Suspension bushing update

I am in the process of refurbing the suspension on a '77 GTB.

I read numerous threads on the whole process and the various ways people were pressing the bushings out after grinding the welds. RobzWorkz way of cock-eyed in a vise and a hammer, people burning the guts out, etc..

Well, I am replacing all the shock bushings also, so to make life easier for that I ordered Hill Engineering's 42mm press tool. https://www.hillengineering.co.uk/tools/bush-extractors/brt-02

Fiddling around getting ready to tackle pressing out the A-arm bushings, I grabbed the press tool and Wala! The base of the tool fits perfectly over the bushing spacer and HE also mills a flat spot on it that lets it clear the cross member! A socket and a vise and they press right out with no effort at all!

Kudos to Hill Engineering! I highly recommend getting the press tool if you are tackling this job.

Just thought I would pass this along as I had not seen or heard of it in any of my research.

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Very nice.

I made a similar tool out of galvanized iron gas pipe union. It was a lot of grinding and fitting to get it to fit. IIRC one of the rear bushings is right up against the a-arm.

It now circulates around friends here in the SF Bay Area. I believe “Black Horse” has just passed it on to someone else.

 

Regardless of how you change them, you will love the end result which is a new car feel.

 

Awesome.. I’ve done the bushings on two of my cars and made a similar tool too but used a large socket that I sacrificed and ground down one side


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And one more thing to add when pushing out the old bushings.... a cheater bar is required and its highly recommended to use a large industrial vise... Don't be surprise after pushing out all 16 bushing that your vise doesn't operate normally afterwards... It's a workout for both you and your vise!!!!

 

Or, just find someone with a press.

 

You will need a very serious-quality press to get the same precision as a modest-quality vice.

I bought a modest-quality press (not a super cheap one), and there was still too much slop in the mechanism.

I do still use the press for a variety of things, but if I can use the vice, that is the tool I prefer...

 

I tried BLACK HORSE’s hydraulic press but reverted back to my bench vice. It is impossible to “feel” whether or not you’ve got things aligned and moving with a press.