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texas993
Member
Date registered: Oct 2013
Location: Dallas, TX
Vehicle(s): 2005 G500, 1995 E300D, 1987 560SL
Posts: 24
| Re: R&R trailing arm Bushings
Thanks all for creating this DIY.
I replaced the front trailing arm bushings this week. Had to have a shop press out/in the bushings ($100).
One helpful piece of information - what are the torque values for the various bolts? I cannot find them and don't have access to WIS.
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T.Schuhe
Elite Veteran
Date registered: Apr 2006
Location: Olympia, Washington State, USA
Vehicle(s): 460 1985 LWB 300GD five speed
Posts: 711
| RE: R&R trailing arm Bushings
512bbi - 3/26/2012 10:09 PM The little bushings , trailing arm to chassis are the ones that suffer from deterioration even with low miles and make the largest difference. Also they are the ones that can hide being bad since you can not visually inspect them properly unless they out as they can broken and not seen easily on the truck. The rest can be visually inspected if good or not. Panhard rods ones are very important also as they effect drivabililty as much as the ones described on the chassis. Mario Thank you, Mark. Very helpful, as usual. I agree that the Panhard rod bushings are also very important to operation. My first G (1980 300GD Cabrio) Panhard bushings were so shot (age related) that when I would rock the vehicle side to side (while parked), it would make a loud "clank" sound. Very undistinguished for a Mercedes! It was not that difficult to repair. |
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AlanMcR
Expert
Date registered: Apr 2006
Location: US, CA, Los Altos
Vehicle(s): G300DT E300DT 230SL
Posts: 3500
| RE: R&R trailing arm Bushings
The alternative method for removal is to saw (radially) through the metal bands. This is remarkably easy with a simple hacksaw. You don't need to fully cut through the outside band before it eases and can be tapped out. I'll repeat a question I've posted elsewhere: Has anyone installed poly trailing arm bushings? If so, how did it go in the short/long term?
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Razon
Date registered: Jul 2008
Location: Vancouver, BC
Vehicle(s): 1986 280ge Cabrio, 617A, 5sp manual
| Re: R&R trailing arm Bushings
I MADE my own poly bushings at some point in time.
The center metal piece the bolt goes through started to have play in time.
For that reason, I don't like any bushings where the rubber/polyurethane is not vulcanized to the metal pieces.
I think the factory design is the best really. I wonder if they use different compound rubber between the 2 different areas. Otherwise why would they use the middle metal cylinder? |
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AlanMcR
Expert
Date registered: Apr 2006
Location: US, CA, Los Altos
Vehicle(s): G300DT E300DT 230SL
Posts: 3500
| Re: R&R trailing arm Bushings
Thanks for the followup on the poly bushings. That was pretty much what I suspected might happen. I think the "floating" metal ring in the factory bushing is there to allow them to use a softer rubber (for vibration absorption) while keeping greater strength.
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stevegsmith
Expert
Date registered: Apr 2006
Location: SF Bay Area, CA USA
Vehicle(s): 82 300GD WVO, 06 Jeep Lib CRD B99
Posts: 1301
| Re: R&R trailing arm Bushings
Alan, are you getting ready to do yours?
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colsG55
Veteran
Date registered: Aug 2013
Location: Dubai
Vehicle(s): G55 Classic 2000, TD5 110, 200 Series Land Cruiser
Posts: 211
| RE: R&R trailing arm Bushings
I know not many people out there will have a re-enforced armoured front axle housing apart from me & maybe a few of the ex-military owners but if you do there are a few extra steps needed to remove the front arms due to the extra support structure not allowing the arms to drop out but need to be slid out from the rear once the rear point is removed from the chassis mount.
Follow the link to see what I mean. http://cdr.smugmug.com/Off-Road/G-Wagon/i-vk3Jpnp/A
To get the arms out I had to remove the pan hard rod, disconnect and push up the bottom of both front shocks (if you do not the shocks will bind not allowing the housing to be rotated forward enough) & also I found it easier to disconnect the steering damper & then remove the drag link to keep it out of the way. I also supported most of the vehicle weight on stands to the chassis and left the front wheels lightly on the ground so I could pivot the axle housing on the front wheels.
