So I took the panhard rod out Friday....so much play you could move it by paw and clack out a tune. I got a press from harbor freight that was and is a humongous piece of crap. I did succeed with the help of my wife in removing the old bushings one of which would not come out I ended up cutting it with a jigsaw burning the rubber with a propane torch and grinding the last ring of bushing with a dremel till it worked the rest of it out. I painted four coats of 2x coat flat black rustoleum on it(after sanding it down) and the next morning I went out to the garage to put the bushings in. Now I don't mind working on things and I like to learn. I have always wanted to be a mechanical kind of car guy but lets just say sometimes I feel challenged. So I had two bushings and I went to press the first one in and I ruined it. ach! so I went back to advance auto because they sold me the first two and they did not have them in their warehouse any more....so to the dealer I had to go. I mean had to I called everywhere hoping I could ward off going to them. One bushing 13 something....so my wife says to quell my frustration and to find a shop to put them in and so I did. Not a bad price close to my house. 12 bucks a piece and they didn't charge me for pushing out the ruined one I left in there

So I get the nice looking panhard rod home and I crawl under there to put it in and I got the bar in there and the holes line up but I can't get the other bolt in I have this other rod in my way. Now am I missing something? I took this thing off without jacking up the vehicle what is the problem? I feel kind of silly that something is different here now.

Do I need to jack up the frame so the axle hangs lower or what? has me scratching my head. The bolt on the passenger side..that is.

well at least I did notice that the radius arm bushing on the passenger side has some space and a little movement in there that may be soon...how hard are they to get off?

 

I had to use a ratchet strap, hooked one end on the frame and the other end on the opposite side on the axle, and tightend the strap enough that it pulled everything into place. Without the panhard bar there is nothing keeping the axle centered anymore sounds like it just moved a little.

 

I just went through this exercise over the weekend. I also bought a 20-ton press from Harbor Freight.

The press isn't awesome, but once I figured out how to use it properly--after not doing so and trying to use the alternate smash out with socket and hammer method--it became super easy.

To get the bushings out and in, I went to the hardware store (local ACE) and picked up a few various-sized plumbing pipe joints. I took a piece of paper with me that I had traced bushings on to get an idea of diameters I needed. In any case, to press out and in I placed a larger pipe joint on one of the press plates, the rod on the pipe joint and then a socket on top of the bushing to be pressed in/out. Then I engaged the press and it was a snap.

Getting the rod back in was not too difficult. The bolt connected to the steering arm was unobstructed, so it went in quickly. The other one does butt up close to the axle like you noticed, so what I did was pop the bolt in far enough to get the nut on and then tightened the nut until it pulled the bolt through (nut closest to the axle).

Hopefully that makes sense.

As for the radius arm, I did the driver-side arm and I am planning on doing the other soon--for the same reason; too much play/bad bushing.

Prepare for a challenging job, but it is doable. I recommend having a partner help since the arm is a few pounds (25-30?) and will be difficult to get in/out mostly due to a lot of weight on the axle end. You will also need to jack the axle up to get clearance to get it out and back in. The bushings are easy to press in/out IF you have the right jig setup. I used a steel wheel from my Austin Healey Sprite (car is in pieces, so it was lying around) since it had a hole in the center larger that the bushings. Laid the arm on top of the wheel, a new bushing on top of the old, the large pipe joint (just a bit larger in diameter to the bushing) on the new bushing, and a flat piece of metal on top of the pipe joint to present a flat surface for the press--yes, I was pulling out all stops to get this done since my wife was giving me the "look" for missing Sunday dinner. It worked for both bushings.

See my post "Radius Arms Are EVIL" in this forum for additional details like which parts of the steering and suspension you will have to remove to get one of the radius arm bolts out. Fun.

Bottom line, if I can do it, you can, but it will take time and patience.

