Urethane IRS trailing arm bushing

I lost my patient on waiting for rubber bushing that I bought the urethane IRS trailing arm bushing. I also order a Koni shocks to put on rear (buy the best and cry once). I will also reset the high on the rear. I can hardily go under the car because I only have stands to put the car on. About 500 mm from the ground.

How big is the pain on a job like this?=20

Jo=E3o

Reply to
joao_eliseu
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Anyone knows of a website with detail picture?

Reply to
joao_eliseu

Well to replace the trailing arm bushings, you must remove the trailing arms. This can be quite an adventure, especially if you can't get the

17mm hex bolt loose. When I replaced mine, I was also replacing the rear bearings and CV joints at the same time. So I pretty much had the bearing housing gutted, then removed the trailing arm (you must also remove the bolts that attach the trailing arm to the spring plates). Now, what to do once you get the trailing arm off? If you have access to a press, that would be the best way to get the old bushings out, and new ones in. I believe with the urethane trailing arm bushings that you must reuse the metal sleeve from your old bushing.

Also if you are doing all this, I hope that you bought new spring plate bushings (RUBBER, not urethane). The urethane ones will squeak.

Its quite a job, but if you are pretty handy, not too bad. Be sure to make your marks on the trailing arms where the spring plates line up. Also be sure to have a protractor so you can measure the spring plate angle.

If you have a Bentley manual and a Haynes manual, you should be in good shape.

Good luck!

Dane '69 Bug '63 Bug

joao snipped-for-privacy@hotmail.com wrote:

Reply to
Dane Tyler

I was hopping that it wouldn't be necessary to remove the trailing arms. I also can imagine that removing the old ones with the arm in place would be a really pain. May be they are a split rubber bushing. I think that Remco mentioned that the rubber can be split. I will try to replace then without removing the CV joints. I have the Haynes manual I will read it very carefully. I will also google to see what I can find. Thanks for you reply

Jo=E3o

Reply to
joao_eliseu

Hey Jo=E3o - long time no chat.

I pulled mine from above, since my body is off the frame. That 17mm bolt is a real bear to turn because the edge of the hole is peened over into the bolt. For me, I had to slip a cheater over the allen wrench - it took some muscle.

After you loosen the 17mm allen bolt, my arm was able to move out of the way. I moved mine up, but suspect you can move it down equally well. I don't think you have to remove the CV joints - in mine, there was enough 'play' to move it out of the way.

That bushing is split. It comes out quite well if you can pry a paint roller cleaning tool under it and work it loose (let me know if you need a picture of what I am talking about). I also sprayed silicone spray where the rubber and metal meets. PB blaster is probably good too. It helps getting it out.

Remco

Reply to
Remco

Hi Remco,

Thanks for the tip. Let see if after replacing the bushing put a Koni and check the alignment I car drive with good handling and 150 km/h :-) I haven't seen any picture on you car recently. How is the work going? Is still snowing over there? The temperature here right now (12 am) is the 20=BAC so it hot for a winter day. I have to go for a ride :-)=20

Jo=E3o

Reply to
joao_eliseu

I am jealous of that nice weather, Jo=E3o..

Yesterday was nice (about 60 F, sunny). Went for a cruise and saw two bugs today - nice to see and felt sorry I didn't have mine ready yet. Today is overcast and 50 so it is heading in the right direction. Soon I'll be working in my garden again (another hobby - I have too many interests :) ).

It is going pretty good. I had to take the bottom of the frame head off to do some repair. When the weather clears up, I'll paint the inside and put a new framehead bottom back on. There's also this stuff Ben Boyle turned me on to called "Fluid Film".

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It is a goop that you smear along where you want to prevent rust. It never dries out and drives out water so prevents rust. So first I'll smear the fluid film all in the tunnel, best I can where I can - then I'll close the bottom and paint the whole outside of the thing (another reason I am looking forward to nice weather). Not sure what I'll use for paint yet. Was thinking a flat black or gray paint for the pan to hide imperfections.

Remco

Reply to
Remco

That "Fluid Film" looks good. I live on a country where the weather isn't too bad but it's hard to find a lot of things and when we do they are very expensive. We can't have everything! At lest we have good wine and food and girls :-) Good luck on your project and keep us informed.

Jo=E3o

Reply to
joao_eliseu

You guys have good wine, food and girls? All we have moldy bread, stale water and old hags.. I was jealous of your weather before but I am really jealous now!! :)

Thanks! I will.

