Re: Rear trailing arm problem

[Mike Valant <mev4474@domain.elided>]

You will have to take the arm off of the car for this. You will have to
push the old bushing out of the trailing arm, which may not be easy. The
steel outer sleeve of the bushing may have "bonded" with the steel
mating sleeve welded into the trailing arm. Soak that thing down with
the penetrant of your choice, and let it sit for a while. Then, attempt
to work the bushing out (slowly!) using a punch and hammer. Go around
the metal sleeve at one end, carefully punching the bushing's sleeve
only. Try not to resort to clamping the arm in a vise - it is easy to
bend the sheetmetal, and doing so will only make things worse.

If you are very resourceful or lucky, you might find something which is
just a bit smaller than the bushing sleeve. You can use a cylinder or
pipe to evenly drive the old bushing out; however, the device must
contact the old bushing sleeve all of the way around without touching
the rubber part (i.e. it must have a hollow in the center), and it must
not be large enough to jam in the trailing arm as you beat.

There is a third way. This is brutal (to the old bushing) but it is
actually the easiest way if you are careful. Take the trailing arm to a
drill press. Using a 3/8 or 7/16 drill, savage the rubber of the old
bushing until the inner sleeve falls out. Then, slick up a brand new
hack saw blade with axle grease  or motor oil, and thread it through the
(now hideous-looking) bushing. Attach your hack saw and begin hacking
away at the offending outer sleeve. CUT THE SLEEVE EVENLY! You want to
cut completely through the bushing sleeve without damaging the trailing
arm. Use the blade to cut away the rubber so that you can see what you
are doing. When the bushing sleeve is finally severed, it can be very
easily removed with a punch and a few light hammer taps.

MeV

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