subframe bushing tool on ebay

[Russell]

This guy is selling a homemade subframe bushing tool for about $200. Any thoughts? Not even sure if it would even work. Looks like solid materials


http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=011&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT&viewitem=&item=320068832331&rd=1,1

[repenttokyo]

i had my subframe bushings replaced last month - it was 80 dollars CAD a side and 1.5 hours labour a side to do them - so less than 350 dollars in total.

[Russell]

$550 US or more here in Lexington, KY

[Robin-535im]

This guy is selling a homemade subframe bushing tool for about $200. Any thoughts? Not even sure if it would even work. Looks like solid materials


http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=011&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT&viewitem=&item=320068832331&rd=1,1
Didn't you make one a while back?

[Russell]

Not me. You must be thinking of another person.

In fact, I wish I had the plans to make something that would work.

[Dash01]

I'm totally ignorant on subframe bushing issues and haven't yet given it much thought, but am wondering if this idea might be of use:

The big center bolt holds the bushing tightly in place. After years of use, that bushing is probably pretty well fried in there anyway.

After a good soaking of the works with PB blaster, is there some way the big bolt could also be used to pull the bushing OUT of the subframe? In other words, some sorta U-shaped gizmo that grabs the bushing from the inside, and when the big nut is screwed out, pulls the whole shebang along with it. Maybe a two-prong bearing puller sorta thingy, with the prongs inserted up through the gaps in the rubber.

Instead of a Sawzall, would a hand-held wire saw work to cut the rubber? This is the kind with a thin piece of toothed wire and a pull ring at each end: Thread it through and just pull back and forth with the end-rings. Or, a length of nichrome wire will heat up if electricity is passed through it, and would melt the rubber as it cuts through.

Another idea: My old 280Z once had a stuck rubber bushing that I could not get loose. A guy with an acetyline torch cured that in about 2 seconds. It burned the rubber out so fast that the surrounding metal hardly had time to warm, burnt rubber being a good heat insulator.

[gale]

Looks like a well built tool, but $219 is way too much. He could sell them for $50-$75 ea. & still make a tidy profit, it's just not that complicated & minimal material cost.

[Russell]

Plans? I would see if I can can get one made if I had some plans. Anyone?

Bet there are some engineers/budding engineers with a cad program and the skills/time to help those of us that are "design chanlenged" :)

[shogun]

For that you do not need a plan or drawing. There are plenty of info available.
Just measure the E34 bush, which is different from the E28
http://www.tycksen.com/bmw/tech/subframe/index.php?session=nudY24bh04RndJKvYmZGw3itv2
Homemade versions
http://www.ehcnachwuchs.de/werkzeug.jpg
http://vollnormal.dyndns.org/e32/reparaturen/tonnenlager/