Urethane bushing install

[Toms007]

I just got my new urethane bushings for my Sway bars (front and rear). The old ones have been removed (cut out and used a C clamp). Does anyone have a quick hint on how to put the new end link bushings in? They are pretty stiff and don't really compress much to work them through the hole. Do you use a press and just shove them through? Or is there some sort of finesse way to get them in?

 

[jmccloud]

I used a large vise and lots of the included lubricant to push the bushings into the connector. A socket on the opposite side allowed the bushing flange to exit properly.
The other bushings that go into the sway bar itself were more of a pain as getting the sway bar out of the car proved to be too much bother. No success with pliers or a big C-clamp. A long 3/16" dia. bolt with fender washers (large outside diameter) under the bolt head and under the nut eventually worked - also with lots of lubricant. Large ID washers on the 'exit' side to allow the bushing flange to exit fully.
If you've ever pulled sleeves from an engine, the bolt and washers perform much like that sleeve puller.
Best repair yet. Not only eliminated the clunk from the rear but 99% of the other mysterious squeaks. And the Corvette handles and rides better too. I did only the rear.
Good luck and lots of patience.

 

[Toms007]

I used a large vise and lots of the included lubricant to push the bushings into the connector. A socket on the opposite side allowed the bushing flange to exit properly.
The other bushings that go into the sway bar itself were more of a pain as getting the sway bar out of the car proved to be too much bother. No success with pliers or a big C-clamp. A long 3/16" dia. bolt with fender washers (large outside diameter) under the bolt head and under the nut eventually worked - also with lots of lubricant. Large ID washers on the 'exit' side to allow the bushing flange to exit fully.
If you've ever pulled sleeves from an engine, the bolt and washers perform much like that sleeve puller.
Best repair yet. Not only eliminated the clunk from the rear but 99% of the other mysterious squeaks. And the Corvette handles and rides better too. I did only the rear.
Good luck and lots of patience.

Great suggestion! I just decided that the little metal sleeve had to come out giving me a few more thousands of an inch. I know what you are talking about the bar too much of a pain to take out, I've given up on taking it out, without removing the exhaust.

I'll locate some fender washers and get me a 3/16" bolt and give it a go. Did you leave the center sleeve in the bushing when you pulled it through? Or did you try to press it in afterwards?

 

[jmccloud]

I pushed the center bushing in after installing the urethane.
Hope your repair has as good a result as mine.

 

[Toms007]

j, I got it all done, your suggestion worked like a dream. Took less than an hour to do. I had decided that this was going to be one of my "winter" projects, until I was 1200 miles from home and my car developed a squeak...squeak...squeak. Luckily I was able to get home and I confirmed my suspicions about the axle u-joints (all four were bad, on one the needle bearings had turned to a pile of dust). Anyway in the process of removing what I needed to remove to get the axles out, I decided this was the best time to replace those bushings (rear sway bar), the tie rod boots and spring cushions. They were all loosened or removed anyway. I just wish that I had gone ahead and purchased the strut rod bushings and the trailing arm bushings too. Maybe I'll make that one of my winter projects.


Thanks again for the help and suggestion.

 

[lone73]

I used a large vise and lots of the included lubricant to push the bushings into the connector. A socket on the opposite side allowed the bushing flange to exit properly.
The other bushings that go into the sway bar itself were more of a pain as getting the sway bar out of the car proved to be too much bother. No success with pliers or a big C-clamp. A long 3/16" dia. bolt with fender washers (large outside diameter) under the bolt head and under the nut eventually worked - also with lots of lubricant. Large ID washers on the 'exit' side to allow the bushing flange to exit fully.
If you've ever pulled sleeves from an engine, the bolt and washers perform much like that sleeve puller.
Best repair yet. Not only eliminated the clunk from the rear but 99% of the other mysterious squeaks. And the Corvette handles and rides better too. I did only the rear.
Good luck and lots of patience.

I have some polyurethane rear sway bar bushings that I bought and then threw on the shelf because I couldn't figure out how to get them into the old steel shells. I ended up buying OEM bushings.

Are you saying you figured out a way to get them in there w/out taking out the sway bar? With a bolt and some washers???
thanks

 

[Toms007]

I have some polyurethane rear sway bar bushings that I bought and then threw on the shelf because I couldn't figure out how to get them into the old steel shells. I ended up buying OEM bushings.

Are you saying you figured out a way to get them in there w/out taking out the sway bar? With a bolt and some washers???
thanks

I'm not sure what you are saying about "I couldn't figure out how to get them into the old steel shells." Are you talking about the big bushings that the bar goes through? If so those just unbolt from the frame and the new ones go on in the place of the old ones, Mine came with new metal "shells" and I just bolted them up.

Where jmccloud and I were talking about was at the ends of the bar where they are attached to the "hub portion" above the wheels. There are bushings and metal sleeves that the bolts go through. This is where we used the 5/16" bolt, 2 fender washers, a large socket and a 5/16" nut to pull these in.

I installed these bushings without taking the bar out of the car, it might have been easier after removing the sway bar, but removing the sway bar would have meant taking the exhaust off.

