RTAB removal tool advice

S

steve_naive

Member
 Northern Ireland
I'm about to do mine and am wondering if the e85 (2003) has flanged bushings and if so will it require the notched style removal tool?

The cheaper ones aren't notched, and one seller doesn't recommend removal of flanged bushings with his tool (oo-er).

I'm installing powerflex bushings.
 
For removing the rtab's I used a kit like this:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/313165889491

I did the complete rear axle (well, actually the whole car), and the rtab's weren't particulary difficult.
The subframe bushings and outer busings in the trailing arm are a bit more difficult because it's more difficult to place the cup (outer ones are under an angle, so some things get in the way so I used sockets and rings for cups and for the subframe it's difficult to place the cup straight so I used little heat to slightly soften the rubber before pulling them out).

Here you can see a pic of the rear axle bushings and diff bushings. the last ones are the RTAB's. You can see I got them out without any damage; just popped them out :D

03busoud.jpg

I dropped the axle, and once dropped I had all the bushings removed (17 bushings!) in about 3 hours, so roughly 10 min, per bushing :wink:
Sandblasting, painting etc all the rear axle components.....now that takes time :lol:
But after that it's all lilke new (and fully polybushed :wink: )
I did this in 2013, so quite a while ago (and I have to mention, my car was in pretty good nick rustwise)

(you can still see the bits of my bushing extractor set in the background :wink: , and apparantly I used a deadblow hammer for something in the assembly as I see that lying in the foreground.... )
13achterasnw.jpg
 
steve_naive said:
How's the rust now?
Click to expand...
My car is garaged so every bit of rust I remove, and there is not much (some from 1 previous owner) and every bit of bare aluminium I beadblast stays pretty nice.
The only thing that is difficult to keep rustfree, is the part of the trailing arm that faces the tyre. The trailing arm is cast iron (so extremely prone to surface rust) and little stones chip the arm. On that part I sprayed a thick layer of some undercoat type stuff.

If you don't have a garaged car, I recommend using a very tough paint and a brush like rustoleum or such (I just used generic spray can)
Sandblasting (beadblasting) I mostly do on the aluminium parts to get them like new. Steel parts I usually use a rust converter (these are small specs though, if it's real rust I would sandblast them but only few parts needed that (brackets for rear arb bushings for example))
 
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