Castor plates advice (1 Viewer)

[BILT4ME]

Has anyone had success using the C clamp style presses for the radius arm bushings?

Right tool, right job.

Harbor Freight 20T press: $190
Selling HF Press after use: ($120)

20 Ton H-Frame Floor Shop Press

Amazing deals on this 20Ton H-Frame Shop Press at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.

www.harborfreight.com

Wits' End Bushing Press Tool Kit: $180
Selling WE Press Tool Kit when done: ($120)

Bushing Press Tool- KIT

Bushing Press Tool- KIT (BPT-1

absolute-wits-end.com

Cost out of pocket:
$130

These tools will save you a ton of time.

www.partsouq.com for the factory Toyota bushings.

 

[landtank]

Even the 2.5" landtank plates require you to slot the front of the radius arm bracket, so even if you had used those and decide later to use aftermarket arms, I would think that you would want to weld in patches to cover the slot you created for the LT plates. I know the Metaltech ones have you to lop off the whole bottom of the bracket, but in reality, adding metal and welding patches may be just as easy to cover what you had to do. It's essentially the same job, just more metal.

the notch is outside the flange area of the bolt so the hole isn't compromised, you could weld on a washer to add strength and then use the longer bolts that come with the kit to attach the arms.

 

[roadstr6]

the notch is outside the flange area of the bolt so the hole isn't compromised, you could weld on a washer to add strength and then use the longer bolts that come with the kit to attach the arms.

Agreed. The original bolt hole is left intact with your plates. I'm a fan of your plates and I run them. My point was that no matter what plates you run, going back to factory bracketry for aftermarket arms is going to require adding metal and welding. It's not a terrible job either way.

 

[thatcabledude]

Old bushings are easy to get out without a press by burning them out and cutting the sleeve with a hacksaw then chiseling it out. Ok, maybe easy isn't the right word, but not press required.

As for getting the new bushings in, I haven't tried it without a press, but I seriously doubt any through-bolt or clamp style tool has enough beans to do the job and keep the bushing aligned while you're cranking it.

Or instead of burning, run a hole saw through.

 

[roadstr6]

Or instead of burning, run a hole saw through.

I just drill several holes in the rubber and knock the inner sleeve out with a hammer, then sawzall through the outer shell. I removed four bushings in about 30 minutes that way.

 

[BILT4ME]

I just drill several holes in the rubber and knock the inner sleeve out with a hammer, then sawzall through the outer shell. I removed four bushings in about 30 minutes that way.

How did you install the new ones?

 

[roadstr6]

How did you install the new ones?

Harbor Freight 20 ton press. It just plain works.

 

[BILT4ME]

Harbor Freight 20 ton press. It just plain works.

Did you have a specific tool to push with or did you stack together sockets, plates or what?

I ask because I destroyed two bushings when they didn't go in all the way and the new bushing outer edge folded and mushed to the outside. I was REALLY disappointed I didn't get the Wits' End tools, but he was out of them at the time I needed them. In the long run, I ended up delaying another 2 weeks to get parts and had to buy two extra bushings due to my own issues and not the right tools.

 

[landtank]

I went down to home depot and got a black iron threaded union that fit the bushing along with a thread plug to plug one end of the union. Remember you are only pressing the bushing flush so it can be a little over sized and actually works better that way.

 

[Heckraiser]

Did you have a specific tool to push with or did you stack together sockets, plates or what?

I ask because I destroyed two bushings when they didn't go in all the way and the new bushing outer edge folded and mushed to the outside. I was REALLY disappointed I didn't get the Wits' End tools, but he was out of them at the time I needed them. In the long run, I ended up delaying another 2 weeks to get parts and had to buy two extra bushings due to my own issues and not the right tools.

