MTFCA Forum

I’m refurbishing the rear axle. All going well until I tried to remove the rear spring perch bushing. They wouldn’t budge. I wound up buying new perches but the new bushings won’t go in. Wound up mushrooming about 3/4 of the way in and now that one is jammed in the new perch. Any advice?

What are you using to remove the bushings? There is a special bushing driver tool which has a shaft which fits inside the bushing with an offset to fit the very edge of the bushing. They will normally drive right in with a hammer. The shaft keeps you from bending the bushing and the offset fits exactly to the edge of the bushing so it makes contact all the way around. Be sure the perch is clean without any burrs. If the bushing is sized correctly it should be a snug fit. You might try a little parren such as an old candle or canning wax on the surface so it will slide in.
Norm

Advice: do not hammer against bushings

If it were me I would make sure the perch’s are cleaned up on the inside by sanding, using a round file and etc. When installing the bushings the best way is to press them in. The vise I use opens wide enough to do that. On one end of the bushing you can grind off just enough to help it get started and lube the inside a little. Then use a vise to slowly press them in. If you had trouble removing the old bushings use heat, let them cool off then drive or press them out. Using heat will always help in getting them out. I use a socket and short extension and you can drive them out that way. They will come out easily that way. You have everything you need in a socket set to do the job or you can by a sized tool to drive them with.

Use a hack saw to cut thru the bushing, it will no longer be a press fit and will tap out using a socket and hammer. You can press the new bushing in using all -thread or a bolt, with nuts and washers. Tighten the nut(s) and squeeze the bushing in. Should be a Jelf tutorial out there if you do an archive search.

Back when , Fords precision manufacturing meant you could likely R & R bushings without much of a thought. Today, you need to spend a couple minutes discovering what fits are needed and invest in some cheap measuring devices. The days of R & R model T stuff is long gone, unless you are lucky to have a NOS stash. A BFH isn’t the answer, as you found out !!

As others posted, take a hacksaw blade and insert it into the busted bushing, cut a groove and it will press out, a proper bushing driver helps. Once out, clean the bore of the perch.

Then radius one end slightly, add some oil for lube, and use the bushing driver, or if you have a big vise, with soft jaws, push the new bushing in.

Then use a reamer or drill to correct size to fit the shackle for a smooth slip fit.

Bushing driver tool

Thanks all! Really odd sizes in new parts. Bushings are too big for the new perch. Will need to hone before trying again. I’d rather do it myself but I’m tempted to find a machine shop. I’ll try and get one out with a hacksaw and hone the inside of the perch before trying again. I have the bushing tool from Lang’s but no luck with it.

Dan's photo with the hacksaw blade shows a non standard bronze bushing. These are so much better than the rolled steel bushings the vendors sell. In Australia they are available at good bearing shops. Being machined, they are of a much more consistent size, and they are easily reamed to suit the shackle once fitted.
Hope this helps.
Allan from down under.

I see that Lang’s sells bronze bushings but the description says they are for the earlier cars. I’m guessing they won’t fit on a 1924?

Another way to squeeze in bushings is with a piece of all thread.
It's been several years, but I think I looked up the bronze bushings online by size, and picked them up at a local store.


I don't remember if all of them needed to be reamed, but this one did.


For a later car with flip top oilers, don't forget to drill the oil hole.

As far as I know, the early and late bushes are all the same dimension. Rears have a larger OD than the front ones.

Allan from down under.