Swing spring bushes

Nick59 · #1 24th October 2011, 11:29

Help

I have had no problem re-bushing everything, with exception of the swing spring. I have new red polybushes which have tapered lips and the bloody things will not go in.
I am begining to think I need to remove the eye sleeve to get them to fit?

I have tried G clamp, vice, to no avail....anyone know any tricks? In desparation I was thinking of cutting them in half and fitting from either side......of course there is the possibility that they are the wrong ones?

mulberry · #2 24th October 2011, 12:14

i put my spring bush`s in with 40ton press........thats the tool for the job.its gonna be a... ..son of a .....sheep otherwise.

Nick59 · #3 24th October 2011, 13:36

Oh crap!
Well I suppose you do have the advantage of a plentiful supply of cider presses!!

looks like I need to seek out a friendly machine shop? although sash cramp and extension on the handles may provide enough leverage?

Mister Towed · #4 24th October 2011, 15:58

This is what works for me:

Pay your bushes some compliments. Buy them a drink. Soften the lights and play Sade 'Diamond Life' in the background. Then take a tub of vaseline...
Oh, hang on a minute, wrong kind of bush.

The vaseline could help though.

garyh · #5 24th October 2011, 16:21

ask for a demo...

Psycho pops · #6 27th October 2011, 19:42

I removed the eye sleeve.
I tried fitting mine today and realised that it would be too tight, if you calliper the sleeve and the poly bush they are almost exactly the same diameter.
It seems the sleeve is for the rubber bush, ( The guy at Canleys was explaining the sleeve needs removing from the rear bush on the diff before you can insert a poly bush which got me thinking). Tonight i cut out the sleeve from the eye of the swing spring, plenty of soap and the inner removed from the poly bush and it pushed in a snug fit, with the centre then put back in its not going anywhere.
Hope this helps
Psycho pops

Mister Towed · #7 28th October 2011, 09:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by Psycho pops

I removed the eye sleeve.
I tried fitting mine today and realised that it would be too tight, if you calliper the sleeve and the poly bush they are almost exactly the same diameter.
It seems the sleeve is for the rubber bush, ( The guy at Canleys was explaining the sleeve needs removing from the rear bush on the diff before you can insert a poly bush which got me thinking). Tonight i cut out the sleeve from the eye of the swing spring, plenty of soap and the inner removed from the poly bush and it pushed in a snug fit, with the centre then put back in its not going anywhere.
Hope this helps
Psycho pops

How easy/hard was it to cut the sleeve out of the spring ends?

I'm guessing the swing-spring eyes are the same as the swing-axle ones?

Nick59 · #8 28th October 2011, 12:51

Thanks pyscho pops....it confirms my thoughts but didn`t want to cut it out only to find i needed the bloody things....much happier now that you have done it....I am only to eager to learn by others mistakes (having cut slots out of the side of my petrol tank flange only to find I was trying to put it in the wrong way round....oops)

Psycho pops · #9 28th October 2011, 18:13

Hi Nick
The sleeves were a doddle, Using a hacksaw I cut a slot the length of it, then removed the hacksaw and drove out the shell with a punch, five minute job.

cbjroms · #10 6th November 2011, 15:59

Psycho Pops

Am I understanding you correctly about the rear of the diff - The guy at Canleys was explaining the sleeve needs removing from the rear bush on the diff before you can insert a poly bush which got me thinking? How did you get these out?

Thanks

Chris

Psycho pops · #11 6th November 2011, 17:47

Hi Chris
Once the rubber bushing was out I just knocked the sleeve out with a hammer and punch, they are very soft metal and the end bent inward and it drifted out quite easy, the poly bush then went in a doddle, ( plenty of washing up liquid keeps it lubed)
Cheers Stewart

Mister Towed · #12 7th November 2011, 08:02

Mine were corroded in so I had to hacksaw through them at the gap where the end of the spring curls back on itself, then 'peel' them out of shape with a screwdriver until they could just be pushed out.

They definitely had to come out as a bit of measuring showed that the new bushes would have been a serious interference fit with them in place causing major distortion of the bush.

Good luck.

cbjroms · #13 7th November 2011, 08:12

Apologies for any confusion that I have caused by creeping this thread to the bushes at the rear of the diff.

But earlier post in the thread mentioned that the sleeves have to be removed from the two lugs on the rear of the diff before poly replacements can be fitted. Looking at the lugs, there do not appear to be any sleeves but my SuperFlex bushes are definitely much larger than the hole.

When I removed the rubber I just burnt it out and so the sleeves will definitely still be there. But how do I get them out?

Thanks

Chris

Psycho pops · #14 7th November 2011, 08:37

Hi Chris
Having just done this the best method for sleeve removal I found was to take a large hacksaw. take the blade from the frame and put it into the sleeve, then put the frame back on the blade with it through the the sleeve.
You can then cut a slot from the inside, ( if necessary two slots opposite each other ) and drive out the sleeve I found once it was cut through the sleeve loosened and drove out pretty easily.
Not as easy to describe as it is to do...
Cheers Psycho

Mister Towed · #15 7th November 2011, 08:38

Hi Chris, you had to look very carefully at mine to see them because they were corroded in and looked like an integral part of the spring.

If you examine the eye end of the spring you'll see that there's a gap where the end of the flat spring curls round without quite forming a full circle.

You should notice that the gap is bridged by a thin piece of steel, which is the edge of the metal guide tube that the rubber bush sits in.

That's the point where I sawed through mine and prized them out with a screwdriver, which took about half an hour.

If yours don't look like the above description post some pics and we'll have a collective head-scratch.

Good luck facing this challenge!

Psycho pops · #16 7th November 2011, 08:43

Mr Towed
I think Chris has moved onto the the diff now, the two lugs that are bolted to the chassis, in either case I have found that cutting with a hacksaw is best practice with the sleeves being much softer than the casing. Chris , as Mr Towed says a picture would help someone one here will have already faced the same issues.

Mister Towed · #17 7th November 2011, 10:48

Oops, that'll teach me to post replies when I've just finished a set of night shifts.

Haven't got round to refitting my differential yet, sounds like there's more hacksawing ahead.

cbjroms · #18 7th November 2011, 19:51

Psycho Pops,

Used your technique with a hacksaw and it worked really well. Sleeves are now out and, as you said, SuperFlex bush fit really nicely.

Thanks for the help.

Chris

Psycho pops · #19 7th November 2011, 20:36

Glad to hear it was a success sounds like you are at a similar stage as me with the build.

Good luck
Psycho