What did you do to your Ranger today? (Part Deux!)

[pacstud]

Sometimes, the rubber is vulcanized into the sleeve and is meant to be pushed out as a unit, sometimes not. I depends on the engineer and what the manufacturer wants when they make the part. It is possible that the current bushing is just rust locked into the sleeve. Plus, years of being compressed will force the the bushing to be form fitted to the sleeve as well. If the replacements you have are just the rubber, then that would indicate that the bushing was meant to be replaced separately or the aftermarket found a work around to what was originally intended.

Also, if you do get the old bushing out and the new ones are a pretty snug, which they probably will be, silicone spray will help greatly in getting the new ones in. Not to say it won't be a fight. They very well could require a press to push them back in as well. Even with freezing them in a freezer before hand.

They're at the shop right now, with a 20 ton press, so the control arm will break or the bushings will come out. I gave him the bushings (which are metal sleeved) to put in.

We did measure, and the replacement sleeve and the rear passenger LCA is the same as the original, so I still don't know what to do with the "spacers" on the originals.

It's not a hole where it mounts, more of a horizontal slot, but it's sizeable. My fear is the inner sleeve won't "catch" enough when I go to torque it, and those washer/spacers helped it grab the interior where the LCA mounts. If any of that makes sense. I'm hoping they come off. The inner sleeve seems way more rusted than those end washers, so if I can pop em off then just install them into the new bushing. Hopefully we'll find out tonight.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

It will be fine most likely. Remember that you finally torque control arms when the vehicle is sitting level at ride height

 

[pacstud]

It will be fine most likely. Remember that you finally torque control arms when the vehicle is sitting level at ride height

Yes sir. Seating the coil will be a little interesting as I'm going solo, but I'm hoping thats not too terrible.