[GoGoat]

Whats an easy way to install the upper trailing arm bushing on a stock 66 rearend? Pound them in or use a large c-clamp? Also should I grease them before installing? Thanks

[ErikW]

https://www.ridetech.com/product/bus...pper-bushings/

[Bruce Meyer]

Originally Posted by GoGoat

Whats an easy way to install the upper trailing arm bushing on a stock 66 rearend? Pound them in or use a large c-clamp? Also should I grease them before installing? Thanks

Whatever you do, Do not pound them in. You can snap off the ear on the rearend if you do.

[scott70]

Once I drilled out the rubber mostly and then took a cold chisel and folded it in on it self. Then lightly hammered out the rest.

[indymanjoe]

Same here as above.

[lust4speed]

Cheat and do some sanding on the inside of the ears before trying to get the bushings in place. Putting a slight bevel on the corner edge of the ear on the side the bushing goes in helps, as does grease on the outside of the bushing. I never had luck trying to pull/press them in place and usually ballooned the bushing shell. Hammering is nerve wracking but it worked better for me.

[Schurkey]

Originally Posted by GoGoat

Whats an easy way to install the upper trailing arm bushing on a stock 66 rearend? Pound them in or use a large c-clamp? Also should I grease them before installing? Thanks

Rubber, or Polyurethane?

There's a HUGE difference in the way they're installed, with the least-risky, least-labor-intensive ones being Poly.

Warm up the steel sleeve with a propane torch. The rubber largely slides out on it's own, but you can encourage it with a big punch and a hammer.

Clean the outer shell, sand/emery cloth as needed to make it pristine inside. Grease the shell and the bushing with the "special" grease they supply with the bushing set. Grease the inner sleeve and the ID of the bushing, too. Slide everything together--finger pressure should suffice.

Point being, you don't press the shells out of the part, you re-use the original outer shells. No press, no special tooling, no need to have the vehicle at normal ride-height before torquing the bolts on reassembly.

Not having the vehicle at normal ride-height when torquing the bolts has ruined plenty of rubber bushings. The springs get the blame--it "took a week for the springs to settle". No, it took a week for the rubber to tear free of the metal pieces (inner sleeve, usually, but sometimes the outer bushing shell) it was bonded to.

Downside to Poly bushings on the rear? The Poly bushing inserts tend to be firmer than the rubber used in OEM bushings. Rubber flexes more, reduces binding of the suspension. Keep in mind, GM deliberately designed the rear arms to be flexible in torsion, strong in compression and tension. Then folks remove those arms in favor of "stronger" aftermarket arms that don't flex in torsion; and wonder why the ride is rougher/noisier/harsher.

[GoGoat]

I followed your advice. Cleaned all surfaces with sandpaper, cleaned, greased and pulled them in with pull bolt and verity of spacers-bushings. Thanks for all the help. Went very easy.