Rear beam bushes and rear arb

[iceviolet 0]

sounds fine, I just used a large threaded bar/bolt and a series of big old washers as a puller, the curved shaped end of the bush really needs a special die but as you're planning I just made do and packed out my puller with random bits of metal, all worked fine, bush pulled in OK.

Was worried about pulling the bushes in too far but in reality it was pretty clear when they were in the right place and hard to get wrong.

You are supposed to slacken one beam mounting bracket on the car and tension the bushes in place when refitting the beam, pre-tensioning apparently (in Bentley manual), I doubt many get set up like this though.

 

I have the Bentley manual and ive read about pre tensioning the beam etc. I have not loosened the mounting brackets at all, wanted to leave them in place. If the beam is very tight when going back in between the mounting points then are you not effectively pre-tensioning the bushes that way? without moving the brackets? Like you say i think it rarely gets done the waythe Bentley says. Ill update later on in the week with how i got on and the masterpiece of a tool i used!lol!

[iceviolet 0]

Made a tool and seems to work a treat! Just waiting for another bush to arrive as i knackered the one up in the photos originally by too much hammer and stretching the rubber! So thought i best change it to be on the safe side.

 

Couple of pics, first one just shotblasting the beam at work, the other pics are of the tool. Used a nut and bored the centre slightly larger than the bush OD to use as a guide on the outward side of the beam. Plate over the end with threaded bar through the middle pulling the other side through.

 

Might have a go at making a more refined tool for next time.

[aide 0]

I used a tire lever to lever by newly bushed beam onto the mounts, it didn't require much levering but made me feel that i'd done it right :)

 

I struggled to get my bushes through, and speaking to a vw mechanic he says a trick of the trade is to slightly grind the leading edge off, it lessens the initial squeeze.