After removing all of the bolts & rear nuts to both arm I was able to pivot the axle housing by independently rolling each wheel forward, the springs were able to just flex enough to allow enough rotating to let the axle housing move 4 or so inches forward to get the rear of the arm free from the chassis, once this is out you can slide the main part of the arm with the bushes out rearwards, it was a struggle to get them in & out but it can be done, my only concern is the front prop shaft has to extend quite a bit but not so far so as the splines come out. I almost disconnected the front of the shaft so this did not happen but it ended up being OK with it left insitu.
It sounds long winded but only adds an hour or so to the removal and a bit longer for the instillation as you need to re-align housing again to the arms & pan hard rod after rotating it 4 or more inches.
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diesel_jim
Veteran
Date registered: Jan 2014
Location: N Wiltshire. UK
Vehicle(s): LR Defender 110, 1989 W460 SWB
Posts: 114
| Re: R&R trailing arm Bushings
^^^^ WOW, that's a helluva braced front axle. nice. |
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colsG55
Veteran
Date registered: Aug 2013
Location: Dubai
Vehicle(s): G55 Classic 2000, TD5 110, 200 Series Land Cruiser
Posts: 211
| Re: R&R trailing arm Bushings
Yeah mate, it makes doing the bushes on my 110 a walk in the park.
I somehow doubt I will ever bend the front axle. |
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Atl-Wagen
Member
Date registered: Sep 2014
Location: Atlanta, Georgia
Vehicle(s): 80's something w460-230ge 2013 Honda Ridgeline
Posts: 48
| Re: R&R trailing arm Bushings
I started the trailing arm project here are the current pictures. https://flic.kr/p/qEQnhs. I sure hope my bushings get here soon.
Both arms have the same PN cast on the side, any reason I would think they would be side specific. I am going to send them away to get cleaned up, and I wonder if I am okay if they get swapped?
Any comments would be appreciated. Does anyone know the torque settings?
Edited by Atl-Wagen 3/15/2015 8:21 PM
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DUTCH
Administrator Doppelgänger
Date registered: Apr 2006
Location: US, GA, Atlanta
Vehicle(s): 2015 Audi Q7 3.0 TDI,2018 Sprinter
Posts: 9963
| Re: R&R trailing arm Bushings
Atl-Wagen - 3/14/2015 3:32 PM
I started the trailing arm project here are the current pictures. https://flic.kr/p/qEQnhs. I sure hope my bushings get here soon.
Both arms have the same PN cast on the side, any reason I would think they would be side specific. I am going to send them away to get cleaned up, and I wonder if I am okay if they get swapped?
Any comments would be appreciated. Does anyone know the torque settings?
Should not be a problem; but if you are concerned, why not take a hammer and punch to mark one side or the other. |
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Atl-Wagen
Member
Date registered: Sep 2014
Location: Atlanta, Georgia
Vehicle(s): 80's something w460-230ge 2013 Honda Ridgeline
Posts: 48
| RE: R&R trailing arm Bushings
The rear arms are now painted and back on the truck. As a note about the poly bushings they do not need to be pressed in. They are split.
My local NAPA store has a machine shop and charged me $10 a bushing to press out the old ones. $40 sure felt like a deal.
Getting them back in is like all things much easier with two people, and bottle jack, (or a bottle of jack) and a rubber mallet.
The bolts for the arms, and the lower bolt on the shock absorber are 16mm x 90mm x 1.5. I went with the 10.9 grade, as they have a similar rating to the Grade 8 imperial bolt. The threaded end for the arm is also 16mm / 1.5.
Thanks to all that posted before me, it made the process much easier for this novice.
The nuts are all nylon lock style, you will need three per arm, and one for the shock if you have to move it to get a bolt out.
