Front suspension sub-frame bushing removal - DONE!

[Ameer Antar]

I just finished pulling the bushings from the front suspension sub-frame and I wanted to write up a little something about this. I looked at the Bentley and they use a set of special tools to do this that total over a couple hundred dollars, so that was out of the question. I also looked for generic tools for bushing removal, but they were either not the right size or too expensive, so I decided to go to the hardware store and see what I could come up w/.

So I ended up getting a 3" to cast pipe PVC coupler. It just an all-PVC coupler that reduces a 3" I.D. pipe to a 2.5" I.D. pipe. Also on the list was a 2' 3/8" threaded rod (7/16" would be stronger but none at Home Depot), 3 3/8" fender washers, and 3 3/8" nuts. I got a few extra nuts and washers in case some get destroyed. I also got a section of 2" flat stock which I tried to use to go over the other end of the PVC pipe (more about that later).

I cut the threaded rod down to size (about 10" should be plenty). I used 2 nuts to lock each other at one end of the rod. Then goes a fender washer, and this placed in the bushing's center hole from the top side of the sub-frame. The 2.5" side of the PVC coupler faces the bushing from the bottom side of the sub-frame. I first tried to use a 4" piece of flat stock (w/ a hole in the center) to go over the PVC coupler, and placed another washer and nut on that side. The 2"-wide metal stock quickly proved to be too weak for this operation, so I flattened it out and started looking for something stronger to cover the entire PVC coupler's opening. This is where it helps to have a lot of useless junk around the garage. I ended up using a cast metal flywheel from a el-cheapo treadmill (the kind w/ no motor). It fit perfectly over the PVC pipe and was very thick. I'm sure an old wheel hub or crank pulley would also work here. For 2 of the bushings, the metal sub-frame gets in the way, so I had to cutout a small area on the 2.5" side of the PVC coupler. I tried to make the cutout similar to the tool in the Bentley. Once I got this setup, it worked like a charm. The only trouble I ran into was w/ a newish (at least it had no pieces missing from it) bushing that had round rubber edges that protruded beyond the bushing's hole. I snapped the threaded rod trying to pull it off as it was, so I tried cutting off all the rubber that was sticking over the sides w/ a blade. No problems after that.

The entire project cost about $10 and would be cheaper now that I know the 2" flat stock isn't needed. That's a whole lot better than spending hundreds on special tools or on tools that might work. Hope this will help you on your suspension projects.

-Ameer