Top subframe bushing broke off in chassis. How to remove

[BaltimoreBimmer]

Glad you got this part sorted out! I'll be checking in on your build thread for updates. If you're doing rear wheel bearings while youre in there, you could be in for another treat!

I think I will be holding off on the rear wheel bearings for now. From my understanding it's easier to get them off with the trailing arm attached to the car so you can use the puller on the axle? Not positive but at this point I just want to get everything back together so I can enjoy this over the summer

FYI, that carbide bit isn't rounded off, that's aluminum smeared all over it.

You can pick it out with a pick/knife/whatever and it's good as new.

Slow the speed down a bit and throw some sort of lube on it and it won't gum up as fast, but eventually Al will do that either way.

I figured out you need to slow it down, and that some of that was indeed aluminum smeared into the grooves. However after a while they did actually round off slightly towards the tip.

[varg]

Apply anti-seize liberally to the new bushings!

[dude8383]

Glad you got this part sorted out! I'll be checking in on your build thread for updates. If you're doing rear wheel bearings while youre in there, you could be in for another treat!

remember to throw the new ones in the freezer :up:

[gart]

Glad you got this part sorted out! I'll be checking in on your build thread for updates. If you're doing rear wheel bearings while youre in there, you could be in for another treat!

[nrubenstein]

FYI, that carbide bit isn't rounded off, that's aluminum smeared all over it.

You can pick it out with a pick/knife/whatever and it's good as new.

Slow the speed down a bit and throw some sort of lube on it and it won't gum up as fast, but eventually Al will do that either way.

Also, you want die grinder sized carbide bits for this, like I linked the OP to. Dremel sized is not the same experience at all.

[dude8383]

I use a combination of a chisel, air hammer with a sharp chisel end attached + heat. Wash, rinse, repeat... usually gets the trick done within 20min or so. I then use a small screwdriver to clean out the bore so that the new bushing slips right in ;D

[Northern]

FYI, that carbide bit isn't rounded off, that's aluminum smeared all over it.

You can pick it out with a pick/knife/whatever and it's good as new.

Slow the speed down a bit and throw some sort of lube on it and it won't gum up as fast, but eventually Al will do that either way.

[LEANE30]

Good job seeing it to the end! Last time that happened to me, on an 84 in 2006, I tapped the broken part and threaded a big bolt up through the broken stub entirely then beat the bottom of bolt back and forth side to side under the car until it finally separated, each side. Drilling so many little holes seems mentally painful. Hope it never comes down to that for me. I'm gearing up for another subframe swap very soon again, I'm really hoping the factory bushings on this 88 come out clean and I don't have to relive the misery again you just endured.


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[BaltimoreBimmer]

there is a god

Alright.... so I stopped by home depot to pick up some carbide bits for my dremel. Ended up grabbing 3. I believe the two shorties aren't as durable as the long one. Regardless it seems to have done the job.... barely



So after maybe 4 minutes of grinding the first bit started to round off. You really need to be gentle with these. Unless the dremel brand ones are of lower quality, they certainly didn't cut as easily as I thought they would.



Here's where I ended up after rounding off all 3 bits, despite being insanely gently on the last one. Not going to lie, I think my neck muscles are twice as big after this work. Nothing like holding your head up on your back for 40 minutes.



Ok, so that's when I started to lose hope. I logged onto r3v and was beginning to post about how it was a crap shoot and I'd lost all motivation. Well... I saw two more posts, one touting the carbide, and the other mentioning the chisel. So instead of lamenting I decided to give it another go...I jammed the mangled remains of my carbide bits into the stubborn aluminum in an effort to break through at least one spot. I succeeded. Parts started to actually flake off. I reached the side of the carrier. Just barely. You can see it towards the bottom here:



At this point I pulled out my vast selection of punches and chisels courtesy of my old man and gave it a few good whacks. Praise jeebus, it started to move! There is light at the end of the tunnel!

Now you can clearly see there is separation. It was one of those moments where you don't believe it will actually happen until it does. Once I got that separation it was all history. I worked my way around the edges and it fully collapsed on itself and fell away:





and the glory shot:



As you can see, I did manage to score the chassis in a couple locations. Additionally I snagged the brake line ever so slightly. Those will have to be addressed so they don't cause rusting issues in the future. Not a problem, I can live with that.

Now here is that stupid mother fucker. I feel like I need to frame these pieces or make a necklace or something:



OK, so in conclusion - what did it take? Literally everything. No joke. The garage is a mess now. I had to use several different chisels/punches, drills with multiple bits, the dremel, a sledge hammer, a threaded rod, a lag bolt, a claw hammer, a dead weight hammer, and some nifty riggings of lights, and of course, sweat, blood, and tears. Ugh. What a mess:




Since I am such a picture whore, I figured I'd add a couple shots of that super cute drill bit index I was talking about earlier:





I want to thank you guys for helping me out. Seriously. The advice was sound and helped me keep my cool and get this sorted out. I appreciate it guys.

Now I only have to finish the overhaul (massive undertaking - tune in to my build thread for more fun stuff!)

[nrubenstein]

Again, carbide bits are your friends here. I've been abusing the shit out of this set since 2013:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[Northern]

I think I managed to chisel mine out. Second (much rustier) car I did the bushings on, I stuck an extension up through the hole and beat it fore/aft and it eventually worked the whole bushing/sleeve out intact.

If it broke off like yours, I'd probably drill/grind two holes 180deg apart and chisel the two halves toward each other.

[gart]

I feel your pain man. Had to do both of mine this way, they just wouldn't budge. I started with a toothpick sized bit and it wasn't hard to tell when you were through the aluminum. Keep at it, you'll get it.

[BaltimoreBimmer]

Not going well. Lag bolt plus massive sledge did not move it at all. Did manage to bash in my finger though...

Did several drill holes and stepped up the size however it's not wanting to collapse. It wants to fight me till the very end. I'm grinding and chisleing and grinding and hammering and grinding. Still have a ways to go. Need to buy different bits to make this work. Also it's incredibly difficult to tell where the bushing metal ends and the chassis begins.

It will come out. It's just being a huge pain

attempted lag bolt removal (actually not a lag but still bit):



here are some holes being drilled, I didn't start with toothpick sized like you gart, however I did find a hilariously small drill bit index of my dads. The index itself was no taller than my pinky and held maybe 10 bits. Quite cute, really.



and here is my mangled mess en route after realizing I have to shave it down. You can see the one (or two) point(s) where I possibly hit the chassis:



thanks for the encouragement gart, I need it. I look like a girl who has discovered glitter make up for the first time

[varg]

I guess I was mistaken. Wasn't the first time won't be the last.

[Mook613]

The rod smashing is THE way to do it.
I used the method from the start and got both sides out without the bushing breaking at all.

Use a 1/2" threaded rod and a 5/8th lag bolt. Thread the lag bolt in as hard as you can and then smash with a BFH. I personally used a 4lb mini sledge hammer.
Took quite a few big hits and the subframe just dropped.

Yes I have a vert and had to bend the rod quite a bit, but no it didn't break.