the swift removal of rear beam bushes on a mk5 fiesta

[Guest bangerfan101]

Could anyone share there wisdom on the art of swift effective bush removal .

 

The last set i changed ended up with copious amounts of swearing , skinned knuckles , many broken jnr hacksaw blades and the onset of piles from sitting on cold damp concrete .

 

 

Then there's the small matter of getting them back in .

 

 

[twosmoke300]

If they are fucked then knock the centre rubber bit out then slit along the length of the outer skin using a hacksaw blade (take the blade out and assemble the frame around the bush.....grannys eggs etc)

 

Then use a thin chisel to collapse the outer skin and it will curl out eventually. Damn good clean up and lube before you attempt to put the new ones in. Sometimes it helps to put new bushes in the freezer overnight and warm the axle with a hot air gun . Every little helps

[Barry Cade]

Set fire to them, put kettle on, make tea, smash them out with a hammer then air chisel on the outer metal housing.As above really but louder and more fun...with added fumes,smoke and tea.

[sporty-shite]

Top tip from Puma forum was to replace with polybushes as they're easier to get in. Removal was as previously stated.

[cobblers]

Yeah I did the polybush thing on my mums ka, took a couple of hours at the side of the road, I dropped the front end of the beam but left the rest attached,

 

I used a 12mm ish drill bit and just dragged the thing round til it chewed all the rubber to bits, levered what was left of the middle of the bushes out then hacksawed through the outer. Poly bushes were a few quid more like but they went in dead easy. I painted them black with some anti vandal paint so that we didn't have to tell the insurance about the modification.

[mouseflakes]

I painted them black with some anti vandal paint so that we didn't have to tell the insurance about the modification...

...and they're less likely to get vandalised - bonus!

[cobblers]

My mother lives in a neighbourhood watch area so obviously they have the vandal situation under control apart from one of the blokes who runs the scheme bends peoples wing mirrors back if they park on the street.

I used it cos anything else would probably fall off due to non stick plastic bending about the place,  but more importantly there was a tin of it already open with a brush in reasonably close to where I was doing the job.

[michael1703]

Oxy acetylene works best/most dangerously

[Parky]

Acid? Hydrofluoric acid will take out rubber and metal which is ideal to weaken the bush. It might eat the rest of the beam and your trousers/flesh so be careful!

[twosmoke300]

Acid ? Bloody hell , I'd be reluctant to get a Ford wet , let alone put acid on it. ! You'd be able to collect the car in a carrier bag

[Parky]

Well it would facilitate the swift removal of the bushes! maybe.....

 

I remember helping a mate remove rear bushes from a 5 series a few years ago. We ended up using oxy as nothing else would work. Even an air chisel.

 

The acid was a slightly tongue in cheek suggestion - I don't think it would work particularly quickly and it is inevitable that the beam itself will pick up damage thus negating the entire replacement process.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Plus there's the small matter of almost certain loss of fingers, hands if you get any on you and guaranteed lung damage if you breathe in the fumes?

[Parky]

Minor technicalities Bol, minor technicalities.........