The gloss black on the axle is two coats of POR 15, it smells bad, but it works great.
W460 SWB 230GE
Edited by Atl-Wagen 3/29/2015 8:33 PM
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Inkblotz
Expert
Date registered: Apr 2006
Location: Georgia
Vehicle(s): 90 300GD "Thundering Turtle II", w/ 603A turbo
Posts: 3187
| Re: R&R trailing arm Bushings
Nice job. Glad it worked out.
In time for the alabama treffin.
Mark |
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ILIAN
Veteran
Date registered: Sep 2014
Location: Boston MA
Vehicle(s): 2000 G500 1999 CL500
Posts: 181
| Re: R&R trailing arm Bushings
It's not a DIY until someone posts the torque values for the different bolts and nuts. I made the mistake of buying a 12 TON press at Harbor Freight cz I didn't know any better. Should have seen this first. Now it's all out of the box and assembled so can't return it. Will get the old bushings out by using a hacksaw or a holesaw on the rubber and then punch out the outer sleeve. If I freeze the new bushings do they still need the press to go in? I guess 12 Ton should be enough to push them in when frozen if needed. |
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bram_r
Expert
Date registered: Apr 2007
Location: the Netherlands
Vehicle(s): 1984 MB 280GE, 1982 MB 300GD, 1986 Subaru XT 4WD
Posts: 1659
| RE: R&R trailing arm Bushings
I recently pressed in these bushings (Front A4603330314, Rear A4603525014) in my coated trailing arms.
After pressing these in, I noticed the front bushing fitted flush with the trailing arm, while the rears stick out a bit.
See picture as well. First I wondered about having the wrong bushing, but I saw the same difference on the Hans Hehl site: http://www.hehlhans.de/tipp46.htm
I think it can be wise to seal or paint the part of the bushing additionally that sticks out of the trailing arms, to prevent water intrusion between metal sleeve of the bushing and the trailing arm.
gr. Bram
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DUTCH
Administrator Doppelgänger
Date registered: Apr 2006
Location: US, GA, Atlanta
Vehicle(s): 2015 Audi Q7 3.0 TDI,2018 Sprinter
Posts: 9963
| RE: R&R trailing arm Bushings
bram_r - 12/31/2017 7:24 AM
I recently pressed in these bushings (Front A4603330314, Rear A4603525014 ) in my coated trailing arms.
After pressing these in, I noticed the front bushing fitted flush with the trailing arm, while the rears stick out a bit.
See picture as well. First I wondered about having the wrong bushing, but I saw the same difference on the Hans Hehl site: http://www.hehlhans.de/tipp46.htm
I think it can be wise to seal or paint the part of the bushing additionally that sticks out of the trailing arms, to prevent water intrusion between metal sleeve of the bushing and the trailing arm.
gr. Bram
Excellent idea! Thanks for posting it. |
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bram_r
Expert
Date registered: Apr 2007
Location: the Netherlands
Vehicle(s): 1984 MB 280GE, 1982 MB 300GD, 1986 Subaru XT 4WD
Posts: 1659
| RE: R&R trailing arm Bushings
Took a while to actually do it, but here it goes.
- Degreased the bushings sticking out of the powdercoated trailing arms
- Used some masking tape to mask some areas of the trailing arms
- Used the old large traling arm washers to protect the bushings from getting too much paint on them
- Primered the bare metal of the bushings sticking out of the trailing arms with Rust-o-Leum Hard Hat primer
- Sealed the edge around the bushing and let the sealant dry
- Applied a top coat satin black Rust-o-Leum Hard Hat
I've seen how rusty the bushing sleeves can get.
Feels better now that the bare metal is coated, sealed and protected.
gr. Bram
Edited by bram_r 5/12/2018 5:05 PM
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Otiswesty
Administrator
Date registered: Jun 2007
Location: Portland, Oregon
Vehicle(s): 463.241, 461.213
Posts: 3013
| Re: R&R trailing arm Bushings
Nice work Bram |
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