Has anyone tried removing bushings with Dry Ice
 

Just wounder if anyone has done such a thing before. Just thinking back to the threads of people removing tar out of their cars with dry ice, I wounder if you could sebmerge a part in dry ice and it would snap off the metal. here in canada we don't really have dry ice like you guys do in the states ... but thats just a thought if anyone is willing to experiment.

It is easy to get bushings out with either fire or a press. I dont' think that cooling down the bushing drasticly will make it come out easier, because it is such a tight fit. There isn't any glue or adhesion holding them in. Only pressure.

If I get a chance, when I do my bushings I will try leaving the arms in one of the -80 freezers at the lab and see if it helps when I press them out. I have a fealing that the metal will contract more then the rubber and they will be harder to remove.

see i would think that the rubber would contract more or maybe just the different rate of expansion/contraction would make the bushing un stuck from the surrounding area. Its just a thought since there seems to be quite a bit of bushing threads lately.

The idea might work, but its far more effective to burn the old bushings out. Sure it stinks like hell, but a hell of a lot easier. You would likely need liquid nitrogen to get the bushings cold enough that they would crack apart.

Oh ya, go to any Praxair facility. They carry dry ice.

praxair faculty eh ... I'll look into that ... I've thought about liquid nitrogen but it might be cold enought to also chatter the steel that you're cooling down plus thats alot of money and pretty dangerous.

You can find it at the local grocery store here.

ya we don't have that here ... thanks for that name 85rotarypower .. I just foud one here in london and called them up. I will probably be picking some up tomorrow morning. 2.50 cent per pound sounds not bad.

Dry ice won't break the bond between the rubber and the metal, save your time. I told you I'd show you how to do it when I get up there, unless you're in a bigger hurry. If I had spare time and found an extra control arm, I'd do a write up, but it will be a while.

Drill em out, its easy as pie, and wont smell like a pile of burning tires.

Find the right drillbit, and once youve drilled enough holes to soften the bulk up, the bit will walk its way around the whole bushing and scrape the rubbers bond to the metal off.

This works like a frickin charm on the rear links, and works but is a bit trickier on the front control arms. Only way to go IMO!
Burning bushings out is naaaaaasty!!!!!!

I still think my little vice socket thing was the easiest for the front suspension arms... yea it was pretty ghetto but both arms took me 10 minutes at most.

https://www.rx7club.com/1st-generation-specific-1979-1985-18/tips-suspension-bushings-610272/

Shoot them out with a rifle. Keep caliber just less than ID. Steady, now... :rlaugh:

might be an easy way to put in your bushings

put the bushings in the freezer the day before, don't even think you'd have to heat up the suspension arms much unless its freezing ass where you are.

pressfit!

Sorry Scott,

I wasn't in any hurry about this ... I was just tossing this idea around seeing if anyone has done it.

When removing bushings "anything goes", but i have always used a hydraulic press for all bushing work...and had a drink with wet ice in it, and occasionally smoked a cigarette too. :allcho: Good thread.