I just brought an '85 GSL-SE into my garage as a restoration/reconditioning project. The front end of the car is a complete disaster. What bushings and dustboots aren't missing are cracked, busted, flattened, and generally falling apart. I've removed the calipers, the rotors, the control link for the stabilizer, and the outer tie rods. The inner tie rod ends, though, do not seem to want to come off the center link. I've used a gear puller and a tie rod end tool (long, wedged tuning fork looking thing) and neither one seems to want to budge that end out of the knuckle. Before I move on to my next attempt (which will be more force on the hammer, and the gear puller with a socket around the tie rod end bolt to reduce slippage), I was wondering if anyone else had any experience with these? I did a search, and a couple threads that seemed to advocate a lot of force with a hammer directly on the bolt, but I've given that an attempt, too, with no result. I guess I'm curious if anyone else has noticed that these parts are particularly hard to remove, and if I run the risk of seriously damaging the steering gear, or bending the center link by upping the amount of force that I'm using.

My second question is in regards to the various bushings on the front suspension. I've seen the "performance" bushing sets in the Victoria British catalog, and I'm curious if anyone else has any experience with those. My goal on this car is to keep it more-or-less bone stock, but I'm willing to cheat a little bit if less pliable bushings will really add anything to the handling of the car.

Thanks!

 

You could bring the steering assembly to a local auto shop garage and have them take a pneumatic end-link fork to it. That should take it off.

I have the VB bushing kit (aka Suspension Techniques) and I think it's great. It really tightened up the suspension big-time. Honestly it might be hard to find OEM rubber bushings anyway. Putting poly bushings on is a minor cheat IMO.

Good luck!

 

Usually a pickle fork and a hammer do the trick. If you need more, while the fork is wedged in tight, screw the nut back on till flush, then hit with a BFH.

Poly bushings up front do make a big difference. The steering feels much more solid and predictable.

 

Similar to what RX7 Carl said, except no pickle fork. To break loose tie rod ends from steering knuckles as well as the center link, I use a 3 lb hand sledge, and whack the knuckle / center link where the tie rod end goes through it. So far, it has worked every time.

Since you are going to have to replace pretty much all the linkage anyhow, you can also use heat on the knuckle / center link.

 

Mmmmm BFH!

How much trouble is it to do all the bushings? It sounds like a lot of work.... IE Should I do the bushings while I have the suspension apart aka putting in some Tokicos? I'd hate to have to take the whole thing apart again....

 

yes, put the poly in while everything is out, alot easier.

 

Thanks for the advice! Sounds like I'll be ordering the bushings tomorrow. And getting a bigger hammer.

In regards to the bushings: It is definately a lot of work to get in to those. I wouldn't bother going in to do those unless you were going to also repack the wheel bearings, have the rotors turned, replace the brake pads, and/or re-build the caliper. You can get to the control links with the brakes in place, but it's a lot easier to take it all apart. I'm actually tearing out darned near the whole front-end -- the tie rods are shot, the shocks and springs are questionable, the brakes are junk, all the bushings are destroyed, and the ball joints are completely grease-less. Since I'm taking it all apart, anyway, I'm figuring that since those bushings sounds like they'll tighten things up a bit, I might as well put them in. If you're going to tear out the brakes to get to the shocks, anyway, those bushings are cake to get to -- the long part is getting all the junk out of the way!

 

Save yourself some money when buy your Energy Suspension busings. <click here>

Some pricing examples:
FRONT END CONTROL ARM BUSHING SET = $10.00
STRUT ROD BUSHING SET = $15.00
TIE-ROD BOOTS (pair) = $3.00
BALL JOINT BOOTS (pair) = $3.00

John

 

I second that recommendation for that company! The cheapest place I can find them!

 

As an update to anyone else that might be searching for this later...

I went out and got a bigger hammer. I tapped the pickle fork into place, to the point that it used to stick. Five very firm taps of the hammer (about a 2 pounder, ifI had to guess) and the end popped right off.

Thanks for the help on this, and for the pointer to Suspension Restoration. I'll be placing my order with them very shortly.