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Morph914
I purchased these along with my a arm bushings. I am about to install the a arm bushings and have a clear understanding of how to install those, but not the trailing arm bushings. I have watched a video on the trailing arm bushings install, but the type of bushing he was using is unknown unless I missed something. Do 914 Rubber trailing arm bushings get installed with grease? Are these rubber or teflon?

Thanks for any input,
John

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bbrock
Those are harder rubber than the A-arm bushings and just pop right in by hand. Just make sure the trailing arm bores are nice and clean.
mepstein
QUOTE(bbrock @ May 13 2019, 10:10 PM) *

Those are harder rubber than the A-arm bushings and just pop right in by hand. Just make sure the trailing arm bores are nice and clean.

agree.gif Some liquid soap helps it slide in.
Morph914
Thank you.
Well, I thought I had everything I needed to install the a arm bushings, I did everything in the video to a T except using a temp gun to make sure the water was hot enough. I just figured a rolling boil for ten minutes should do the job. Apparently I thought wrong.

I will say that the install tool should fit a little better than it does. Anyway, I’ll be ordering more bushings from 914 Rubber.
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bbrock
Hey John,

I used electrical tape to wrap around the tools to take out the slop. IIRC, each end of the A-arm was a little different. Sorry you had bad luck on the first try. I didn't used a temp gun on the boiling water either but because I'm at altitude, I boiled them for a good 20-30 minutes.
Morph914
Thanks, I’ll try boiling for a longer period of time on the next go.
mepstein
Boiling water only gets to 212 no matter how long you boil it so theres a point that it's technique and not just heat. Cuddy_K has a good video.

The guys at our shop use a rattle gun to zip it in. Less time losing heat than using a wrench.
bigkensteele
I used a Harbor Freight 12 ton press to install my A arm bushings. Worked like a charm. Keep the bushings in the hot water until the moment you are about to install them. Lube them up with soap and press them on.

Luckily, somebody loaned me the Elephant install tools that are aluminum rather than plastic.
bbrock
QUOTE(mepstein @ May 14 2019, 08:42 PM) *

Boiling water only gets to 212 no matter how long you boil it so theres a point that it's technique and not just heat. Cuddy_K has a good video.

The guys at our shop use a rattle gun to zip it in. Less time losing heat than using a wrench.


Well, not quite. If you live where I live, it will boil at 200F, which is why I boil it a little longer just to make sure it is at a full boil and max heat. But yeah, it isn't going to get any hotter than the boiling point for your elevation.

bdstone914
@bbrock
@Cuddy
@mepstein

Well, not quite. If you live where I live, it will boil at 200F, which is why I boil it a little longer just to make sure it is at a full boil and max heat. But yeah, it isn't going to get any hotter than the boiling point for your elevation.
[/quote]

Marks point that boiling longer dose not raise the temp. The key to installing A arm bushings is heat, lube and alignment of the tools. I have installed senveral sets including Elephant, 914 Rubber and Uro.
Uro are to soft and easily distort while installing allowing the bushing to catch on a shoulder and tear as shown.
This can happen with any rubber bushing. Care must be used to see that they are puling on straight.
I found that the rubber needs to be at least 140-160F to pull on easily.
Tips:

1. Have all tools and setup ready to quickly install the bushings while still hot.

2. Heat all the bushings with the bearing brackets.

3. I also heat the A arm ends by placing the end in a 4 qt. pot of boiling water.

4 A heat gun can also he used on A arms. Bolw through the center to heat the whole arm. Or if you have a sunny day leave the arm in hot sun.
If you have spray on paint you may damage the paint with a heat gun.

5. Powder coating the A arms and bearing brackets affects the installation. The added thickness of the powder coating causes the bushing to have to stretch longer and thinner. I found the 914 tool for the rear to have too long of a snout not allowing the bushing to be pulled on all the way. The longer snout bottoms out on the tool before it is all the way on. I modified the tool to work better.

6. Watch the angle of the bearing bracket as it pulls on. If it starts to go off - STOP. That is when they gouge. I have done this with several brands. The Uro were the most prone to gouging as they were so soft they do not pull through evenly. I scored two Uro in a row. Grabbed another Uro bushing and it was noticely harder than the first Uro bushings. Hmmmm. Uro claims to have a Sport hardness which sounds like a correction for the too soft originals. I stopped using Uro rubber bushings.
The 914 Rubber and Elephant are close on hardness. I have not tried Porsche just cause they are $20 each. A friend installed the Porsche and they used grease.
In any case work quickly and pay close tension to how the bushing pulls on.
I prefer to have a helper and he hold the other end while I use a deep well socket on Air ratchet to quickly pull on. The air pressure controls the speed.

Bruce
Dr916Gt
Just did these last week converted my 914 to a six and re-did the whole front and just cleaned up the a arm Real well heated up with water used a little hand soap and they slid right in. Just go slow and it helps if you put it in a Vice so nothing moves around . agree.gif
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