Reply to
Remco

I'm stuck! I removed the socket head screw from the trailing arm. I also remove the 3 screws from the spring plate, but I can't remove the end of trailing arm to remove the bushing. Looks like the brake lines are short or the drive shaft doesn't allow me to move the trailing arm enough to have access to the bushing. I don't know what to do. I have already thought on give up. I'm afraid on begin to take everything apart. I don't want to mess with the brakes to avoid bleed them. I need some advice from the experts and some motivation to go on :-)

Jo=E3o

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Reply to
joao_eliseu

Hey Jo=E3o

I did mine from above - there's not enough 'slop' to drop it below, then? If the brake line is in the way or too, couldn't you just disconnect that connector from the frame, giving it a little more slack?

I think those things just unbolt with a 12mm wench..

Here are pictures of that bolt/connector taken with my underwater frame camera: :)

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Remco

Reply to
Remco

Thanks for the pictures from your underwater frame camera :-) My fear is that I can damage the brake line. I also have to build a tool to remove the bushing. It would help if I could count with the help from someone from RAMVA here with me to help :- ) I have good wine and I will do a barbecue for lunch ;-)

Jo=E3o

Reply to
joao_eliseu

Even if I unbolt the 12mm wench I have no room, because it hits the support. Dane was absolutely right. I have to remove the CV Joint :-( I have to think if it worth the effort.

Jo=E3o

Reply to
joao_eliseu

Sound good -- If I leave now, maybe I'll be there for lunch tomorrow and we can both curse at your IRS :)

RAMVA has slowed down some - have you tried theSamba.com? It is quite active with lots of people that know their stuff. Suspect quite a few from here actually hang out there.

I looked at my pictures some more -- maybe you do need to loosen the brake line to get enough slop from below. If you disconnected the axle from the tranny, would that give you enough slop? You would have to be careful with the CV, but maybe you can just disconnect it, do what you have to do and reconnect it?

Remco

Reply to
Remco

Now that I have lunch I went to theSamba.com to see if I found something. FYI the lunch was fantastic. To disconnect the CV joint I have to buy a new tool because I don't trust the one I have. If I broke something I will be in trouble and I also must be sure that I don't contaminate the CV joint with dust. I never disconnected a CV joint so I don't know if it's a hard job but it doesn't look difficult. The issue is that the screws are well torque and you need a first quality tool I will try to buy a Beta.

Jo=E3o

Reply to
joao_eliseu

I had a ham and egg sandwhich for lunch. We're BBQing later on, from what my wife tells me. Actually "US" BBQing means me standing out in the cold, rain and snow next to the grill. We do that year around. You'd be welcome to join us. :)

Please note that I am not suggesting that will do the trick, but looking at my tranny again, it would seem that you would get some lateral play if you disconnect it. From the looks of it, the thing should be able to move the arm towards the center of the bug and then downwards. It might actually be easier to bleed the brakes and disconnect the brake line. If you do decide to try that, I'd make sure you protect the CV with a plastic bag and ziptie around it and the axle so crud can't get in.

Remco

Reply to
Remco

Thanks for the invitation. I built my grill outside but under a roof :-) so I also can grill during all year.

Looking to my tranny I think that if I release the spring plate I can move the trailing arm to get the necessary clearance to remove the bushing. Have you release your spring plate? Thank to you support.

Jo=E3o

Reply to
joao_eliseu

You mean to undo those three bolts on the spring plate? Yes, I did take them out - didn't you take those off already.. I did not take that spring plate off the torsion bar, though.

Make sure you mark the exact position so you can put it back in the exact position. (I used a silver sharpie pen to make sure it was really visible). I also remember reading that you don't want to scratch that spring plate's finish. Apparently, it is prone to rusting.

Remco

Reply to
Remco

Actually, you don't want to scratch the torsion bar (or spring). I'm pretty sure it doesn't matter if you scratch the spring plates, since they are exposed all the time anyway.

Joao, have you made any more progress? The only advice I can offer is to remove the CV joints (they probably need cleaning and repacking anyway, right?) and then remove the trailing arm. I know it sounds like a pain, but in the end you can be assured that you won't have to take all that mess apart anymore.

How do you plan on getting the old bushings out, and the new ones in? Do you have access to a press?

Dane '69 Bug '63 Bug

Reply to
Dane Tyler

You're right. I could swear that I read something that said that the spring plates were painted with some sort of special paint, something to that effect. I've been looking for that reference and the only close one I could find was page 55 in my Bentley, in reference to scratching up the torsion bar - so forget what I said. Scratch away :)

Reply to
Remco

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