DMS bushing question
Posted by imnotcrazy
imnotcrazy Don Kennedy Senior Moderator Location: Reading, PA Join Date: 10/05/2006 Age: Fossilized Posts: 227 Rally Car: Impreza |
I posted this in reply to a DMS thread over on "the other" forum but no one has responded and I know most of the technical people are here, not there. So here it goes;
Okay, I'm going to replace the DMS bushings myself for the first time. I have 2 strut bodies as spares and it looks like there's 2 bushings near the top of the body about 1.25 inches apart, then the bottom half of the body is not a bushing but is machined to the same ID as the teflon bushing, correct? Also it does not appear that the bushings in mine are split, I can't find a seam so I'll definitely need to rig up an oval washer to pull them out. Thanks. Don Kennedy |
Doivi Clarkinen Banned Mod Moderator Location: the end of the universe Join Date: 02/12/2006 Age: Possibly Wise Posts: 1,432 Rally Car: 1980 Opel Ascona B |
The bottom half of the body is not the same diameter as the bushing, unless your bushings are so worn out they are that big now! You will never pull them out with an oval washer, I have tried. The bushes are pressed in very tight and , at least at one time, secured by loctite from the factory. If they are 50mm struts then they are certainly split bushes. (The 40mm struts did not have split bushes and can easily be removed with an oval washer and threaded rod arrangement.) If the bushes are worn through the teflon to the bronze it can be hard to see the seam but it's there. Try to find it with a sharp pick or something. I use a tapered punch with the end ground at an angle for a chisel. Maybe about 7-8mm diameter at the end, no more. Round side of the chisel toward the strut body chisel down adjacent to the seam, not down the middle of it. You're trying to curl the one edge of the bushing in. Once you're down most of the way you'll have a decent curl at the top you can grab with a pair of vicegrips and twist toward the inside, pulling up. |
imnotcrazy Don Kennedy Senior Moderator Location: Reading, PA Join Date: 10/05/2006 Age: Fossilized Posts: 227 Rally Car: Impreza |
Thanks. Yes they're 50 mm. Maybe when I clean them up good I'll be able to better see a seam. I imagine if I can't pull them out with an oval washer I won't be able to pull the new ones in that way either. But pressing them in with a press should be certainly easier than trying to get them out.
I didn't measure the bottom half of the body when I say the same size. After removing most of the grease I'm just seeing a step and the fact that the bottom half is not a bushing and is approximately the same size. Don Kennedy Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/23/2014 06:44PM by imnotcrazy. |
buerckner Andrew Buerckner Ultra Moderator Location: Canberra, Australia Join Date: 10/22/2011 Posts: 120 Rally Car: Daihatsu Charade GTti DOHC Turbo, and Mazda MX-5(miata) Turbo(bent) |
I've done a similar thing with some old proflex struts.
They were 45mm with split glacier bushes. I got them out with an oval washer approx 4mm thick and a rather large slide hammer, not easy but it did work. I used the method Doivi explained above for the mush smalled bush in the seal head of the actual shock absorber. Pressed them back in with a nylon rod that I turned down specifically for the job. Have you measured the current clearance, as they may not "need" replacing? Also there are different types of bushes, some designed to be run dry which is what most seem to be fitted with originally and other designed to be greased. I worked for many years in industrial parts sales (bearings, bushes, seals, chains etc) and still haven't worked out why the shock builders did this. I found the greased type to fit to my shocks. http://www.arbearings.co.uk/products/glacier-style-bushes.html Cheers |
imnotcrazy Don Kennedy Senior Moderator Location: Reading, PA Join Date: 10/05/2006 Age: Fossilized Posts: 227 Rally Car: Impreza |
Ok, Dave. Tried the first one tonight. Made a chisel point in the shape of a D. Tried to go down one side of the seam and all it did was cut/tear. Eventually got it to start to peel in a little but then all it did was push down that side of the bushing twisting it. Got a small vise grips on it but it wouldn't twist in. That side of the bushing eventually pushed down a good 1/4 to 3/8 of an inch which also pulled the opposite side of the bushing away from the housing at the top. Put a slide hammer puller on it and was able to yank it out. Slide hammer puller will not fit down far enough to use on the second bushing. Also did a pretty good job of nicking the strut housing with the chisel which can be smoothed out with a small grinder and should not affect anything, I'll definitely not put the seam at that spot on the new bushing. Thoughts?
