Front LCA Bushing Press Tool Loan? (1 Viewer)

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Joined
Jul 29, 2014
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Location
Tacoma, WA
Anyone in the Portland, OR area have a bushing press tool I can borrow? I have a press but not the tool. Can't find a socket that fits and don't want to wait a week to get the tool from Slee. I'm replacing the 2 bushings/per LCA with caster adjustable bushings. Thanks in advance. Jason
 
So, that would be the front radius arm/axle end bushings. Lots of different sized bushings on these rigs.
 
How about a chunk of pipe & plate?

I'm way the opposite direction here in Mount Vernon, and my old press tool os long gone but I keep tons of round stock & have a lathe.

It's more than likely more money in gas than waiting on the Slee boys though.

And I don't have the template but could scribe a quick master, so you don't have to bang bolts/ install slightly off.
 
For some reason Mud didn't give me an alert someone had responded. Thanks for the responses guys. I tried my 12 ton HF press today and they didn't budge. Might have been able to push a little harder but it was getting a little scary. I'm going to take them somewhere to get it done. Arms are out. Hopefully the local shop has something to push in the offset bushing.
 
So, that would be the front radius arm/axle end bushings. Lots of different sized bushings on these rigs.
The two bushings closest to the axle for caster adjustment.
 
I am in Salem and I have the tool. You are welcome to borrow it. I also have the template which I scanned then flipped 180. Took that and finagled in Photoshop until the template fit the eyes perfectly when setting the control arm on TOP of the paper template. This ensured perfect scribe marks for the orientation of the offset bushing. When we finished up the alignment was perfect and needed no adjustment at all.

I did mine with the HF 12t press. Clean up the area on the arm right next to the bushing with an aggressive wire cup. Warm up the eye with a propane torch. Not MAP.. too hot in my opinion. Spray some penetrating oil around the perimeter of the bushing from both sides. Let sit over night. After you get the bushing centered up in the press apply some pressure and some judious heat all around the eye. Keep repeating until bushing comes loose.

Clean the inside of the eye after the bushing has been removed with a worn scotch-brite pad following the grain of the forging. Wipe a light film of cooper based anti-seize on the inside of the eye and bushing and press in aligning the marks. Reinstall arm and you are all set.
 
I am in Salem and I have the tool. You are welcome to borrow it. I also have the template which I scanned then flipped 180. Took that and finagled in Photoshop until the template fit the eyes perfectly when setting the control arm on TOP of the paper template. This ensured perfect scribe marks for the orientation of the offset bushing. When we finished up the alignment was perfect and needed no adjustment at all.

I did mine with the HF 12t press. Clean up the area on the arm right next to the bushing with an aggressive wire cup. Warm up the eye with a propane torch. Not MAP.. too hot in my opinion. Spray some penetrating oil around the perimeter of the bushing from both sides. Let sit over night. After you get the bushing centered up in the press apply some pressure and some judious heat all around the eye. Keep repeating until bushing comes loose.

Clean the inside of the eye after the bushing has been removed with a worn scotch-brite pad following the grain of the forging. Wipe a light film of cooper based anti-seize on the inside of the eye and bushing and press in aligning the marks. Reinstall arm and you are all set.

Thanks for the offer and info. Salem would cost me more in gas than ordering the tool from Slee. Kind gesture though. I'm just going to throw it back together tomorrow so I can DD it to work this week. Once tool arrives I'll take it somewhere to get them swapped.
 
Thanks for the offer and info. Salem would cost me more in gas than ordering the tool from Slee. Kind gesture though. I'm just going to throw it back together tomorrow so I can DD it to work this week. Once tool arrives I'll take it somewhere to get them swapped.


