Poor man's way to remove the rear suspension bushings

[taro]

Well, after two years of putting up with the wobble while having an extra set of links from a junk yard, I finally went about replacing the rear suspension link bushings. First thing to note is that I'm a moron and learn things the hard way. After weeks of hacking away at the metal sleeves with chisels and an air hammer, I finally figured out how to get them out easily:

 

1. Take a hacksaw and cut through the metal sleeve. It only takes one cut. Make sure you cut all the way through the sleeve.

 

2. Take a chisel at the location where you cut through the sleeve and start wailing away. Within minutes, they will pop out.

 

Now keep in mind I took my links to a shop to have them pressed out. The reply: "it made our 20 ton press bow up. We won't be able to help you." I also tried to take it to a metal works shop. They told me they didn't think it would be worth the $150 they were going to charge me and sent me home to try the hacksaw for which I was appreciative. Hope this is helpful.

[FUELER]

my mechanic broke a 10 ton press trying to get mine out !!

[laxman0324]

You must be one strong guy! These are high grade suspension bolts, it took me about an hour per rear bolt (the fronts I could always get out with a ratchet) with a sawzall equipped with demo blades...I found an angle grinder is probably the most effective way, just get the thinnest cutting wheel you can and have at it...

[AlumniCU]

Well, after two years of putting up with the wobble while having an extra set of links from a junk yard, I finally went about replacing the rear suspension link bushings. First thing to note is that I'm a moron and learn things the hard way. After weeks of hacking away at the metal sleeves with chisels and an air hammer, I finally figured out how to get them out easily:

 

1. Take a hacksaw and cut through the metal sleeve. It only takes one cut. Make sure you cut all the way through the sleeve.

 

2. Take a chisel at the location where you cut through the sleeve and start wailing away. Within minutes, they will pop out.

 

Now keep in mind I took my links to a shop to have them pressed out. The reply: "it made our 20 ton press bow up. We won't be able to help you." I also tried to take it to a metal works shop. They told me they didn't think it would be worth the $150 they were going to charge me and sent me home to try the hacksaw for which I was appreciative. Hope this is helpful.

 

I also used a sawzall to cut the sleeves after using a drill to get the bolt collar out. Had to use an angle grinder to get the bolts out of the frame. A nasty job, but well worth it in the end. Also had to use a tow strap on the axle, pulling it with my car, to align the bolt holes to reinstall the arms.

[taro]

You must be one strong guy!

 

Well, er, no. In the end, I could only swap out one of my upper links. My impact wrench wouldn't fit on the the passenger side upper link and although I could undo the front bolts on the lowers, the back driver's side wouldn't come undone and even though the passenger side nut came off, the bolt would not come out even after a torch and sledgehammer.

 

I couldn't get the passenger side lower bolted back up in the front, so i tried to tie it to the bolt holes with twine to drive about a mile to a local shop--like the idiot that I am. Sure enough within a 1/4 mile, the twine breaks and the rear axle is crabbing all over the place, even at under five miles an hour. The link is dragging with the rear attached, but the front side dragging. I'm amazed that it didn't catch on something or that the roll bar or panhard rod didn't snap-it was pretty unnerving.

 

Anyway, $140 later, the PF is ROCKING!!! It is truly amazing the way it handles. I bought this PF used with the problem and so I had never driven it the way it was supposed to drive. Even with the 31s, the stock suspension handles better than any Civic or Accord I grew up with. So well balanced with the rear wheel drive. Also, with the 3.3 smoothly revving to 5k rpm in each gear of the smooth shifting 5-speed, it's like I have a new vehicle!!! The PF was ahead of its time as a crossover vehicle...and yet it still has the guts to handle some rough stuff (stock) with the 4wd and low range (plus it has ABS and the creature comforts). I LOVE MY R50!!!

[FUELER]

hahaha reminds me of hondas... on a honda, when you separate the front balljoint, it is easy to "mushroom" aka destroy the bolt that hold the lower balljoint, if not careful. I ruined it but was able to get the nut on, crossthreaded and holding the weight of the cars front corner on only a few threads.

 

i drove it to the other side of my neighborhood ghetto like that, driving slowly and hoping that my suspension wouldn't collapse. It didn't. Fixed it at a friends house, who had better tools than me.

 

 

A year later, my buddy does the same thing while working on his acura. He asked me if it would be OK to drive on just a few threads and i advised that as long as he drove carefully, it should be OK. At least it was for me.

 

Then his suspension collapsed a few blocks away from his house, ruining several other expensive parts !! The fender got it bad.

Edited October 8, 2009 by FUELER

[180sx]

Well, er, no. In the end, I could only swap out one of my upper links. My impact wrench wouldn't fit on the the passenger side upper link and although I could undo the front bolts on the lowers, the back driver's side wouldn't come undone and even though the passenger side nut came off, the bolt would not come out even after a torch and sledgehammer.

 

I couldn't get the passenger side lower bolted back up in the front, so i tried to tie it to the bolt holes with twine to drive about a mile to a local shop--like the idiot that I am. Sure enough within a 1/4 mile, the twine breaks and the rear axle is crabbing all over the place, even at under five miles an hour. The link is dragging with the rear attached, but the front side dragging. I'm amazed that it didn't catch on something or that the roll bar or panhard rod didn't snap-it was pretty unnerving.

 

Anyway, $140 later, the PF is ROCKING!!! It is truly amazing the way it handles. I bought this PF used with the problem and so I had never driven it the way it was supposed to drive. Even with the 31s, the stock suspension handles better than any Civic or Accord I grew up with. So well balanced with the rear wheel drive. Also, with the 3.3 smoothly revving to 5k rpm in each gear of the smooth shifting 5-speed, it's like I have a new vehicle!!! The PF was ahead of its time as a crossover vehicle...and yet it still has the guts to handle some rough stuff (stock) with the 4wd and low range (plus it has ABS and the creature comforts). I LOVE MY R50!!!

 

 

Thats great man. I can't wait to fix mine, as I bought mine just like that. Also jealous about the 5 speed!

 

Oh, and p.s. The 'PF' IS NOT a crossover. It is, in fact, an SUV; albeit a mid-size (kinda on the smaller size) one.

 

Jose

[adamzan]

I had to get my bushings burned out with a torch. Then used a vice to install the polyurethane ones.