Don Kennedy |
john vanlandingham John Vanlandingham Professional Moderator Location: Ford Asylum, Sleezattle, WA Join Date: 12/20/2005 Age: Fossilized Posts: 14,152 Rally Car: Saab 96 V4 |
Don I may be able to lend you a tool I just had to make, its a kinda football shaper deal and its annoying as fuck to use but it works right... If those DMS things didn't use their gawd awful dump idea taper seats at the bottom of the rod then chopping thru the weld and knock the bottom is sooooper easy and then you just use a press to R&R things then zap in the fresh bottom. Easy. But NOOOOOOOoooooooooooooooooooooooooooOOOO. Jamie Drummond is smrater-er than all that.. Fawkin jerk. I'll see if i can post a piccie. John Vanlandingham Sleezattle, WA, USA Vive le Prole-le-ralliat www.rallyrace.net/jvab CALL +1 206 431-9696 Remember! Pacific Standard Time is 3 hours behind Eastern Standard Time. |
imnotcrazy Don Kennedy Senior Moderator Location: Reading, PA Join Date: 10/05/2006 Age: Fossilized Posts: 227 Rally Car: Impreza |
So, the chisel idea didn't work so well for me, would have taken forever and killed my shoulder with the pounding. So here's what I did. Made an oval washer out of 1/4 inch steel. Made a pipe insert, 1 9/16 diameter (what I had) and 6 1/2 inches long, capped on one end. Dropped the pipe in. Positioned the washer. Used a metal rod the diameter of the hole in the bottom to press on the capped end and was able to easily press out both bushings on all 4 bodies.
Now my next problem. When I go to adjust the bump (on the 2 front ones at least, didn't have time last night to check all 4), instead of 20 clicks from hard to soft, I get 37 clicks. Yes I know not to force it, Yes I've adjusted them several times over the 14 years I've had them and this is the first I've found this. Thoughts? Go half way and consider it 10 clicks (and other numbers appropriately). Or go x number from either direction to get the number I want (I'm adjusting them for Mt Washington hillclimb, not for dirt rally). Thanks. Don Kennedy |
buerckner Andrew Buerckner Ultra Moderator Location: Canberra, Australia Join Date: 10/22/2011 Posts: 120 Rally Car: Daihatsu Charade GTti DOHC Turbo, and Mazda MX-5(miata) Turbo(bent) |
Sorry just had to quote this.... ask any number of ozzies about aftersale service, parts supply, ears just tearing off and general undersized overpriced, underperforming junk. Then ask why Murray who charges accordingly and supplys in a "mostly" timely fashion is the top guys prefered local supplier, why are you so busy? |
imnotcrazy Don Kennedy Senior Moderator Location: Reading, PA Join Date: 10/05/2006 Age: Fossilized Posts: 227 Rally Car: Impreza |
Well, that certainly helps me alot, not. When I bought suspension 14 years ago there weren't alot of options. And I don't have much money (this is my hobby and discretionary money after all) to throw away what I have and invest in new stuff. YMMV.
Don Kennedy |
john vanlandingham John Vanlandingham Professional Moderator Location: Ford Asylum, Sleezattle, WA Join Date: 12/20/2005 Age: Fossilized Posts: 14,152 Rally Car: Saab 96 V4 |
As long as the things have some bushings and the inserts plunge things can be salvaged reasonably inexpensively...albeit with fixed valving, but that hasn't stopped a lotta guys from going fast enough to win.. You just need to find somebody who doesn't always simply shrug and say "that's just the way it is" and who knows suspension really well--who has obvious sympathy for the plight of the average clubbie....where? who? HOW? John Vanlandingham Sleezattle, WA, USA Vive le Prole-le-ralliat www.rallyrace.net/jvab CALL +1 206 431-9696 Remember! Pacific Standard Time is 3 hours behind Eastern Standard Time. |
Doivi Clarkinen Banned Mod Moderator Location: the end of the universe Join Date: 02/12/2006 Age: Possibly Wise Posts: 1,432 Rally Car: 1980 Opel Ascona B |
You can get more than 20 clicks of bump out of a DMS but only the first 20 do anything. That's why it's indexed off of fully closed. Count back 20 clicks from full hard (all the way clockwise) and the valve is fully open. Going more than 20 clicks doesn't open it any wider. |
imnotcrazy Don Kennedy Senior Moderator Location: Reading, PA Join Date: 10/05/2006 Age: Fossilized Posts: 227 Rally Car: Impreza |
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