and now: Death Wobble 1989 XJ Style

Coming off a local mountain while returning from Hartsel CO where we went to
scatter the ashes of a departed friend, I had to brake at 65 mph to slow for
"flatlander" (I.E. out of state license) traffic going 15 mph under the
speed limit.

And the front axle starts trying to do the Shimmy, the Pony, the Mashed
Potato, and the Peppermint Twist, all at the same time.

Shortly thereafter I noticed a clunking in the front when rolling backward
and cycling the brakes to "inch' backward.

My son looked under the front of the XJ while I rolled backward to see if we
could locate the clunking noise and he said the whole axle was tipping
backward with each brake application.

Only the upper arm bushings were sloppy according to what he saw.

How I hate being on a fixed income when a vehicle needs work, so I'm going
to just do the uppers for now and the lowers next month, darn it.

--
Budd Cochran

Need proof that we need less government?

They can't run a website that could have

been built with WYSIWYG5!

Budd Cochran wrote:

> How I hate being on a fixed income when a vehicle needs work, so I'm going
> to just do the uppers for now and the lowers next month, darn it.
>

Ever notice how those types of problems seem to wait until the first really
cold spell is on the way? ISTR that you have a pretty good tool set -
that's good as getting those upper bushings out can be a real bear!

--
Will Honea

Will Honea wrote:
> Budd Cochran wrote:
>
>> How I hate being on a fixed income when a vehicle needs work, so I'm
>> going to just do the uppers for now and the lowers next month, darn
>> it.
>>
>
> Ever notice how those types of problems seem to wait until the first
> really cold spell is on the way? ISTR that you have a pretty good
> tool set - that's good as getting those upper bushings out can be a
> real bear!

I agree with this post!

http://www.revbeergoggles.com/control-arms/

Those were a royal PITA to get out.
Especially keeping the axle lined up.
I used a strap/ratchet and did one side at a time.


--
DougW

"DougW" > wrote in message
...
: Will Honea wrote:
: > Budd Cochran wrote:
: >
: >> How I hate being on a fixed income when a vehicle needs work, so I'm
: >> going to just do the uppers for now and the lowers next month, darn
: >> it.
: >>
: >
: > Ever notice how those types of problems seem to wait until the first
: > really cold spell is on the way? ISTR that you have a pretty good
: > tool set - that's good as getting those upper bushings out can be a
: > real bear!
:
: I agree with this post!
:
: http://www.revbeergoggles.com/control-arms/
:
: Those were a royal PITA to get out.
: Especially keeping the axle lined up.
: I used a strap/ratchet and did one side at a time.
:
:
: --
: DougW
:
:
To Will and Doug:

I have a good set of tools plus a son with the larger metric wrenches, if
needed.

I plan to jack the XJ up on stands under the axle and then pull one control
arm at a time, swap the bushings with a homemade tool for the job then go on
to the next one.

I made a lot of my own specialty tools when I worked as a Millwright / heavy
equipment mechanic back in the 70's and I've devised a compact, screw
operated, bushing press from scrap stuff laying around.

I watched a video on YouTube where a guy knocked the bushings out with a
hammer and chisel and knew there had to be a better (easier) way.


--
Budd Cochran

Need proof that we need less government?

They can't run a website that could have

been built with WYSIWYG5!

Budd Cochran wrote:

> I have a good set of tools plus a son with the larger metric wrenches, if
> needed.
>
> I plan to jack the XJ up on stands under the axle and then pull one
> control arm at a time, swap the bushings with a homemade tool for the job
> then go on to the next one.
>
> I made a lot of my own specialty tools when I worked as a Millwright /
> heavy equipment mechanic back in the 70's and I've devised a compact,
> screw operated, bushing press from scrap stuff laying around.
>
> I watched a video on YouTube where a guy knocked the bushings out with a
> hammer and chisel and knew there had to be a better (easier) way.
>

As I said, I remember you from past years as a fair wrencher but until
you've actually pulled those @#$%^& things you might wish you had waited for
a warmer day.