Getting a little off the topic of caster here, but:

I destroyed some bushings and actually destroyed my panhard rod by pressing the bushings using generic press tools and a ground-flat socket. The awesome thing about the wits' end tool is that you put the bolt through the tool and into the bushing sleeve so it keeps the tool and the bushing perfectly aligned as you squeeze it in or out. Well worth the money if you're doing this job. I did more than half my bushings before ponying up the dough for the wits' end kit and really facepalmed when I realized how much carnage could have been avoided.

 

[BILT4ME]

Getting a little off the topic of caster here, but:

I destroyed some bushings and actually destroyed my panhard rod by pressing the bushings using generic press tools and a ground-flat socket. The awesome thing about the wits' end tool is that you put the bolt through the tool and into the bushing sleeve so it keeps the tool and the bushing perfectly aligned as you squeeze it in or out. Well worth the money if you're doing this job. I did more than half my bushings before ponying up the dough for the wits' end kit and really facepalmed when I realized how much carnage could have been avoided.

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I don't feel we're getting off topic here at all, since the OP is looking at swapping bushings and does not appear to be heavily knowledgeable on the issues we all run into regularly. Yes, it can be found by search. Thanks for your input. I believe that all these together will help future searchers figure out why we do it the way we do.

 

[roadstr6]

Did you have a specific tool to push with or did you stack together sockets, plates or what?

I ask because I destroyed two bushings when they didn't go in all the way and the new bushing outer edge folded and mushed to the outside. I was REALLY disappointed I didn't get the Wits' End tools, but he was out of them at the time I needed them. In the long run, I ended up delaying another 2 weeks to get parts and had to buy two extra bushings due to my own issues and not the right tools.

I borrowed one of the cheapy press tools that come with the OME caster bushings. A buddy of mine had one. What I have found is that it is way easier to press in the new bushings than it is to press out the old ones. I destroyed a press tool once trying to press out old bushings. That's when I decided to do the drill and cut method to remove them. It doesn't take much to press the new ones in.

 

[wrxFTWdey]

Might just pull the arms out one at a time and take it to a shop to have the new bushings pressed in. There’s a place I usually go to in order to work on my truck for bigger jobs, but that’s closed at the moment. Harbor freight is out of the picture too. I’m under a 50 mile travel restriction currently and HF is out of that range. Also I don’t have a garage to keep a press in. You don’t leave things outside where I live. They rust and then they rust some more.

 

[wrxFTWdey]

So I finally got the time off to pull an arm at a time, take it to a shop, and get the bushings changed out.
I ending up using the bushings I got from manafre. Only time will tell how well they last. I wanted to do it myself, but I just don’t have the space for a press. I don’t even have a garage to keep it in lol especially for something that I don’t see myself using often.
Costed me 60 bucks for bushings, 80 bucks labor, and 4 trips to the shop back and forth to get new bushings pressed in the radius arms. I’m just glad to have the clearance back between the radius arms and tie rod.
I will update with new alignment numbers when my local skills center opens back up and I can use the alignment machine.
Maybe one day I’ll have a garage, I’ll have a press, and will press in some oem bushings.
Thanks Mud, cheers

 

[shadow8427]

I was wondering how everything turned out I currently have the Icon stage 1 lift also and just replaced the caster correction bushing with OEM ones and am at -2º caster so I was going to install Dobinsons 5º caster plates

 

[wrxFTWdey]

I was wondering how everything turned out I currently have the Icon stage 1 lift also and just replaced the caster correction bushing with OEM ones and am at -2º caster so I was going to install Dobinsons 5º caster plates

You're in luck! Just got an alignment less than a week ago. I'll attach the alignment spec sheet.
Just to recap I have the ManaFre (normal) bushings and the Metal Tech plates.

 

[wrxFTWdey]

I was wondering how everything turned out I currently have the Icon stage 1 lift also and just replaced the caster correction bushing with OEM ones and am at -2º caster so I was going to install Dobinsons 5º caster plates

I was wondering how everything turned out I currently have the Icon stage 1 lift also and just replaced the caster correction bushing with OEM ones and am at -2º caster so I was going to install Dobinsons 5º caster plates