Proper installation of Urethane front bushings

I finally got the right kit for installing Urethane bushings on my front beam. Got long ones for the top and two shorter ones on the bottom - Whoo-Hoo!!

Tried installing the Driver's side top bushing and found it to be a tight press fit. Chamfered the inner (leading) edge to let it go in a little easier and drove it in with a 4X4 block with a hole in the end to accept the torsion bar.

Everything went OK until the outer collar got to about 1/2" away from the torsion tube end, then it seemed to stop. It's a little crowded in there to really whale on it, plus I'm using only a 1-1/2 lb. ball peen hammer on it, so I may not be hitting it too hard, but is it normal to have to really hammer on these upper bushings to get'em in there?

I'm just afraid of hitting it too hard and having it crack at the end or something....

Suggestions???

Thanks! Gordon

Any chance you are fighting an old inner bushing, or perhaps a grease zerk that is too long? I recall you thinking that there were no inners, but I can't recall if the beam was new or not. Often times old inners are replaced by knocking them further in rather than trying to get them out...
I've certainly seen some stubborn sleeves, but never anything that a little persuasion didn't cure.

Thanks, Carey....I didn't think to look for a grease fitting up there, but I will when I get back out there. I know I have them on the bottom, but I don't remember installing them on the top because of the potetial for interference AND everyone told me I didn't have to grease Urethane bushings once they were installed.

This was a new beam that I bought long ago just as a beam. It had nothing pre-mounted to it, and I transferred what I wanted from the donor (mostly torsion bars, trailing arms, knuckles and tie rods) and went with Urethane bushings instead of needle/roller bearings. I looked inside with the best light I have and didn't see anything in there, so I'll keep playing with it until I get it right.

Thanks again....Gordon

Hmmmm...it does kinda sound like the inner plastic bushing is in there. Don't know but if you buy a beam without roller bearings does it also come without the inner plastic bush?

I tried those urethane bushes too but ended up throwing the whole beam out and buying another with the needle bearings in it. Although the urethane bushes were a tight fit, as were the trailing arms in the bushes, after just a bit of driving the car started to wander a bit. I found that one trailing arm had a fair bit of movement inside the urethane bush. Another arm had a little movement. I tried and tried but couldn't get the arms in there such that there was no movement at all....and the car still wandered. Dangerously so.

I recall posting that on this site and one or two folks chiming in with the same experiences so be careful. I was only going about 30 mph and I couldn't keep the car on track.

Roger that....

I got the one out that I've been messing with (it just pulled right out), and there appears to be a collar or something in there about 5-1/2" from the outer end of the tube. The bushing measures about 6" from inner end to the outer collar. I believe that the collar is in there to hold the inner needle bearing in place. I'll try cutting a chamfer onto the inner end of the bushing and see if that helps it to slide past the ridge, as I think its just getting hung up on that tiny ridge (looks like about 1/16" all the way around).

If that doesn't work, I'll have to decide whether to drive that collar farther in, or simply machine the end of the bushing down so it'll go in there nicely (and it's far easier to work on the bushing than to slam that collar farther in).

Stay tuned -it's always something with these cars!!

Oh! and one more question....

On the BOTTOM inner bushing: I have it oriented with the chamfer facing in as I'm supposed to, and I have the lower grease fitting out to see it as it gets to the hole, but do I simply put the bushing on the trailing arm and slide everything in together or do I have to somehow push the inner bushing in to the fitting hole without the trailing arm?? I can get a piece of pipe in there if I have to (the torsion bars have not been removed, though) but wonderd if everything would just slide in there on the trailing arm tube (hoping, at least).

Gordon
The "Speedstah Guy" out sweating in the garage

Alright.....they're in.

Three out of four were the slickest slip-in you ever saw. Used a 12" section of 1-1/4" ID pipe to drive the lower, inner bushings into place - Presto!!

The last (which was, actually, the first, but became the last out of sheer frustration) was a SUPER-MAJOR-FRIGGIN-PITA!!!!! I don't even want to talk about it..... 8>(

Have now formed a lasting friendship with the folks at Pender Bros. Metal Fabrication in Port Royal, SC. Great guys (and gals) along with great tools, too (and BOY! did I need them!!!) and a terrific "Southern Attitude" toward life and automotive front ends.

