diff bushing, preferred method

[scottinAZ]

as the title says, what is your preferred method for installing a new diff bushing. I have a ball joint press, but getting all of the stuff aligned is a pain in the ass to say the least. so tell me R3V, how are you doing them??

[KenC]

The bottlejack press from Harbor Freight works well. Just make sure you brace around the bushing well bc the casting likes to break.

[scottinAZ]

ok, well that was a certifiable pain in the ass...

Turns out the housing bore wasnt round, so the bushing wouldnt start right.

Solved the problem by chucking the bushing in my lathe and chamfering the edge down, and turning the first 1/8th inch or so to a press fit diameter (took about .010 off). this allowed me to get the bushing started, and then pressure took over and finished the job.

Again, what a pain in the ass....

[jlevie]

When changing an OE bushing I remove the cover from the diff and use a press. It is real easy to crack the ring of the housing where the bushing goes.

[Jand3rson]

And when pressing in ANY kind of new bushings, don't be afraid to use a thin application of some dishsoap around the bushing, and the hole it's going in. Just a thin little layer will make things a TON easier, and when it dries, it will mostly evaporate and act as a light glue.

[scottinAZ]

When changing an OE bushing I remove the cover from the diff and use a press. It is real easy to crack the ring of the housing where the bushing goes.

This is why I took a bit of material off the leading edge of the bushing. I wanted to start the damn thing off straight. My thinking was, if it canted, that it would definitely fuck up the cover. I ended up taking the cover off, and then using the shop press. Hardest part (before turning it down) was to get it started straight. I gave up on that after about 1/2 an hour and a hundred or so tries