I took mine to North West Land cruisers to do mine, since I did not have a press, it wasn't to bad price wise
 
I drilled out the rubber on the old bushing in a few places, knocked out the center sleeve with a hammer. Then lightly hacksawed the outer sleeve and knocked it out with a punch and a hammer. Cleaned up the bushing hole and after letting the new bushings sit in the freezer for awhile beat them in with a hammer and some lube.:hillbilly:
 
Just a thought for those who read & think that destroying/ deconstruction of the OE rubber bushes is "easiest" - just to add a thought here, and that's thinking longer term.

I pushed mine out proper in a real press (yes, it's mine but irrelevant) - burning out bushings is shortsighted if you ever think you may "grow" into a larger lift.

Last I checked, rubber bushes were ~$60-70 a pop, so 4x that (or whatever they co$t) - especially if yours are good condition / < ~175K or far less road miles, - is a waste of long term $$$.

I'd sooner do a set of Landtank plates (the Landtank plates plates via Joey > Slee plates, but thats a debate for another day) -& run extra an extra 1-2* caster than destroy good bushings on urethane that lasts 50-75K tops, then doing again.

I have a full fab shop & while some parts destroyed in a situation is fine, the LCA bushes are a thing that you'll be 'happy happy happy'(quoting my fav man Phil) - to find again in your bin of parts when you may go 4" lift or whatever, let alone just doing caster plates. I have run both, Rick's > Slee, esp since you have to have weld skills to convert from Slee to Rick's if you choose.
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CLIFF NOTES : don't dismiss your OE rubber bushes, ask @NLXTACY about corrcet * caster plates, or do the Slees' if you can't/ don't expect to ever need a swap.

I've been on both back-to-back, and as much as I like @sleeoffroad products, Rick's are a real axle rotation vs. pivot on the rear LCA bushing. Slee products are awesome & Christo was 1st to market with a solution 99%-ers can add to their axle - it's a bizz-atch to swap if you don't burn wire routinely.

I'm on Slee 4" springs (excellent), and Rick / @landtank plates compliment them with total neutrality of handling - the perfect setup if you will.
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If we want to do the - "rotate on axle centerline vs the pivot on rear LCA bush bolt" - we can make a thread (again, I think).

I dig Slee a ton ($pent ~$1300 there this last week, full disclosure), this isn't a bash - just burning out a OE bush isn't always a smart plan especially if you add spacers up front to combat 'stinkbug' initially (never a thought people consider prior to spring lifts), but it matters to your overall hub center to fender lip measure when you could be a 3.5-4" overall at that point.

Just wanted to add this since we see the 'need to swap to OME offsets bushes' quire common, then guys talk 'still got stinkbug' threads after.......


I'd do my caster correction last after you get your stance where you like with all your loadout gear in the 80 - you might add spacers or not, or whatever - get your gear load weight mocked before deciding the caster correction you need.

Guess on your springs, add either springs as needed or spacers if you hate the 'stinkbug' - then get your caster figured out last based on the way you load your 80 between the F & R axle weight - we all run a different F / R axle weight so each user is different.
 
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FWIW I have new bushing press tools and I also have a well used one to loan out for anyone that is hard up for cash. ;)
 
Linus, thanks for the input. I have OME 651 in front and 863 in back. The caster plates seem to be for a little bit taller lift but I could be wrong. I may regret it one day but I'm going forward with the yellow bushings. I got them for a deal and money is tight right now. Plates may come later...
 
@NLXTACY thanks for the info. RadarFJ40 lives really close to me and has the tools to do the job. He has generously offered to help. Once again the MUD community comes through in a time of need. I hope to repay the generosity one day.
 
I want to make new radius arms with the caster in them, maybe this summer
 
I drilled out the rubber on the old bushing in a few places, knocked out the center sleeve with a hammer. Then lightly hacksawed the outer sleeve and knocked it out with a punch and a hammer. Cleaned up the bushing hole and after letting the new bushings sit in the freezer for awhile beat them in with a hammer and some lube.:hillbilly:
Me, too. But I used a press to push in the new ones. The aluminum tool just deformed in the press, so then I beat them in with a hammer.
 

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