Inliners International Forums General Discussion Tech Tips Frugal man's press for bushings etc . . .

Greetings . . .

I am in the midst of restoring the my '49 fast back. I decided to start in the back with a 3.55 rear gear swap. While I have the rear end out of the car and torn down I decided to clean everything up and detail it.

One of the challenges I encountered was how to remove the worn 'Inlox' bushings from the leaf spring front eyes:

as I found a source for new replacements.

I did some reading and found many who had tried the BFH approach - only to be foiled. Not sure how they thought they would get the new ones back in without trashing them!

The shop manual shows a special tool (49-54 Shop Manual Section 4) pretty much impossible to locate these days.

So I decided to fabricate a minimalist 'press' that could be clamped in a vise and powered by a small bottle jack:


I went to the local hardware and bought a 36" piece of 3/8" flat stock and a 48" piece of 1/4" angle iron - plus four 1/2x1-1/2" grade 8 bolts/nuts/locks. Cut the flat stock in half and the angle iron into quarters - drill and bolt up!

I was surprised at how tight those bushings were held in the spring eyes:

they broke loose with a crack!

Guess I'll throw a coat of paint on the new press and hang it on a hook in the shop until rebuild time . . .

regards,
stock49

That is how to get it done - nice work on a simple, compact and safe press!

That's using your noggin!
Great job!

A nice air hammer works good also, or a 9X rivet gun

MBHD

Good idea. I broke my Harbor Freight vise using it as a press. It would have survived your method. Beater

That definetly beats a Chipping Hammer.

Since Inliners have a definite uphill (six-in-a)row to hoe in the vee world of hot rodding, its not suprising how many of us resort to our own wits and talents/hands to outwit the vee crowd and the rest of the world. That is a portable miniature hydraulic press.. I'm sure myself and others are saying " why did'nt I Think of that". Such a fast project!
If the angles ever bend just bring the verticals closer together, or of course use thicker or deeper angles and the bolts are in a double shear condition which is good for them.
So simple and adaptable easy to reassemble in different shapes, sizes to use on lots of stuff like ball joints, tie rod ends..maybe with a littledownsizing a really small version could be made to go under a car and be used right at the problem point with out having to remove spindles, etc. it'll take a little congering but...

Another trick is to get an old axe head & use it as a wedge to just slightly open the spring eye. Then use your home made press, it really can make a difference. By the way I am impressed by your press & going to make one myself.

Thanks for all the compliments on this simple little gizmo . . . I used it again today to put the new ones in . . . went in way easier then the old ones came out!

I have used a piece of 1/2" threaded rod, flatwashers that just fit the ID of the spring eye, and a 4" length of pipe at the opposite end of the eye to receive the bushing and its sleeve. Slip the threaded rod through the spring eye with bushing in place. Put flatwashers and two nuts jammed on one side of the eye. Slip the pipe with an i.d. slightly larger than the id of the spring eye with a washer and nut on the other end. Tighten the single nut until the bushing and its sleeve slide into the pipe. The springs can remain on the vehicle while replacing the bushings.
JMTC.
Ken