Sst Ideas?

[nc211]

I am attempting to replace my rear differential mounting bushings. The only problem is that I can't get the things out of the car, they're wedged in there for the past 10 years. Lexus has a special service tool to use, but it requires removing the whole differential to use it. You do not have to remove the whole thing, just 3 bolts and lower it down 2 1/2 inches. The bushings slide in from the front of the car side. I need to figure out a way to press them forward from the rear, then pull the news ones back in. Any ideas? These suckers are in there man, and they're not budging. I took impact wrench to them to loosen them up, no luck, hammer? no luck. They're in there. Any suggestions from the masters? Here's the manual page of the process. It's the sst 09527-17011. It looks like a make shift press, that as you turn the bolt, the treads of the screw pull the mount out, from the front. Need something that I can press on it from the back in much the same manner. Latch it on to the sub frame in the picture for support to the car would work. These bushings are all torn up in my car, and making a really bad vibration when accelerating. The differential is actually bouncing around with the torque of the driveshaft.

thanks guys & gals

[nc211]

Opps, here's the page.

SA95.pdf

[Econ]

Well, I pondered for a while and couldn't come up with any homemade ideas. Autozone and Checker loan out tools and may have a bushing press kit that you can use to get the bushing out. I would check there first, as you can rent the tools for free (deposit on check-out, refund on return).

Also, use some penetrant to loosen the differential bushings. That may help as well. I'll keep mulling it over.

[pachocco1]

You could try a small propane torch and melt/burn them out

or just measure your diameters and lengths that you need to make the SST and go to the hardware store.

[Ericok]

I don't have an LS400 so you can take this for what it's worth:

Based on the service manual diagrams:

It looks like a bearing/pulley tool might work on this. You would put the hooks of the puller that normally would go around the pulley onto the back end of the crossmember (this assumes there's something to hook them on to and there's room). You would brace the bushing with a circular steel disk (something like comes with a bearing installer kit) and use the screw of the puler to drive against the disk and push the bushing through the crossmember. All the while you would be trying NOT to bend anything on the crossmember.

For installation you would use a long screw with some right size washers on the end. The screw would go thru the new bushing with the washers acting as the backup for the forward end. The screw would be placed thru the crosssmember and thru an oversize socket at the aft end. The socket would have to be large enough to brace against the crossmember. A nut would be tightened against the socket pulling the new bushing into the hole. The trick would be keeping this contraption aligned during the installation process.

On some bearing pullers, the hooks can be reversed. The reversed hooks would go thru the bushing and the puller would be used to "pull" the bushing into place. Whether you can find a puller with hooks small enough and long enough is another matter.

Given that you couldn't get the bushing to budge with an air wrench or hammer, it must be rusted in place. You'll need copious amounts of penetrating oil applied a day or two in advance with your fingers crossed. Failing that, you can try forcing it out with an air chisel or drop the differential and use the Lexus tool.

Getting the Lexus tool is another matter. Looking at the shop manual, it seems that a couple of appropriately sized sockets and a bolt could duplicate the Lexus part.

Given the alternatives, I wouldn't recommend any of my suggestions. I'd drop the differential and use the Lexus method.

[jadecuir]

Look at the cross-section view of the SST at work. You need a piece of pipe with an inside diameter larger than the bushing collar. I would guess 2" would do it. This is the receiver.

You need a flat plate of steel at least 1/4" thick (with a hole for the bolt) and about 3" round or square. If you go to the hardware store and buy a short length of pipe with threads, and a threaded cap, you could drill thru the cap , and that would be your receiver cap, instead of a plate.

On the rear side, find a socket slightly smaller than the bushing diameter. Buy/find the largest dia. bolt/nut that will fit thru the bushing, long enough to reach thru your assy, and two flat washers. Make sure the bolt has enough thread to allow you to pull the bushing all the way out. If all they have are shoulder bolts with 1" of threads or less, buy a length of all-thread (threaded rod, usually comes in 3 ft. lengths.

Put the assy together like in the picture. Crank on the nut(s)/bolt. The socket will pull the bushing forward into the pipe/receiver.

Before you start, soak the bushing sleeve with WD40, Rustbuster, or some such penetrating oil to help the whole thing along. Don't get under there with a torch! There's a fuel tank and lines under there, and by the time you got the frame hot enough to expand, the bushing housing will be expanded at the same coefficient.

Can you visualize what the tool does now? It's a portable press.

Rig up something similar for installation. For assy, you can "dry-ice" freeze the new bushing to give a little clearance, but as soon as it makes contact with the frame, it will start expanding.

Hope this helps.

[nc211]

Great ideas guys, thanks!

I've been pondering this for a few days too, and a few cold ones as well

What do you think about this?

Removal:

Since I'm limited to access from the rear side of the subframe "don't want to remove the differential, lots of bolts to drive shaft and axles, just lower it with jack" I am thinking both jadecuir and ericok might be on to something. Design a metal press sleeve tube with the pipe that I can attach with some strong c-clamps to the sub frame. The tube would be fully inclosed at the top. Drill thread a hole at the top for a bolt with a BIG nut. On the inside of the tube, have a couple washers larger than the diameter of the bushing. Slide the tube over the back of the bushing, clamp it down to the sub frame, and crank away, slowing and evenly applying pressure on all angles of the bushing. The funny thing about these mounts is that they don't have the exact same diameter the whole length. Follow me? The part that is snuggly fitted to the car is actually bigger than the part that sticks out the back side of the subframe. So once I get the bushing pushed forward about 3/4 of an inch, it will come right out because the diameter gets smaller.

Installation: clean the crap out of the housing hole, oil it, grease it, cus' at it. Same with bushing exterior.

Remove the first bolt used to press out the old, replace with a longer bolt, one that will reach through the mounting housing, and the bushing. Put this longer bolt in from the front, and attach a nut to the end at the rear. Obviously have a lock washer on the front to keep the bolt from actually turning with the turns of the wrench. Crank down the nut on the rear, effectively pulling the bushing towards the mounting housing "subframe hole". All while keeping the bushing at a 90 degree angle to the subframe, so it fits smoothly.

I think this might work. I like Jade's idea definetly, but I don't think I can do anything from the front side of the sub frame due to drive axles still attached. Simply not enough room to wrench anything. I agree on the blow torch too, the fuel filter is right there, but a good suggestion. I thought about that last weekend, after a few hours, some busted up knuckles and a desire to get the 12 guage and shoot the damn things out. Hahaha

Thanks guys, greatly appreciate the ideas. I'll definetly be documentating this process for others to use. I don't think those bushings get enough attention, and I think they're one of the main reasons why these cars have such vibration issues. They take the most load of the car, with them being asked to withstand thousands of vairable pounds of torque pressure and twisting. One thing I am going to do when I'm done is take that torn up bushing to the dealer and tell them their mechanic is stupid. I actually told them, and supplied them with the parts, what the problem was. They stongly disagreed, said the mount was perfect. Not with all those tears in it, no way. They look way worse than most of the suspension bushings we all have to replace at some point. Those s.o.b's

[jadecuir]

Sounds like you have a plan of attack. I'm going to replace those bushings someday, after I replace the upper Control arm bushings. I priced the bushings, and the dealer quoted $60 each, and Sewell/lexus-parts.com quoted about $45.

Is this what you found? I've got a '90 LS400.

John

[nc211]

yeah, that sounds about right. there is a tsb on the issue somewhere. It addresses the "improved smoothness during acceleration between 35-60". I think it's for 1st generations. But yeah, that sounds about right, I'll double check and get back to you.