droplink bushing removal/installation

I am trying to replace the metal encased rubber bushing that is inserted into the front droplink. I am having trouble getting the bushing out of the droplink. I have tried pressing it out on my vise with a couple of sockets, but it is requiring a bit more force than I am currently willing to try. Are these really pressed in there that tightly? Should I just try a bit more force? Or perhaps is there another method that works better?

thanks,
Aaron

 

Shouldn't be too hard to get them out. Are you sure you have the correct socket sizes?
You also might warm the droplink a bit. The alloy expands significantly more than the steel.
Be careful; I'm not quite sure about the front ones, but the rear ones are made of magnesium alloy and are crazy $$$$$, if you need a new one.
I once broke one driving through a deep pothole.

Best Regards from Germany
Martin
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Im pretty sure the socket would fit inside the hole. It seems a bit smaller than the OD of the larger metal spacer. I would imagine these are also of magnesium as they are quite light weight.

Ill give the heat a try and see if they loosen up a bit.

thanks,
Aaron

 

I just did my entire rear susp on my gt4. I couldn't get the drop link bushings out no matter what I tried. Went to a local shop and he pressed them out with a press and sandblasted them and installed the new ones for 40 bux. sweet

 

Btw after they were sandblasted I shined them up a little with a brownish red scotchbrite and sprayed a few coats of matt finish wheel clear to protect. Looks awesome. I can't upload photos for some reason

 

Had Zero issues with my rears, old out or new in.

Used a socket and vice.

 

A little bit of heat did the trick. Once the bushing started moving it became much easier to get it the rest of the way out.

Now I just have to wait for my sockets to cool to put the new ones in.

thanks!
Aaron

 

Im not sure what the torque specs for the nuts holding the drop link in place.

I think I read that the lower nut is set to 7kgm. The workshop manual reads "sock absorber to lower lever". However, this seems a bit high and might crush the inner metal insert of the bushing?

Im not sure what the upper nut is in the WSM. Perhaps the "securing front link and shock absorber support"? That torque is 6kgm.

Anyone know?

thanks,
Aaron

 

Along with the torque spec, Im not sure which way to put the bolt in that goes through the lower portion of the drop link. From the TAV it looks like the bolt is inserted from the other side of the shock. However, I have seen in many suspension rebuild threads that the original direction was opposite this (including my car). Most put it back on though like the TAV indicates. Does this matter?

There is a small shoulder on the bolt near the head. Im not sure the reason for this and so I suspect it may need to be placed on the drop link side like I took it off.

Anyone know for sure?

thanks,
Aaron

 

I would think the shoulder on the bolt is just a matter of the length. Typical manufacturing only threads so far up longer bolts. Generally anything over about 1-1/4" starts getting a shoulder with no threads unless it's specified to thread further up.

As for torque specs in the GT4 WSM it shows 7kgm for both ends of the sway bar. That shouldn't be enough to do any damage. That's about 50 ft/lbs so not excessive.

 

John,

I think, the shoulder, Aaron is talking about has nothing to do with the length and the threaded portion. I think, the shoulder is this, what I show on my attached picture. ( sorry for poor pic. WTF does an Ipad lack a flashlight, while Iphones have one?)

I agree with John regarding the torque. And on my car the bolt head is on the drop link side. I just reassembled it like it was before and would state, that it simply doesn't matter. Except, that you wouldn't have to pull the bolt, when installing or removing the droplink, if the bolt head would be on the opposite side.

Best Regards from Germany
Martin
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Ah, didn't notice that one. Been awhile since I've been under there.

 

Heim joint will work too if you don't care about originality.