Replacing rear lower control arm to trailing arm bushes - brake shield in the way?

[mholt1995]

I'm absolutely exhausted from spending the last four days on the absolute battle of:
- Removing very seized bush hardware
- Removing the bushes themselves (except for the outer shells)
- Removing the very seized outer shells

So apologies for the brevity, but I hope I'm getting close to having finally finished this absolute arse of a job!

Only problem is, I can't really work out the method for installing the new bushes?

I've borrowed a tool (a rudimentary one consisting of threaded rod, washers, nuts and a press cup/receiving cup) but there's simply not the clearance against the brake disc shield to get the press cup into a straight-on position, let alone the receiving cup.

Is there a trick to getting the necessary clearance? Here's a picture I took when the bushes were still in (so my rod was in there factory-straight), demonstrating why I couldn't use the tool to remove them.

 

[bigwinn]

Well done Michael you are braver than I am!

Is it worth popping the brake disc and backing plate off? Not sure if you’ll have to get the hub off?

 

[j3nks79]

Just take the disc and back plate off. 2 mins work

 

[john-e89]

Just take the disc and back plate off. 2 mins work

You have to remove the hub to remove the back plate.

 

[mholt1995]

Just take the disc and back plate off. 2 mins work

You say that very assuredly and with a lot of assumption- given I've just spent the better part of 20 hours over the past few days on getting these bushes out in the first place, you'll have to forgive my skepticism!

It doesn't sounds like 2 minutes work to me from what I've seen?

Looks like you need to:
- Remove brake caliper
- Remove brake disc
- Remove handbrake shoes
- Remove handbrake lock
- Remove wheel hub

Only then do you get to be able to remove the backing plate


All of this assuming I don't any issues with the litany of things being interacted with in the process, most concerning being the wheel bearings...

 

[mholt1995]

Current thinking is I'm just going to remove the caliper + disc and lop this part of the shield off as I really don't see it being worth the risk of taking the hub etc. off and possibly disturbing the wheel bearings



It's a bodge job, but then again so is the entire car at this point! Just want to get it driveable and in for an alignment + MOT at this point to see where I stand.

If I somehow get to the point where I'm considering replacing the shields, then so be it :rofl:

 

[smorris_12]

In the Haynes book for my Vx Nova many moons ago I remember reading that for some job or other cutting the brake shield was the way to do it!

 

[Liamd]

When I did my bushings, I took the brake disc off and bent the shield to give enough clearance. you shouldn't need to bend it much in order to get access. When tightening and torqueing up, I used a long extension and that seemed to go on without me needing to bend the shield at all.

 

[Mike6]

An old trick I learnt about 50 years ago to remove bushes is to drill a series of small holes through the rubber, that relaxes the tight fit and makes them easier to remove You can also take a blowtorch to the rubber to burn them out but care is needed if trying this.

 

[Matty_Z4]

I need to do those exact bushes and all of the peeps on youtube seem to just hack or bend the disc shield out of the way. I have seen some mentions of a special tool which is basically the shorter cup with a cutout in the side and a shorter threaded bar.

All I can seem to find on the interwebz is this tool kit for rear business for the E46 as our car shares some components from the 46 Im hoping it works. I just need to track one down in the UK and see how much. The amazon man has failed me this time.

https://www.tooled-up.com/artwork/ProdPDF/VSE5613.PDF

 

[JamesClements]

I would bend the shield out the way as others have said otherwise you have to remove the hub to get it off - the calipers and discs come off reasonably easily. Probably took me three hours to replace my front discs and pads the first time I did them. I wrapped all the bolts in rags soaked in penetrate fluid overnight before attempting as they were pretty seized up

 

[Chengy]

Hi Mike,

Great job so far. Know exactly what you mean with the seized bolts, makes the job 10 times longer. Although when you get something off the satisfaction is immense!

How did you get on in the end? I’ve done my RTABS, just need to tackle these smaller bushes..