Replacing bushes & "A" frame joint

When I did mine I removed the mounting brackets from the chassis (3 bolts each) as it was easier than getting the bush bolts out. I advise you replace the balljoint as well whilst the A frame is off.

Mike

"Muddymike" wrote

Yes, that was my intention. Thanks for the info.

When you put it all back together, get the ball joint nipped up, but leave the chassis arm brackets a little loose, so you can center the axle left/right to the chassis. It's suprising how far off it can be. When right, then tighten those bracket to chassis bolts.

If they look at all crusty, or were a bit of a struggle to remove. Best replace them with new. Likewise the big bar stewards that go through the bushes.

Oh yes, while you can do all that on your own, it's a right hassle and faff. Best to ply some (soon to be ex) friend to lie on their back and help you wrestle it all back into place. Those 'A' frames are remarkably heavy when your trying to ballance and line them up all on your tod. They hurt too when one end drops on your delicate bits!

Also, if using normal (standard bonded metalastic) bushes, leave the bolts through them slack, not "loose", just not nipped up, so that the center metal tube can rotate round the bolt when you let it sit back on the suspension. Then nip the bolts up tight once it's sitting on its wheels right. Result, less setress on the bushes. Poly's dont need that, this is just for the standard metalastic types. It's all in the manual as they say, but so many people forget it.

Dont' forget the rear trailing arm bushes. If the 'A' frame ones need doing, chances are the trailing arm ones do too. I know, more work and grazed knuckles, new bolts etc...

Once done, you should notice a difference in handling. Especialy if any of the old bushes turn out to be realy bad.

I did my rear suspension overhaul last year, as a result of bending a trailing arm at a club RTV (non damaging right?)

Must do the front end this year I think, it feels a bit wayward at times.

See next post about a 2" lift!

Take care.

Dave B.

Thank you Dave, I will be using Poly bushes as the easy ones had already been done when I bought the 90 and he threw in the rest of the full set of poly bushes.

. .

Plan on taking your time, don't rush things.

Getting the ball joint to separiate from the axle can be a pain, I used a commercial splitter, but even then had to chain it in place to make it work!

Support the vehicle on good quality stands under the chassis, just high enough for the wheels to just come off the ground. Also plan to support the axle with seperate stands. It's much easier that way, as you get lots more room and nothing can move unexpectedly.

Consider placing the two wheels stacked on their sides, under the chassis somewhere, so if something gives out, it doesnt fall all the way to the ground, or that will ruin your day.

If you have to cut bolts off, try to use an air powered saw, most grinders are too big to get in where you need them. A manual hacksaw does work (with decent blades!) But it'll make you sweat and swear! Typicaly the trailing arms to axle fixings from personal experience, even old polybush tubes can rust onto the bolts, despite anti rust precautions when they were assembled! So you have to cut through both sides inside the bracket to remove the barstewards!

Once you have the 'A' frame off, with chassis brackets, it's not dificult with a good bench vice to pull the rest apart, and a lot easier if you have to saw the bolts. Take care though, those brackets are cast iron, so don't go hitting things with large lump hammers, too much.....

If the ball joint wont come out of the 'A' frame, you can remove the carrier from the two side arms, then you can heat it easier, or give it to a local engineering shop with a huge press. You may need to do that anyway to fit the new one, as you will *NOT* be able to press it in with the side bolts, or even most vices (sometimes you can, but mostly it just doesnt work.) Mine took a 15t press last time, and the bloke who did it for me said it was on the limit pressing the new one back in.

Plan for the worst (needing extenal assistance) and you will only have good surprises. I also tend to replace all the fixings doing a job like that. Easier to have known good stuff to hand, than have to wire brush things to see if they are good to reuse. Of course, if you're stuck in the middle of a desert or elswhere, you use what you have...

Again, take your time, and take care. Especialy in supporting the vehicle safely while your under it.

Regards.

Dave B.

Now then, all RTV trial sections are "non damaging". Its driving them wrongly that does damage :-)

Mike

Another technique which is worth knowing and may help if you can't get an angle grinder in ... for nuts where the bolt/stud can be sacrificed. Just put a drill bit (bolt diameter or a bit more) through the side of the nut and go right through. This severs the bolt and the nut is left hanging by a thread. It works very well for the bottom securing nuts on front shockers.

Not cast iron, cast steel!

Again you can do marvels without a proper press. If you tension the side bolts (don't go mad, though) then shock the two components together with hammers/tubes etc. and re-tension the bolts you can draw them together little by little. I'm not now sure (old age!) that's how I did mine: certainly no press, perhaps just tubes and a large hammer.

With suitable mandrels/tubes you can use the same technique and a central bolt and nut to push out/pull in cylindrical sleeved bushes.

Still relatively easy to break if not careful, but noted, thanks.

Indeed, just most of us don't have even that sort of stuff about, but there are plenty of commercial vehicle workshops about (in the UK) still, that if you talk to the "right people" things can get done properly for not much dosh. (The right people, being the guys in the overalls having a quick backy fix round the back, not the suits in the office!)

I alway do wheel bearings the "hard way", and have done them at the side of a dusty track too. Using a socket extension bar as a drift, and copper faced hammer as "the driving force". Theraputic at best,

Cheers All.

Dave B.

Letting #1 surrogate stepson drive it as well (double driven) that probably did it, that's my excuse. He did set to and do most of the work to make it stable, so we could drive home in front wheel drive only, did I say the rear prop UJ exploded too?

If the trailing arms on it now bend, that will be the least of the problems!

Regards.

Dave B.