Otto Mechanic

Looking for hints on the best way to remove the rear torsion tube bushings on an '89 944 S2.

I've dropped the rear suspension after rebuilding and replacing the torque tube, while I was in there I figured I'd replace the bushings. They're pressed in, probably using a standard hydraulic press. I'd like to replace the rubber bushings with billet aluminum (racer's edge). If I can do this without taking the trailing arms off the car it would be nice...

thomasmryan

I used a gear puller to remove and install

Otto Mechanic

Brilliant. Never even occurred to me.

I thought I might bang on them with a suitably sized socket, but after a test I decided I was more likely to knock the car off the jack stands...

Otto Mechanic

Hey Thomas, since you've done this before, any hints on how to get the rear suspension to line up again so you can insert the bolts through those bushings?

I have it on a lift with stands at the rear (central?) jack points and a lift jack under the trailing arms but I'm darned if I can get it lined up. I had to mess around with it for about an hour before I could get those rear bushings (the ones I'm replacing) just right so they'd slip out of the chassis but of course reversing that procedure isn't working so well. I keep thinking there must be a balance point somewhere I can put a stand under and have it line up and slip right in but I haven't found it.

thomasmryan

Assuming your jack stands are under the central lift point, I loosen the carriers and use scissor jacks on each side. Offering up the passenger side first works better since the drivers side hole in the chassis is slotted just a little. I use the scissor jacks out of the Subarus

Once the banana arm is in its slot, a scissor jack will let you raise it in small increments so the rubber faces can slide over the grit and undercoat. (Doesn't matter with using aluminum bushes?) When you see the banana arm hole, slip in that bolt. When the carrier is loose on the spring plate rubber, you can use the 4 bolts to pull it towards the center of the car until you see the hole then work the hole with the jack and either a punch or a big screwdriver. (With the carriers pulled loose a little, four turns or so, it makes it easier to work around the safety tabs on the torque tube.)

I tighten everything to about half torque then lift both trailing arms until it lifts off the jack stands a hair then put the final torque on everything. This loads the suspension and it helps to have multiple floor jacks. Then just work your way up the torque wrench.

A short ride around the block will settle everything enough to get a rough alignment with some masons twine.

Otto Mechanic

Thanks very much Thomas, that procedure worked very well for me. There's still a lot of jiggering around but it finally all went back together. Instead of scissor jacks I ended up using a couple of jack stands that have integrated hydraulic jacks built in, they're very nice and they can be locked mechanically.

So I ended up using a rolling hydraulic jack under the trailing arms, two of those hybrid hydraulic jacks under the front part of the trailing arm (aluminum in my case) that holds the rubber mounts (which were replaced with billet aluminum), and two regular jack stands under the central lift point.

It took a couple of hours. I believe what happens is the chassis twists a little when the rear suspension is removed and so I had to go back and forth from side to side raising and lowering the main lift jack until I had the front of the trailing arms positioned under the slots they need to slip into. Once lined up, I used the hybrid jacks to get the arms up into the slots with the bolt holes mostly lined up. Then it was a lot of small moves with the lift jack to get the bushings set "flat" with respect to the chassis so I could get the bolt through.

I guess there's just no "easier" way. I do appreciate the guidance, the sequence you described was exactly what I needed.

Thanks again!