RE: 4kq control arm bushing removal

[Jason A Whyte <Jason.Whyte@dreco.com>]

I removed the control arms from my '85 CGT, used some penetrating oil on
the bushings, heated the end of the arm with a torch and used a
hydraulic press to push the old bushings out.  The reverse process was
used to install the new bushings.  I don't know how successful you'll be
trying to do them yourself without access to some serious facilities.
They are difficult to replace without a press of some sort.

Jason

> -----Original Message-----
> From:	John Karasaki [SMTP:johkar@teleport.com]
> Sent:	Monday, November 30, 1998 10:31 AM
> To:	quattro@coimbra.ans.net
> Subject:	4kq control arm bushing removal
> 
> A few months ago someone posted the procedure for removing the control
> arm
> bushings from a 4kq using Home Depot hardware.  Armed with their
> instructons, I went and bought the required hardware over the weekend.
> 
> Needless to say, I was very disappointed.  The setup failed miserably.
> It
> looks like the setup may work to pull the new bushings in, but there
> is no
> way (at least in my experience) that Home Depot grade threaded rod can
> take
> the force of pulling the old ones out.
> 
> This was on a West Coast car with no/minimal rust, too!
> 
> Has anyone removed 4kq a arm bushings successfully AND easily?
> Everyone
> that I know that has actually done this job has used the cutting
> method.
> 
> I sent the following message to the original poster, but his address
> is no
> longer valid.
> 
> 
> 
> >To: MRUKIR <MRUKIR@aol.com>
> >From: John Karasaki <johkar@teleport.com>
> >Subject: Re: Brake  bleeding/control arm bushings
> >In-Reply-To: <c00d13e3.34fae925@aol.com>
> >Mime-Version: 1.0
> >Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
> >
> >Hi,
> >
> >Did you really have sucess pulling the old control arm bushings out
> using
> >the Home Depot parts?  I stripped a couple of threaded rods without
> even
> >budging the bushing!  I used lots of lubricant, so that is not the
> problem.
> > Truthfully, I don't see any way this can be done with standard
> threaded
> >rod.  Pulling the new ones in maybe, but not getting the old ones
> out.
> >
> >BTW, this is on an Oregon car with zero rust and 120k miles...
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >At 12:15 PM 3/2/98 EST, you wrote:
> >>Hello:
> >>  I'm new to the list and have been browsing it for a few weeks.
> I've
> seen a
> >>couple of topics I think I can contribute to.
> >>  1) Successful use of mightyvac pump to bleed brakes.- If bleeder
> valves
> are
> >>removed entirely at start and the threads coated with antiseize
> compound,
> >this
> >>will stop air from leaking into the hose when you are drawing a
> vacuum.
> When
> >>the air leakage is stopped you can pump 10 or 20 times to draw a
> vacuum, and
> >>while the fluid is slowly being drawn out(a minute or two to fill
> the
> >>collection bottle),  observe and refill the reservoir while the
> bleeding is
> >>taking place.  Its the same action as a pressure bleeder except you
> have
> >>gotten your pressure differential by lowering the pressure at the
> back of
> the
> >>system instead of increasing it at the front.
> >>   2) I saw some very heavy handed techniques mentioned for removing
> and
> >>installing control arm bushings.  About $10 spent at home depot will
> get you
> >>the hardware necessary to make a puller and do the job with a lot
> less
> >risk to
> >>your body and your precious car.  Bring your replacement bushing
> with you
> >when
> >>you go shopping.  Get a 3 foot piece of threaded rod (max size that
> will fit
> >>thru centre hole in bushing); Half a dozen flat washers and nuts to
> fit on
> >>rod; a few pipe nipples to act as cups to fit over bushing and allow
> bushing
> >>to be pulled out; 20 or so large flat washers that will allow you to
> select
> >>and get a good fit with metal OD of bushing and not interfere with
> control
> >arm
> >>when pulling bushing out.
> >>      Putting new bushings in with this hardware is very easy. Coat
> OD of
> >>busings with antiseize compound, use flat washers to protect the
> bushing
> >>surface you are pulling against, and a pipe nipple and flat washers
> on the
> >>inside side surface of the control arm.  Insert threaded rod thru
> center of
> >>your hardware and tighten down on nuts on each side to pull bushing
> into
> >>position.  Use anti seize on the threaded rod since it isn't really
> made for
> >>this kind of use.  Removing bushings the same way requires a little
> more
> >brute
> >>force and a very select fit at OD of bushing with flat washers, but
> I've
> >>replaced 8 of them this way and its economical and effective.  NO
> cutting,
> >>pounding, torches or freezing of hardware is required.
> >>        I have also scaled up the size of this puller and removed
> wheel
> >>bearings on a 4000 quattro with it.
> >>                                              Regards
> >>                                               Paul Balko
> >>
> >>
> >Best Regards,
> >
> >John Karasaki
> >
> >
> Best Regards,
> 
> John Karasaki
> Portland, OR