Subframe Bushings

[ptcfast2]

Longtime lurker here - decided to finally join today.

 

Anyways, on my 98 Lumina I'm trying to get those darn subframe bushings out. All 4 of them are pretty much shot (they are all very very mushy and the rubber is cracked).

 

Everything was going fine until I had to remove the bottom half of the rear bushings. It seems that they are rusted onto the frame (They won't budge!). I removed some of the rubber on one of the lower rear bushings so I could get a better angle at breaking it loose. I tried for a bit with a large flathead screwdriver & hammer and proceeded to move to an air hammer for a tiny bit (no luck yet ).

 

Before I decide to go to town on these bushings to get them out does anyone have any tips or tricks that can relate to this to this? I'd like to make this job a bit easier if at all possible.

[mra32]

maybe if you got the rear bolts out, you can lower the subframe and remove the insulator that goes between the unibody and subframe, leaving the bottom insulator protruding through the subframe, put a plate between the subframe and unibody and then jack up the subframe, putting the jack rearward of the hole for the bushing.

 

...havent been under there in a while...dont know if that would even work

 

you might also be able to get a saber saw in the middle and cut through to the outside edge of the bushing, getting through the metal sleeve that likely has you stuck.

 

come to think of it, this exact thing happened to me with mine. Perseverance with a hammer and a big flathead screwdriver payed off for me.

[ptcfast2]

I managed to get them both out today using a propane torch and an air hammer. I figured that if I had any chance of getting these out easily I needed to be able to impact the metal insulator directly to get it loose. All the rubber was going was softening the impacts, so it had to go....

 

So I burned off all the rubber on the bushing with the torch, lowered the frame enough to get a good angle at the top of the sleeve/bushing and hammered away. Popped right out!

[ptcfast2]

Alright, I messed up and ended up loosing control of the subframe with my hydraulic jack when replacing the subframe bushings. It fell a bit more than it should have and ended up dislodging the Intermediate Steering Shaft. Utilized another person to get everything back into place...and this person decided it would be fun to twirl the steering wheel 360 degrees...which of course broke a component of the airbag system in the steering column and turned my airbag light on. I neglected to tell them NOT to twirl the wheel as I'm aware of the warnings.

 

So, my question is: When the steering shaft is not connected to the wheel, and said wheel is turned 360 degrees, what component of the air bag system breaks (which wire snaps, etc....)? GM has enough "warnings" around the protective boots of the shaft...so it's gotta be a known fact right?

Edited September 16, 2010 by ptcfast2

[AL]

I think the clockspring is what needs replaced