 

[lone73]

Ok, Thanks. I understand now. I bought new bushings from PST for the rear sway and they did not come with steel shells for the end links, poly only. They expected the customer to reuse the old steel shells. You have to somehow figure out how to push the bushing into the shell (steel sleeve) and then press that assembly into the sway bar. The other bigger bushings that mount nearer to the center of the bar were no problem. I just took the bar out of my car when I did mine.

I could never figure out how to get the bushing into the shells. That is why I just reverted to OEM from the dealer, I needed to get the thing back on the road within my lifetime, was taking way too long. I called PST's tech line and the guy there couldn't tell me how to insert them either.
I'm sure somebody somewhere has used PST bushings in the rear of a vette before and knows how to get the bushings in there... I may figure it out eventually. In the meantime I really need a whole suspension rebuild now and was thinking of going with an entire poly kit from Vette Brakes, hopefully their kit has the bushings in the shells already.

Where did you buy your's from?

Thanks

 

[Toms007]

Ok, Thanks. I understand now. I bought new bushings from PST for the rear sway and they did not come with steel shells for the end links, poly only. They expected the customer to reuse the old steel shells. You have to somehow figure out how to push the bushing into the shell (steel sleeve) and then press that assembly into the sway bar. The other bigger bushings that mount nearer to the center of the bar were no problem. I just took the bar out of my car when I did mine.

I could never figure out how to get the bushing into the shells. Are you talking about the end links here?That is why I just reverted to OEM from the dealer, I needed to get the thing back on the road within my lifetime, was taking way too long. I called PST's tech line and the guy there couldn't tell me how to insert them either.
I'm sure somebody somewhere has used PST bushings in the rear of a vette before and knows how to get the bushings in there... I may figure it out eventually. In the meantime I really need a whole suspension rebuild now and was thinking of going with an entire poly kit from Vette Brakes, hopefully their kit has the bushings in the shells already.

Where did you buy your's from?

Thanks

I bought mine from Vette Brakes and Parts. Can you send me a picture of the pieces that you have? I'm still not clear with what you are saying. The end links have the round bushing with the metal sleeve that goes through it, this portion is what mates with the bracket on the rear hub assembly. There is an identical bushing that goes in the end of the sway bar, this has the bolt that goes through the the other end of the end link. To remove the old bushings I just took a utility knofe and cut around the perimeter of the bushing and peeled that part off, then I took a C-clamp and a large socket and pressed the old one out. I then removed the thin metal sleeve that was pressed into the end link and sway bar where the bushing came out with a cold chisel (being careful not to damage the link or the bar. Then using the suggested tool from jmccloud I lubed up the new bushing and pressed it in. Dang, I wished I'd have taken pictures of the process.

 

[klkordzi]

Just finished redoing all the bushings on my 85 and I have to say the sway bar bushings were the bigest pita. I ended up sanding a slight bevel on one end and the slid right in.

 

[Trav]

85 Z-51 polyurethane install! Surprising easy!

Hey gang!

My wife and I just pulled the 700R4 out of my Vette for a rebuild. We figured we'd knock out some other stuff since the car was apart. A lucky step in the tranny removal was removing the exhaust. It actually came off easily and allowed access to everything in the rear suspension. Four bolts was all it took to drop the spare tire carrier and get it out of the way. We dropped the entire rear suspension, including the differential carrier, the four control rods, the rear shocks, rear sway bar and rear tie rod assembly. To remove the rubber bushings, we used the home mechanic's standby: a vise and a couple of sockets. The differential carrier was the worst of the bunch. *EPA - Don't read next sentence* Once it was out of the car, I lit up the rubber bushings with a propane-cylinder torch. A heat gunmight have worked, but to me, it's not a complete project until you bring fire or a hammer! It pressed out easily after being heated up. We had to take out all of the metal insert flanges, the big "ring-like" ones. The small ones came out okay after pressing them out with the vise. The easiest way to get the ones out of the diff carrier was to saw a seam on the inside with a hacksaw blade. Naturally, be careful that you don't go all the way through and into the aluminum carrier. Once that seam was done, we popped the protruding edge with a flat punch (and hammer!). Once a decent edge was lifted, we clamped on some needle-nose visegrips and rolled it like a spam can. Once that edge was up, we tapped it again with the flat punch and hammer until it came out. The whole process of one insert was about 5 minutes. Once all of the new poly bushings were in, it took three of us about 5 hours to reassemble the entire rear end, including the differential carrier, axle shafts, tie rods, control rods, shocks, spring end links, sway bar, brake calipers, tire carrier and wheels. The car was supported on jackstands (rear only) and we used one floor jack. A really handy thing to have is a 3-foot rachet extension and 5/16 socket. You can get to the axle shaft straps EASILY once the rear tires are off. The neatest thing was how intuitive the whole process was. We didn't have to look at the book until we did the final bolt torques. Don't be afraid to do this... I'm a weekend mechanic and had never attempted anything like this and it went very well. We didn't need any special tools. I do recommend having a can of PB Blaster handy! It made life much easier. Oh yeah, while you're in there, change the u-joints too! Heavy duty ones that come without any grease fittings! Removing the exhaust gives you easy (well, easier) access to everything. I should also add that no blood sacrifices had to be made in order to satisfy the Bowtie Gods. Tackle this!! It wasn't bad at all.