Finally gave up after getting the front end assembled and torqued. Looked at the un-assembled anti-sway bar, looked at the clock which showed cocktail hour and said "Screw it!" til tomorrow. Hope the Sox are playing the "Evil Empire" tonight - I could use the diversion, even if they lose. At least we can shout insults at "Johnny-Friggin-Damon"!!

gn
The tired and pissed off "Speedstah Guy" in Port Royal

Gee, all I did was install an air horn. Took 30 minutes.

AAAAAArrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgggggggggggghhh!!!!!! 8>|


Lane!

Coming to the Soft Shell Crab Festival in Port Royal this Saturday???

BIG Car show to go along with the festival, with show cars parking along Parris Avenue in Port Royal (17 to 21 South, right onto 280 (Parris Island Gateway) then go past the entrance to Parris Island, over the Bell Bridge and turn right at the stop light, then follow the signs into Port Royal. Heard there's free food for the car folks, too!

Show starts around 10:30am Let me know if you're coming!

gn

Did I mention the free food?

Damn! Did you say free food? Would love to, but can't make it. I've been dinking with my ride height, and got the modified sprinplate installed, so I set up an appointment with that crusty old street rodder fellow who does it the old-fashioned way. After that, Pam and I have some plans. Rats! Free food, huh? Hmmm... Lemme think about it.

Oh yeah, does your friend still want my old exhaust?

Hey Lane, howzabout some pics with the new pipes?

Hmmmmm...soft shelled crabs. Someday...

Um, when I said "...does it the old fashioned way...", I meant alignment. Just wanted to clear that up.

Oh....sure.....we all thought that, too.

On the exhaust, why not bring it along to Carlisle and we'll raffle it off?

If it's too bulky to bring, then we'll get together before I migrate North and I'll bring it in the truck.

Brian:

Soft Shell Crabs are a double-delicacy here, because there is only 3 - 4 weeks in the crab moulting season when they shed their shells and grow new ones (hence, "soft shell") and we're about in the middle of that season this weekend. Secondly, the Broad River here in South Carolina and the Savannah River nearby in Georgia are the two best places on the East Coast for these tasty little morsels because of the tidal action, the food available for them to eat and not a lot of crab predators (except for tourists).

Free Food, Lane......UPDATE!! The festival starts at noon - Cars are showing up around 11am at the Bi-Lo grocery on the Parris Island Gateway - www.classicsofbeaufort.org) see calendar.

I'll have to remember that season because I really like soft shell crabs. Perhaps when I move to Ontario I can get down there at this time of year. Been to SC once before...Myrtle Beach. Enjoyed it. My folks go there every winter for 3 months. Those damn northern tourists...

G-dawg - Even if I can't make tomorrow, a bunch of the guys in the local VW group are going to gather at a friend's restaurant not far from me on next Saturday, if'n yer interested.

As for tomorrow, shoot me an address of something that I can Google-map, just in case. I'll call you and let you know if I'm coming.

WOW!

You finally get a GPS!! COOL!!

914 Paris Ave
Port Royal, SC 29935

There you go........

Did I mention FREE FOOD????

gn

Don't forget to bring my Hubble flashlight with you!

Brian:

Myrtle Beach is inda like Niagara Falls on the American side - kinda honky-tonk.

Beaufort is the same town it was 25 years ago this month when they flmed "The Big Chill" here - the coolest little town in the South.

No GPS, just print it off the Mac.

Hope you got my message that I couldn't make it. I had to repair a fence that had decided to come apart. Ever so much fun.

Not to make you feel bad about missing it, but it was a really good day!

42 cars showed up, we all had primo parking spaces right downtown on both sides of main street, got a BUNCH of free food tickets and had just about every restaurant and Gumbo place in town represented, as well as quite a number of really good crafts booths. Pretty much all of Main Street was turned into a giant block party for the whole afternoon and I would estimate about 3,000 people showed up.

The food was terrific, the soft shell crab stuff was unbelievable as was the weather. Today's weather was the same as days we get in August in New England (if we're lucky).

Once pictures get posted to the local club's website I'll provide a link so folks can see the cars that showed up.

gn

Gordon - you are having WAAAYYYY too much fun!!

See ya in a few weeks at Carlisle!!