Bother with my bush

[cauchoiskev]

Front wishbone bush, that is. I've had the bits for years and been meaning to replace them, so having a bit of free time this morning, I tried it.

Everything went reasonably well until I tried to get the threaded pin out. It seems to be rusted solid on the bushes. I tried hammering it backwards to loosen it, but that just distorted the rubber. Then I tried to wind it out from the front with a spanner as a spacer, but it won't budge.

So, now I'm looking at knocking up some kind of DIY inertial hammer type tool, but if anybody has some simple miracle solution for this...

[KevR]

I've always managed it using the front nut and series of spacers - never had any joy using a slide hammer. I suspect you'd need a seriously chunky one.
To start with you could try to get the pin moving by putting two nuts on each end and locking them off against each other, then trying to turn it with two spanners at once. Heat is always a good idea too, although trickier if you don't want to set fire to the bushes...
All this is assuming you haven't already liberally soaked everything in releasing fluid for days on end - if you haven't, you should...

[Tinkley]

You have three options as I see it. One is drop the entire subframe and then you can really hit the end of the spindle/pin. Take care of the thread though. You can also try and force a wedge into the other end to help. It may also allow you to destroy the rubber with heat, maybe burn through it, or cut it, though I've not tried this myself, then saw the inner bush sleeve part off. You will need to saw the outer part of the bush (in the wishbone) anyway, unless you have access to a reasonable press.

Second option is to work the pin out using the front nut against some spacers, but if it really rusted solid....

The third option is to find and buy a new spindle/pin (16mm on later post '85? models), saw through the pin and remove wishbone. Grease the hell out of the pin and bush on reassembly. The spindle/pin will only come out forward, which is pretty obvious, IF you leave the subframe in place.

If you can't get replacement spindles, and the second option does not work, I personally would drop the whole subframe. It's actually not too hard as long as the brake piping ends come undone relatively easily. You can support the steering rack in situ by tying it up.

AFAIK the pins are at least 8.8, maybe 10.9 steel so do not use anything with a lower tensile strength. The new bushes can be fitted by using a very good vice or press. They are a pretty tight fit, so clean the wishbone aperture with wet and dry and lubricate. Note there is actually a way round for the bushes to be pressed in, which is not obvious so check that out too.

[cauchoiskev]

Many thanks for the replies.

@KevR, I did try the two nut/two spanner trick, nothing doing. I only soaked the area when I hit the problem, so I will continue for a while before trying again.

@Tinkley, I really don't want to be dropping the subframe unless absolutely necessary. I was wrong : the bushes are not rusted to the pin, so it must be to the subframe itself. After a good long soaking, I'll try again with the front nut and spacers, but first I'll make up some kind of tool I can whack just in case...

[Tinkley]

If I remember right the bushes have a steel outer sleeve which fits in the wishbone and a steel inner sleeve through which the spindle/pin goes through. In between the two steel sleeves is the rubber part. I would surmise that the inner sleeve is slightly rusted to the spindle....
It cannot be held just by the rubber as there is no direct contact, unless the design changed, certainly on my '88 and '91 built cars this has been the case.
Soaking the rubber will destroy the rubber itself, if you use the right solvent and maybe this would release the bush. Again I've not tried this but know that the rubber does not like engine oil or LHM on it. I also do not know the exact rubber composition ie real rubber or synthetic such as polyurethane or it would be a bit easier to find an aggresive solvent.
If your using spacers, make sure you are forcing the inner sleeve not just the outer or it will just stretch the rubber and you won't get enough load on to shift it.

[Kitch]

I went with:

*Nut removed from rear
*Tighten front nut up further than it is, to give you maximum thread to work with, plus back & forth motion helps a lot in these situations, and spray loads of fluid on the surface each time
*Spacer, washer and nut on front, tighten up again & remove
*Nut back on rear, tighten up again,
*Back to the front, only try to wind it even further
*Then the back
*Then the front
*If really, really stuck, use both nuts on one end as a locknut, then try and rotate the whole thing

Good luck!