stuck in there. They were so difficult to remove that the press I was using just about jumped off the ground when one finally surrendered. Wouldn't hurt to soak them in penetrating oil for a while first. For what it's worth, the new bushings dropped right in with no effort. That could vary with the different manufacturers.

i used a press on mine..  they are really in there good after 35 years..

I pressed in also..

i used pb blaster to soak the seams and then used a torch to get the bushing hot and then quenched it..  this made it much easier to press

you can do this without a press..  ive done a set with two small blocks of wood and a bench vise..  youll need a cheater pipe to turn the vice handle.. once they break loose..  a five lb adjustment tool will knock them out with little effort.

Got 'Em, took them to Midas and the guys there pressed them out for free! I worked on them for an hour before I took them in.

Thanks,

Matt  

For future reference, you don't need a press. It sure helps out a lot but I can be done w/out one.

Once you have all the tabs facing up, Throw it in a vice, get a BF hammer or air chissel and go to town on it. When you install the new bushings, use a block of wood (2x4) and use your BF hammer again and it will drive them through. Flip the x-member and bend the tabs over. Also don't be surprised when you put the x-member back in and it's not flush w/the frame. It's not supposed to be. There should be a gap. The gap will vary from car to car. Don't know why, thats just the way it is. I get lots of calls about the gap, and it's supposed to be that way.

I just finished replacing my "Sombrero" bushings on the #3 crossmember. I ended up drilling out a circle of holes in the rubber, much the same as a control arm bushing. Once I removed enough rubber, it just took a SF hammer to bang those mothers out.

P.S. now's the time to wire brush the crossmember, and coat it with POR-15, or Eastwood's rust encapsulator.

Dan,

 Does it matter much that the new bushings were kind of easy to tap back in? The usual amount of 28 yr.old crud came out of the holes, and I was wondering if too much came out.

ALSO...man, it's great having you on this site, what is the acceptable specs. for the play when rebuilding rear bearings? I've looked in my books, and I can't find it here.

Thank you.

Alan

 

[QUOTE=Gribble123]

I just finished replacing my "Sombrero" bushings on the #3 crossmember. I ended up drilling out a circle of holes in the rubber, much the same as a control arm bushing. Once I removed enough rubber, it just took a SF hammer to bang those mothers out.

P.S. now's the time to wire brush the crossmember, and coat it with POR-15, or Eastwood's rust encapsulator.

Dan,

 Does it matter much that the new bushings were kind of easy to tap back in? The usual amount of 28 yr.old crud came out of the holes, and I was wondering if too much came out.

ALSO...man, it's great having you on this site, what is the acceptable specs. for the play when rebuilding rear bearings? I've looked in my books, and I can't find it here.

Thank you.

Alan

 

[/QUOTE]

Alan,
Thanks for the nice comment.

If your old bushings go in fairly easy, thats OK. I've had some go in with just a couple hit's, using the wood block method. Others have gone in w/a little more. Pressing them in has always been the easiest way. You will always fine that lots of rust will fall out. I would take a small ball peen hammer and tap all along the x-member. If the metal is weak in any area, the hammer will find it. If the x-member doesn't dent, more than likely you'll be OK and than you can go have it powder coated, painted or use the POR-15 on it.

When we set up our bearing, we set up the end play (in and out movement of the spindle) to zero to a 1/2 thou. Your rotor runout on the rear rotors should not exceed 5 thou. If it's more than 5 thou you can get air into your brakes and loose them. Also you have to do a runout on the face of the spindle where it mates to the rotor. If the runout on the spindle is more than 6 thou and your spindle is no good and should be replaced with a new one.

Dan

Thanks Dan for the info, the information I've obtained on this site it well worth the membership fee. Wow, zero thou.? I don't recall hearing of that spec. before, but you would know more about that than I would.

I'll let you know how it goes. I need to wait for an order from Eastwood. Apparently, you can't buy a dial indicator ANYWHERE in northeast Pa. Funny, I recall that this is a tool "commonly" used for state inspections. Oh well.

Thanks again. I failed to mention that I purchased the bushings from you last year at Corvettes at Carlisle, along with a truckload of the odds and ends. Excellent quality. I especially like the frame tap-and-die kit. Very inventive. Thanks.

Alan