Stuart:
The job can be done with a good set of sockets, a jack, jack
stands, and a tool to press out the bushings.
The tool I used was a two jaw gear puller, available for a few
bucks at an auto parts store. If you have a large enough socket, you can
skip the gear puller, and use a long bolt from the junk drawer and a
socket to press the bushings in and out. You can remove the suspension
spring by hand after disconnecting the lever shock so that the arm will
drop down low enough to take the pressure off the spring.
You will not be able to get the bushings out unless you have
some sort of tool, either purchased or home made. The bushings are a
press fit and are the only challenge to the job. The rest is pretty
basic. The first time you do this you will need to remove the trailing
arm brackets from the frame - the bolts that secure the trailing arms to
the brackets do not have a enough room to be removed with the brackets
in place. HOWEVER, when reassembling, you can install the bolts in the
opposite direction and if/when you need to access the trailing arms
again you can leave the brackets attached to the frame.
Cheers,
Vance
P.S. I reluctantly switched to urethane bushings as new rubber
bushings only lasted 2 years before they started sagging again. Others
on the list were saying "urethane" but I was afraid of squeaks. I should
have listened the first time.
-----Original Message-----
From: 6pack-bounces+vance.navarrette=intel.com@autox.team.net
[mailto:6pack-bounces+vance.navarrette=intel.com@autox.team.net] On
Behalf Of Stuart Thompson
Sent: Wednesday, March 26, 2008 7:09 AM
To: 6 Pack list
Subject: [6pack] Trailing Arm Bushings
Fellow List Mates:
I have decided to tackle the job of replacing my trailing arm bushings
by
myself.
It looks fairly simple to do but I am not a mechanic and have limited
work
space
& tools. Is there anything I should know about before attempting this on
my
own?
Or, should I just take it to the foreign car guy and let him rip me a
new
one?
Stuart Thompson
'74 TR6
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