Suspension bushes - Charger

morgan · Post by **morgan** » Mon Feb 11, 08 9:09 pm

Got all me winter bits (I know , I know, I'm late) - New bushes all round (usual dry and cracked) and shocks are the first order of the day.

Everyone I have spoken to has sucked air through their teeth and said "ooh - that'll be a tricky job"....

Only bushes I have done were on my old kit car and the Cortina they came off ! I had a tool that made winding bushes in and out nice and easy - hoping this is the same.

Q1 - Anyone have a bush-tool-thing supplier ? Figure I should get one.
Q2 - Front torsion bars - whats the deal with these ? Are they gonna go 'twang' when I start taking apart ?

Thanks in advance -

Morgan.

Dave-R · Post by **Dave-R** » Mon Feb 11, 08 9:43 pm

For the torsion bars. Lift up the car so the wheels are hanging and back off the torsion bar adjusters (in the bottom of each LCA) until you can remove them. This takes off the load on the bars.

Next remove the cir-clip on the rear of each bar in the trans cross-member. Then clamp something around each bar and hammer the hell out of it rearwards. Be careful not to dig into the bar as this causes stress cracks. The bars come out backwards through the trans cross-member.

After that it is all easy. The hardest bits are the UCA bushings which have to be pressed out and in. The LCA pivot bush you just set fire to and the pivot falls out leaving the metal outer sleeve behind which you can then tease out with a big chisel and mash hammer.

Pete · Post by **Pete** » Mon Feb 11, 08 10:04 pm

Morgan, if you are down the club Wednesday we can discuss then

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Mon Feb 11, 08 10:42 pm

Morgan , you thought your braking system was stressful.

Tis an orrible job.

Your gonna need an arbour press for those LCAs , or a doorframe (only messin Dave).

Don't set the underseal alight when you heat the UCAs up.

, LCA bushing can be done off the car.

Place a jack under the Botton ball joint before you remove the bolts.

Blue · Post by **Blue** » Tue Feb 12, 08 7:33 am

I have an upper ball joint socket, you take those out with the arm still attached to the car. I have access to a hot spanner and a press if you want the old bushes removed and the new ones pressed in. Other than that you don't need any special tools, the whole job is not too bad at all really.

morgan · Post by **morgan** » Tue Feb 12, 08 8:29 am

Thanks as ever... Have printed this out and will try and get an accurate assessment of situation tonight.

Herts mob - yep, am aiming to be there wednesday - Am likely to bend your ears about it.

Morgan.

PS - I prefer Blues assessment of "Not too bad" to Adams of "'orrible Job". I know which one it'll turn into for me though

Still, all part of the fun, right ?

Dave-R · Post by **Dave-R** » Tue Feb 12, 08 8:49 am

Adam68 wrote: Don't set the underseal alight when you heat the UCAs up. , LCA bushing can be done off the car.

No need to heat the UCA bushings! Just the LCA. The bushings are done off the car.

As blue said, remove the upper ball joint (with the special 3/4 drive socket) while the UCA is still on the car because it is a tight bugger. A scaffold pole or jack handle slipped over your breaker bar might help if they are particulaly tight.

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Tue Feb 12, 08 11:04 am

Had to heat the Upper control arm to get it moving , which then caught fire.

Dave-R · Post by **Dave-R** » Tue Feb 12, 08 11:11 am

Bloody hell Adam.

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Tue Feb 12, 08 11:58 am

Adam68 wrote:Had to heat the Upper control arm to get it moving , which then caught fire.

Did you hear any voices come from the burning bush Ad?

Dave-R · Post by **Dave-R** » Tue Feb 12, 08 12:32 pm

That sounds like a bad case of thrush to me Clive.

Ivor · Post by **Ivor** » Tue Feb 12, 08 12:57 pm

You guys!

Well, I suppose it saves a trip to the foot of Mount Sinai!

Stu · Post by **Stu** » Tue Feb 12, 08 4:55 pm

Dave wrote: which you can then tease out with a big chisel and mash hammer.

Brilliant!

Have this job coming up very soon. Not looking forward to it...

Have to replace the rear springs at the same time too.

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Tue Feb 12, 08 7:49 pm

Clivey wrote:
Adam68 wrote:Had to heat the Upper control arm to get it moving , which then caught fire.

Did you hear any voices come from the burning bush Ad?

You know me Clivey , love a bushey armpit.

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Wed Feb 13, 08 12:15 am

Dave wrote:
Adam68 wrote: Don't set the underseal alight when you heat the UCAs up. , LCA bushing can be done off the car.
No need to heat the UCA bushings! Just the LCA. The bushings are done off the car.

As blue said, remove the upper ball joint (with the special 3/4 drive socket) while the UCA is still on the car because it is a tight bugger. A scaffold pole or jack handle slipped over your breaker bar might help if they are particulaly tight.

yea i made up a socket and welded an old half inch shallow socket to the top of that.then used a jack handle on the end of me bracker bar. ive never felt me bar flex like that befor lol, mind ya nuckle i did slip off the end and punched the wing, and yes it did hert and yes i did look a muppet out front of me house lol