The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Driveline 1957 Chevy 3100: Removing Rear frame bushings

Hi,

Prepping my 57 frame for sandblasting and trying to figure out how to push the old rear bushings out of the frame brackets. Ive seen some of the tools that push out the old and push in the new, but at this time I just want to remove them and worry about pushing them in after the frame is sand blasted. Any good tips would be appreciated:)

Thanks!

The Spring Eye Bolts are a smooth bore bushing and can be driven out with a BFH and a punch or socket that are a little smaller than the outer diameter than the bushing (so they don't get stuck in the hanger).

The Shackle bushing is internally threaded...screw the pin in almost all the way and hit it with a BFH...unscrew the pin to get another hit as the bushing moves out.

Hope this helps!

Mike B

Go down to your FLAPS and borrow a ball joint press. Pretty easy to remove with one of those. I just did that on my '51 frame, and the press can put more pressure on than a BFH with less chance of damaging something (Your thumb, for instance. ). Most parts stores loan tools for just a refundable deposit.

Thanks, The BFH worked, but took a lot of heavy hitting. Going to take my frame to the sandblaster and have it powder coated. How do I get the new ones back in:)

Again, I recommend the ball joint press to get new bushings in. A little oil in the bore would be a good thing as well.
Or you could pull them in with a long bolt thru the frame brackets and bushing.

I use Kevin's method to draw them in with an impact wrench...two big washers and a long bolt or piece of all-thread rod.

Make sure the powder coater knows to protect and not to paint the bushing bores.

As a side note, I prefer to paint frames so I can touch them up if they get scratched...you can't do that with powder coating.

Mike B

Thanks will try that after everything gets powder coated. @mIke B I would prefer to have it painted, even have epoxy paint reserved for it. The problem is Logistics, I have to borrow a friends trailer to take it down to the sandblaster (also a powder coater), pick it up and take it to a shop to have it sprayed. Then borrow the trailer again and pick it up from the painter. Ill see what I can do, I would def like it painted.

Mike B's method is how I did mine...all six installed in a hour and a half.