Hi,
I have read a bunch on doing the rear sub frame bushings. I want to try and tackle this job. Does anyone know of a cheap universal puller of some sort that will work for this? I really dont understand the torch removal method I have read about. Is the idea behind that bascially torch the shit out of it until it drops out?
Thanks,
Carl

subscribing. I need to do this.

1 - No, there is no cheap universal tool I'm aware of that will work. Even the BMW tool has been revised over the years because it needs to be so heavy-duty. This is a really tough bushing to pull out.

2 - The torch method is basically to burn out all of the rubber in the bushing. Once the rubber is burned out, you can use a hacksaw and/or a chisel to get the steel bushing shell out. This is actually the method I used on a lot of the 40-year-old bushings on my Corvairs off. I fired up the BBQ grill, threw the suspension arms in there, and cooked them for 30 minutes or so until all the rubber was burned out. Afterwards, it's not that tough to cut out the bushing shell.

Yeah, I clean the grill pretty carefully after that. :D

Thanks for clearing that up for me. I have read mixed reviews on the difficulty of this job. Some say easy some say hard. I guess it all depends on how tight its pressed in there mixed with corrosion etc. etc....
Thanks again!
Carl

You don't have to burn the bushings out to do this. Use a sawzall, recip saw, with metal cutting blades. This bushing has a hollow part to it that you can insert the blade up and through. Oh, you must first put the car up on jack stands high enough to get the recip saw underneath. This also allows the subframe to drop down from the body of the car. First, cut around the center of the bushing, 180 degrees, and remove the center part where the pin, bolt, protrudes. Then, cut through the rubber bushing and continue to cut through the outer metal casing. Cut slow and check your progress. The blade will usually bind when you cut through the casing. You will need to make two cuts per bushing, each opposite of one another. After the cuts, take a long flat blade screw driver and knock the bushing down and out of the subframe. Lube up the new bushing, dish soap or kerosene, and insert into the subframe making sure that the notches are lined up with the subframe. use a jack to push the new bushings into place. As the pin starts to protrude, you will need to use a couple blocks of wood or the like to allow for it to come out as you push the new bushing inot place.

It took me about an hour to do the first side and maybe 30-40 min. to do the next.

Good luck, this is a very doable job.

I like the sawzall method. Seems a lot less dangerous. I am really gonna have to get that sucker up in the air to use a sawzall though. I wish there was a place where I could rent a lift for a few hours.
Thanks!
Carl

I like the sawzall method. Seems a lot less dangerous. I am really gonna have to get that sucker up in the air to use a sawzall though. I wish there was a place where I could rent a lift for a few hours.
Thanks!
Carl

Lots of bricks/cinder blocks?

Please don't do that!! Cinder blocks and bricks can crumble underneath a vehicle....Not spending $20 or $30 on some tall jack stands would be a bad reason to die!

Please don't do that!! Cinder blocks and bricks can crumble underneath a vehicle....Not spending $20 or $30 on some tall jack stands would be a bad reason to die!

Couldn't have been said better.