![]() 09/18/2013 at 20:21 • Filed to: emma | ![]() | ![]() |
Anyone ever tried replacing body bushings? I hope it isn't overly difficult. My old rubber bushings are cracked, flattened, and rusted beyond the point of usability. I assume these should improve my handling.
![]() 09/18/2013 at 20:28 |
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I hope you have a press, or are really patient with a torch and cutting wheel.
![]() 09/18/2013 at 20:32 |
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Burn 'em. Burn 'em all. - Out of the housings, I mean.
![]() 09/18/2013 at 20:37 |
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STOP
DO NOT DO THIS WITHOUT LOOKING UP HOW TO AND GETTING RIGHT WITH GOD
THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST POTENTIALLY CATASTROPHIC MODS ON A SECOND GEN.
The nut that the body bolts screws into on a second gen is not welded to the floor pan—it instead is held inside a sheet metal "cage" that is IN BETWEEN THE FLOOR PAN LAYERS. If you break this cage, you are cutting the floor pan open. After 40 years of rusting, the risk of breaking the cage is HUGE.
What you wanna do:
soak the bolts in pbr for like, half a day. or a day. or a week. the longer you can bear to, the better.
Get a really big torque wrench. Put a section of pipe on that torque wrench to gain mechanical advantage. put a pipe on that pipe. THIS IS NOT BECAUSE THE BOLTS ARE HARD TO TURN. DO NOT PUSH WITH ANY FORCE AT ALL ON YOUR DOUBLE PIPE TORQUE WRENCH. This is so you can put in the absolute minimum amount of torque and still turn the bolt.
Turn the bolt by inches. milimeters. micrometers. Turn it like you're diffusing a bomb because you pretty much are. The correct procedure is pray, breathe, push slightly, listen for pop, pray again, repeat.
Good luck, and my god have mercy on your soul. I've successfully not broken mine, but almost everyone does and then has to cry a lot.
![]() 09/18/2013 at 20:39 |
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I'm now in fear. I know at least one of the bolts is really loose, I screwed it out by hand one day. Any other tips I should know of?
![]() 09/18/2013 at 20:43 |
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Oh great, now I have to watch Kurt Russel's cheeks shake again.
![]() 09/18/2013 at 22:36 |
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Mark reference points from the subframe to the body. If you take the bolts out only loosen the three and remove one and replace it. You'll have to fish it out of the narrow space. Then when all are replaced slowly tighten them checking your reference to the body. You can skew the subframe to the body if you aren't careful.Hopefully the engine and front sheet metal aren't on right now. I support the body with jack stands and the subframe with other jack stands so you can lower the subframe a bit to get the bushings out. Good luck
![]() 09/18/2013 at 22:49 |
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Thanks, I didn't think of that. This is how the car looks right now
![]() 09/18/2013 at 23:00 |
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as long as the bolt comes out you're good, if the cage breaks you won't be able to get the bolts out b/c the nut will just spin.
I can't think of any other tips, but I will be praying to the hot rod gods for you. If you're active on TAC or PY you can probably search for body mount bolts, someone will almost definitely have a really good writeup with pics as this is a common problem.
![]() 09/19/2013 at 17:27 |
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Went and sprayed all the bolts top and bottom with PB Blaster this afternoon.