Last time I jumped into a front suspension job was when the daughter was
complaining about slop in the front end of here little Nissan. Looked under
and the rubber bushing were visibly shot so I figured no sweat.... Several
hours later, after I had taken an oxy-acetelyne torch to burn out the old
rubber then jerry-rigged a 3/4 inch bolt to press the new ones in we finally
finished. My first and last front suspension job on one of those!

--
Will Honea

On Tue, 19 Nov 2013 23:52:46 -0700, Will Honea >
wrote:
> Budd Cochran wrote:


> > I have a good set of tools plus a son with the larger metric
wrenches, if
> > needed.
> >
> > I plan to jack the XJ up on stands under the axle and then pull
one
> > control arm at a time, swap the bushings with a homemade tool for
the job
> > then go on to the next one.
> >
> > I made a lot of my own specialty tools when I worked as a
Millwright /
> > heavy equipment mechanic back in the 70's and I've devised a
compact,
> > screw operated, bushing press from scrap stuff laying around.
> >
> > I watched a video on YouTube where a guy knocked the bushings out
with a
> > hammer and chisel and knew there had to be a better (easier) way.
> >


> As I said, I remember you from past years as a fair wrencher but
until
> you've actually pulled those @#$%^& things you might wish you had
waited for
> a warmer day.


> Last time I jumped into a front suspension job was when the
daughter was
> complaining about slop in the front end of here little Nissan.
Looked under
> and the rubber bushing were visibly shot so I figured no sweat....
Several
> hours later, after I had taken an oxy-acetelyne torch to burn out
the old
> rubber then jerry-rigged a 3/4 inch bolt to press the new ones in
we finally
> finished. My first and last front suspension job on one of those!


The real pain is the final torque on the lower nuts. I had to use a
lift to get enough oomph on mine. Couldn't get an air tool to fit.
upper ones were easy enough.

Final torque should be with the wheels on the ground. Or the
bushings won't be happy.

I reused the sleves, just cut/drilled/burned the old bushing material
out.

next time I will buy the lower arms with bushings and save myself a
lot of grief.

"DougW" > wrote in message
...
: On Tue, 19 Nov 2013 23:52:46 -0700, Will Honea >
: wrote:
: > Budd Cochran wrote:
:
:
: > > I have a good set of tools plus a son with the larger metric
: wrenches, if
: > > needed.
: > >
: > > I plan to jack the XJ up on stands under the axle and then pull
: one
: > > control arm at a time, swap the bushings with a homemade tool for
: the job
: > > then go on to the next one.
: > >
: > > I made a lot of my own specialty tools when I worked as a
: Millwright /
: > > heavy equipment mechanic back in the 70's and I've devised a
: compact,
: > > screw operated, bushing press from scrap stuff laying around.
: > >
: > > I watched a video on YouTube where a guy knocked the bushings out
: with a
: > > hammer and chisel and knew there had to be a better (easier) way.
: > >
:
:
: > As I said, I remember you from past years as a fair wrencher but
: until
: > you've actually pulled those @#$%^& things you might wish you had
: waited for
: > a warmer day.
:
:
: > Last time I jumped into a front suspension job was when the
: daughter was
: > complaining about slop in the front end of here little Nissan.
: Looked under
: > and the rubber bushing were visibly shot so I figured no sweat....
: Several
: > hours later, after I had taken an oxy-acetelyne torch to burn out
: the old
: > rubber then jerry-rigged a 3/4 inch bolt to press the new ones in
: we finally
: > finished. My first and last front suspension job on one of those!
:
:
: The real pain is the final torque on the lower nuts. I had to use a
: lift to get enough oomph on mine. Couldn't get an air tool to fit.
: upper ones were easy enough.
:
: Final torque should be with the wheels on the ground. Or the
: bushings won't be happy.
:
: I reused the sleves, just cut/drilled/burned the old bushing material
: out.
:
: next time I will buy the lower arms with bushings and save myself a
: lot of grief.

Buying new control arms was my first choice until I looked at my bank
account.

And the same reason has pushed the job off another month.

