01+ Rear Trailing Arm Bushings. DIY??

[longhornsqx4]

Has anyone attempted to replace the crappy a** factory rear trailing arm bushing by themselves?

I live in a VERY small town and getting that done would be next to impossible or cost a good bit if I could find someone.

Is there a DIY to taking them out and getting new ones in??

[alexf20c]

it's a huge PITA to DIY control arm bushings. you have to burn/melt/pry/scrape/hammer out the old ones and then press in the new ones.

are you sure yours need to be replaced?

[02pathy]

4x4parts have the split bushings, but i know the old ones can be a pain to get out if the metal outer part of the bushing is fused to the inside part f the trailing

before you even attempt this, check your trailing for straightness, by eye out with a straight edge if they are bent replace

[longhornsqx4]

My bushings are shot, they looks worn and split. Im changing them

I just wanna know if they can be pressed out or even burned out in my own garage and a best way to do either, or whatever it takes....

I already bought the polyurethanes there on there way

[alexf20c]

it's possible to do it with a propane torch. they will take some motivation, but it's definitely doable.

[longhornsqx4]

Id rather obviously press or simply remove them instead of making a toxic mess lol

[Chuck Tribolet]

You can get the whole arm assembly from Nissan for about $140 with new boltsand nuts. I did that for the first one, and kept the one I took out. For the second one, I got new bushings, botls, and nuts for about $40, and paid thelocal garage $20 to press them in.

It can be a real bear to get the nuts off. I have about 24" breaker bar, theywouldn't budge. Got Ingorsol-Rand's baddes 1/2" impact wrench, 1000 ft. lbs.That got three out of four. The fourth I had to cut off with a pneumatic cutofftoo.

Chuck

[W O T]

A hammer and a piece of wood wont press those bushings in. You need a shop press

If you have a garage local, they most likely have a press and should charge AT MOST $40

[fueler]

at most 40?? i paid 200 labor (for the whole job - i supplied the parts) and it broke the guys 10 ton press, he had to buy a new press halfway through the job
Modified by fueler at 1:19 PM 2/26/2010

[W O T]

I meant just to press in and out the bushings

Aparently it takes a big press

[Natedogg1701]

i dont know why everyone has such a hard time pressing out the old trailing arm bushings, mine came out pretty easily with a press. not sure how big a press it is, like what its rated at, but its about 6 feet tall with just a small size hydrolic jack. anyway, if you ordered the new ones from 4x4parts, be careful pressing them in, they are a little oversized and need some careful persuasion to go in without damaging them.

[SZawlocki]

Hey Guys-

Just looking at the kits on 4x4.com and money is tight. (CV replacement most likely needed as well..)

Are the one piece bushings, which are more expensive ($225) + the cost of a shop pressing them in ($20-40), superior to the DIY two piece bushing kit ($185)??

Obviously having more piece means more opportunity for failure, but anything else?

Thanks

[abnrjd]

I have a 2004 path LE platinum I did this job and it's not so difficult. first off use a heavy vise and a large socket and press out the inner bolt sleeve of each end of the old control arms. Once that's done use a reciprocating saw and ever so carefully cut the sleeve in two places preferably 180 degrees apart. use a hammer and punch and drive out the old sleeve. 4X4 parts have a polyurethane set for all 4 control arms and bolts. The bushings are split design but work well. I did mine about 2 years ago and no more death sway. I also replaced my transfer case, all shocks and springs, rotors inner, outer bearings, and sleeves, struts, ball joints, strut mounts, oil cooler seal, shift lock solenoid, transmission service, rear output shaft seal, catalytic convertor, just to name a few.