HELP! Rear wheel damper/bush removal

[Terry Harlock]

Hi all
Is there an accepted best method to remove the old crusty four rear wheel bushes/dampers please?
Have checked through as best I can in the previous threads etc and can't find anything!
Am loath to try and screwdriver/prize out and score the soft alloy housing

All help much appreciated

Terry

[Oddjob]

For stuff like that I tend to use a small drill bit, drill in and then just go around the central bush until all the rubber is removed. Inner bush will then just fall out, then a small junior hacksaw and cut a groove in the outer shell until it just goes through, as soon as it does the shell will contract and fall out on it's own usually. Either way the bond will be broken and it should come out easily.

[Nurse Julie]

As Ken says, drilling the rubber until it falls out in bits is the best and easiest way to do it. Then cut the metal ring.

[McCabe-Thiele (Ted)]

IIRC I used a drill bit and drilled down into the gap between the outer steel part & the rubber that cut into the outer steel sleeve. I then drilled out the inner steel part & the rubber.
Aside from a small mark on the hub on one of the bushes it worked fine. I then hammered an old small screwdriver into the wall between bush & hub & out they came. Sounds crude but it worked.

[philward]

Is Terry enquiring about lower rear shock mounting bush removal or the cush drive 'damper'? Only reason I ask is he says 'Am loath to try and screwdriver/prize out and score the soft alloy housing' - when no soft alloy on the bottom bush.... or it might just be me not getting it (again)

[McCabe-Thiele (Ted)]

I assumed he meant the rear wheel drive bushes.

[philward]

I assumed he meant the rear wheel drive bushes.

Its just that he mentions soft alloy housing Ted

[McCabe-Thiele (Ted)]

I assumed he meant the rear wheel drive bushes.

Its just that he mentions soft alloy housing Ted

There are four drive bushes but only two damper bushes IIRC.🥺

[Laverdaroo]

That would be reference to the soft ally of the hub then, surely? Thats how I read it......

Let us know Terry, Phil's knackered it now....

[Terry Harlock]

And I feel rescued :-) and seems so simple i almost feel stupid asking!!!
Yes, I was talking about the rear wheel cush drive dampers.
Thank you so much for the replies, I will be tackling it tomorrow full of confidence now!

[Laverdaroo]

winning! .............

Theres a few you tube videos on it,might be 'spanner rash' I'll have a look in a bit and send it on to you.

[philward]

It was me! I didn't know that the 400 has rubber/steel collered cush drive bushes - thought the cush drive rubbers where the same as the bigger Fours - all rubber, hence I thought you were describing removing the shock bottom mounts - apologises for confusing the issue

[SeanFD]

I used lots of heat, a cold chisel and a 2lb hammer. It took ages and the inner surface was well scratched at the end, but this was sorted out with a Dremel.

A mate showed me a good way to get the lower shock bushes out, using a couple of sockets and a vice. Posted for anyone else who might find this a novel approach.