The tool I made is made to straddle the larger lower bushing flange and uses
a thick hardened washer of a diameter to press on the shell to remove the
bushing and by reversing the unit it will press the new bushing in.

Friction between the screw that operates it and the shell top plate is
reduced with a thrust bearing from a broken floorjack caster wheel

My elder brother likes to buy parts (he a bit eccentric) and then have a
shop install them. The bushing replacement at a local shop cost $400 just
for the labor.

I would have done it for half that.


--
Budd Cochran

Need proof that we need less government?

They can't run a website that could have

been built with WYSIWYG5!

Budd Cochran wrote:

> Buying new control arms was my first choice until I looked at my bank
> account.
>
> And the same reason has pushed the job off another month.
>
> The tool I made is made to straddle the larger lower bushing flange and
> uses a thick hardened washer of a diameter to press on the shell to remove
> the bushing and by reversing the unit it will press the new bushing in.
>
> Friction between the screw that operates it and the shell top plate is
> reduced with a thrust bearing from a broken floorjack caster wheel
>
> My elder brother likes to buy parts (he a bit eccentric) and then have a
> shop install them. The bushing replacement at a local shop cost $400 just
> for the labor.
>
> I would have done it for half that.
>

AH, a man after my own heart! Coating the sleeve AND bushing with liquid
dish soap works wonders for the install step.

BTW, anther reason to wait was just on tv - it's gonna get downright frigid
out by tomorrow night at your house, like in the teens....

--
Will Honea

On Wed, 20 Nov 2013 21:59:03 -0700, "Budd Cochran"
> wrote:
> The tool I made is made to straddle the larger lower bushing flange
and uses
> a thick hardened washer of a diameter to press on the shell to
remove the
> bushing and by reversing the unit it will press the new bushing in.

Sounds like a plan. Watch that washer, you might need to back it up
with
A slightly smaller one if it tries to bend on you. The pressure it
takes to
get that bushing material out is insane.

I used a small vice and a couple pieces of plywood to push in the new
bushings.

> Friction between the screw that operates it and the shell top plate
is
> reduced with a thrust bearing from a broken floorjack caster wheel

You might need a couple of small pieces to go beteen the sides.
The arm is a U shape and can compress a bit. Learned that when
I used a shop press and just about folded the end of an arm.
But I was pressing the rubber out of the shell, and didn't have the
correct blocks to line up the press.

> My elder brother likes to buy parts (he a bit eccentric) and then
have a
> shop install them. The bushing replacement at a local shop cost
$400 just
> for the labor.

That's the reason I did the job myself. The labor price was just
nuts.
Took me a whole day just doing the fronts, but left me with beer money
so that was fine.

Good luck!

--
DougW

"Will Honea" > wrote in message
...
: Budd Cochran wrote:
:
:
: AH, a man after my own heart! Coating the sleeve AND bushing with liquid
: dish soap works wonders for the install step.
:
: BTW, anther reason to wait was just on tv - it's gonna get downright
frigid
: out by tomorrow night at your house, like in the teens....
:
: --
: Will Honea
:

Too late! Right now it 18 at my house.

Had to take my younger brother to Colorado Springs for a checkup after a
triple bypass surgery and CO115 wasn't too bad till about 2 miles south of
Gate 5 at Ft Carson saw 5 vehicles off the road: two with bling wheels and
rubber band tires and a Wrangler with some lift and extra wide mudder tires
(too much flotation, couldn't get a bite in the snow) and a rear ender
accident between a pickup and a frozen slush covered japmobile ... wanna
guess which had the front end damaged and the ice knocked off the hood.

One odd thing though, I have twin 4 foot top load CB antennas mounted above
the rear wheels and I had to tie them down to the roof rack.

Ice built up on the front of the whips and made them bang into the rain
gutter hard above 40 mph.

BTW, being in fulltime 4X4 kept the front axle from doing the Shimmy. I
guess the center differential kept the suspension loaded.


--
Budd Cochran

Need proof that we need less government?

They can't run a website that could have

been built with WYSIWYG5!