So I replaced 6 suspension bushings on my saab this week. Over the years I have done this many times in many cars and it ALWAYS sucks. I have tried many tools, even presses, but almost always come back to just the old school hammer + chisel + hacksaw blade + cussing + sweating + hard work method.
Hopefully I don't have to do many more in the near future.
Anybody enjoy bushing replacement?
I've found the press to be the most satisfying method, but yeah, it pretty much sucks no matter how you're doing it.
I don't mind the ones that come surrounded by new control arms.
Worst ones I did were Mk4 Golf rear trailing arms. It was like a whole weekend of misery.
I usually burn mine out. It's quite satisfying to watch them expand and fall out
I've thought of starting a company that reconditions and sells arms with fresh bushings. The business model would be purchase arms from an auto dismantler on the cheap as they're a slow moving part for them that's easy for them to pull while dismantling, but a pain once in the yard. Then upon receiving the arms, remove the old bushings, media blast, power coat and install either super pro or energy bushings and resell.
In reply to captdownshift:
It's a great idea except you're basically taking the worst part of the job and making it your business. I would rather have that business exist than be the one to run it.
If you specialized in one kind of car, maybe you could get really specialized jigs that would make it super quick but I dunno what would be widespread enough to justify that investment.
Gasoline, extend-o-lighter, concrete garage floor. Huddled around it like hobo to a trash can. Jug o' water handy, garden hose nearby too. Easy.
An electrictrically powered hydraulic ram would be hugely helpful. The shop press is so slow....
The trick on burning them out is to heat the area of the arm around the bushing, once it gets warm the bushing squirts out pretty easy. Then it's a matter of getting the shell out if necessary. Doing it this way keeps you from having a tire fire smell in your garage and clothes.
Truthfully I've never had much success with the burning method. Can't get then to stay lit.
20 ton press and BE CAREFUL. Even the little ones on the Europa were a PITA. And BOOM when they let loose from the arm. Of course, Europa A arms are made from aluminum foil and unobtainium, so that makes it even more fun.
I didn't realize people don't enjoy it. 
With the right spacers and some help holding stuff still most bushings can be be swapped with a 2 handed sledge in a matter of seconds. That is, assuming you can swing a sledge properly, and accurately. 
I'm wondering if a ball joint press can't be adapted for bushings. That way they could reasonably still be done without pulling the control arm.
I know older GM front uppers could be done on the car in about 40 mins per side with an air hammer.
Alternatively, instead of burning them out, you can just use a 24 grit grinding/sanding disc on an angle grinder to take off the rubber to expose the shell for easy removal with a hammer.
ssswitch wrote: It's a great idea except you're basically taking the worst part of the job and making it your business. I would rather have that business exist than be the one to run it. If you specialized in one kind of car, maybe you could get really specialized jigs that would make it super quick but I dunno what would be widespread enough to justify that investment.
Yeah, specialize in a few kinds of cars, make a jig to hold the arm, put it in a hydraulic press, and I bet you could pop the old ones out in under 30 seconds each.
The problem with it is that you need to come up with a decent replacement to put in. Both urethane and delrin have major problems.
In reply to Robbie:
I had that trouble too. When I did get it, it took forever. Then I read the same thing that moparman76_69 is saying. Don't burn the whole bushing. Heat the metal around it, and it'll just tap out nice and easy once the metal expands and the rubber gets soft. I didn't believe it until I tried it.
Did every bushing in the Miata one winter. The whole garage reeked of burning rubber for weeks. Fun time. The directions said you shouldn't need to set the bushing aflame, but it was unavoidable when they've been in the same spot for 25 years.
In reply to codrus:
I was thinking 3 series bmws E30-46, audio a4 and a6, Lexus is, imprezas, and miatas to start.
TR6 trailing arm bushings can be a pain. The trailing arm is cast aluminium and not getting any newer, so I hate to use the bottle jack method. Lately, I just run a drill through the bushing to weaken it. Considered burning it out, but the stink can be pretty bad. Yeah, the complete bushing set on my 1990 Miata was definitely no joy.
I like to drop them in a bucket of gas over night and then ignite. Epic black smoke show.
In reply to codrus:
How about Spectra? I think if you only had a few applications and decent volume you could get a supplier to cast you bushings from a high-MW nylon with 25% hard minerals and 10% graphite for durability and low friction.
KyAllroad wrote: An electrictrically powered hydraulic ram would be hugely helpful. The shop press is so slow....
I would think press + heat would be the best method. Just enough heat to get some mobility from the bushings.
Only minor changes needed to make it just a press.
Mom's boyfriend used to have a beefy logsplitter, best press I ever used...
Plus one of these for the heat...
all you need to do is make the right attachments for the splitter/press.
I've only ever done bushings on vehicles that weren't my daily driver.
So I always took the arms to a shop and let them press out the old ones and then I put in the poly ones after.
I have a large C-clamp I've used for bushings. Large spacer on one side of the arm and the "plug" on the other side. The closer the fit of the plug, the cleaner the result. I crank down on the C-clamp to apply pressure, then apply heat with a propane torch around the suspension component until the bushing releases and slides out.
In reply to djsilver:
The ball joint press kit harbor freight sells works really well for this too
Apexcarver wrote:KyAllroad wrote: An electrictrically powered hydraulic ram would be hugely helpful. The shop press is so slow....I would think press + heat would be the best method. Just enough heat to get some mobility from the bushings.Only minor changes needed to make it just a press. Mom's boyfriend used to have a beefy logsplitter, best press I ever used... Plus one of these for the heat...
Yeah, that's probably the closest commonly available hydraulic ram to what I was discussing. A company I used to work for did deep geotechnical investigations and we needed a way to push soil out of 3' sections of pipe. We built a unit using a long throw hydraulic cylinder from tractor supply, a nifty valve system, and a power steering pump to drive it.
Off topic, we also tested concrete cylinders to destruction and a 500,000 lb hydraulic load cell is a fun way to kill time finding what happens to things when you crush them.
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