 

thank you guys...the pipe joins are a good idea I broke one of the plates to the press right away....I will go pick up some of those right away. It was good to find a machine shop close by though.
I got to put this panhard rod on first and a steering stabilizer I ordered yesterday is in. That and change the thermostat that is what is on today's agenda. trying to think where I put that ratchet strap. now I need to jack up the truck and put stands under the frame and put that strap on the opposite side of the axle am I getting that right?
the radius arm will be another day but soon I am sure.

 

To get the bushings out and in, I went to the hardware store (local ACE) and picked up a few various-sized plumbing pipe joints. I took a piece of paper with me that I had traced bushings on to get an idea of diameters I needed. In any case, to press out and in I placed a larger pipe joint on one of the press plates, the rod on the pipe joint and then a socket on top of the bushing to be pressed in/out. Then I engaged the press and it was a snap.

Getting the rod back in was not too difficult. The bolt connected to the steering arm was unobstructed, so it went in quickly. The other one does butt up close to the axle like you noticed, so what I did was pop the bolt in far enough to get the nut on and then tightened the nut until it pulled the bolt through (nut closest to the axle).

You will also need to jack the axle up to get clearance to get it out and back in. The bushings are easy to press in/out IF you have the right jig setup. I used a steel wheel from my Austin Healey Sprite (car is in pieces, so it was lying around) since it had a hole in the center larger that the bushings. Laid the arm on top of the wheel, a new bushing on top of the old, the large pipe joint (just a bit larger in diameter to the bushing) on the new bushing, and a flat piece of metal on top of the pipe joint to present a flat surface for the press--

The real key is the jigging and presenting the flat sure for the press plate. Fitting it like you did was ingenious. Your write-up was also very good. Plain and precise. I commend you for both the effort in accomplishing the repair and the presentation. I have not yet had to do this repair, but I did a variety of Mfg Engineering, Technical Writing for assembly, and various Quality Assurance jobs, some even in a large metals manufacturing company building military enclosures from basic materials. Presses were a standard piece of equipment there. The jigging is indeed critical for avoiding damage and assembling items properly. Thanks for sharing with us all.

 

I just went through this exercise over the weekend. I also bought a 20-ton press from Harbor Freight

So, would you reccommend this press for the rest of us? I know HB primarily sells low cost items, were you pleased enough to refer it to the rest of us?

 

I know I wasn't pleased enough to refer it to any one but in a pinch you can make it work I guess. I will get the the plumbing pieces for the next time I need it. Time wise and money wise I am thinking it is just as easy to take it to the machine shop and let them do it. as far as getting the panhard rod back in....I know this isn't the proper way to do things but it did work. I needed to go to the parts store to pick up the steering damper and return a movie so I drove the rover thinking when I got home the holes would line up and don't you know...they did and I got it in there in less than ten minutes and minimal swearing. the steering damper I had to cut one of the bolts off with the dremel, but it wasn't too bad either. As for the third thing I was going to do today....the thermostat....I got the housing off and the p.o. was running it with out the thermostat. I was shaking my head at him. I ran it for about twenty minutes and it did go up above half way a little but I know that had to be a big part of the problem. goof! My steering wheel was at a 45 at least degree angle before going down the road...and after the panhard rod...it is almost correct. The handling still isn't perfect and I feel a little vibration here and there after hitting a bump going down the free way but it is so much better. Don't feel like I am taking my life in my own hands to drive it. Not sure what is next perhaps the radius arm bushings because I saw on the pass side it had some space in there....probably put that steering wheel where it is supposed to be. Thanks fellas

 

Sometimes you can get the other panhard rod bolt in just by having someone turn the steering wheel slightly back and forth. That will cause the chassis to move sideways in relation to the axle.

I didn't know Advance sold the bushings, what's the part number?

 

i don't remember the number but lets just say when I ruined one and went back they did not have any more in the warehouse. sorry I didn't write it down I had to go back to the dealer to get another cost almost three times as much.

 

That would be good info to have. Can you find the number?