Outer Limits 4x4 Board

I am trying to remove some old and worn spring bushes out of the eyes of some leaf springs. Does anyone have a simple trick? or is it just an annoying job?
At the moment the degraded bush is slowly coming to pieces but the crush tube/sleeve does not want to free up...
Cheers.

The guys at work just burn them out, but they're heaps bigger and on semi trailers though...

they are pretty mashed, and i have managed to dig out the sleeve, but the rest of the bush is so well stuck to the eye.... What do they burn them out with?

I assume they are the type with an outer metal sleeve - pressed into the spring eye?

A VERY skilled oxy user can cut them out, but DIY it is better to use a hacksaw (take off the blade and reassemble with it inside the eye - either right way up or upside down depending on if you have it fitted to the vehicle). Sometimes you need 2 cuts to get the sleeve out.

yes they do have the outer metal sleeve pressed into the eye, although I do not want to remove that. So you say just hack away at the remaining rubber with a hack saw blade? thats what I have been doing, with a steak knife too...
just wondering if there was a quicker approach.
Thanks for the help.

old socket the exact same size as the outer sleeve and smash away. soak with penetrene first.

or better yet... find somewhere with a press

a press for bushes?

Won't you need to press the new ones in anyhow ?

waxhead.. wrote:yes they do have the outer metal sleeve pressed into the eye, although I do not want to remove that. So you say just hack away at the remaining rubber with a hack saw blade? thats what I have been doing, with a steak knife too...
just wondering if there was a quicker approach.
Thanks for the help.

Why would you only want the rubber out but not the metal liner?
Doesnt make sense.

it is easy to get them bushes out

1) all you need is a hammer, chisle and a piece of flat bar

2) grind the flat bar so it looks like a chisle

3) place the flat bar into where the spring curles over and meets the flat piece of spring and smash it in with the hammer so it opens it.

4)then use the hammer and chisle and tap it out

anyway if that does not make sence them here is some pic's of when i did my ones

waxhead.. wrote:yes they do have the outer metal sleeve pressed into the eye, although I do not want to remove that. So you say just hack away at the remaining rubber with a hack saw blade? thats what I have been doing, with a steak knife too...
just wondering if there was a quicker approach.
Thanks for the help.

oops just read that

Thanks for that Nat. I will try your method, I do need the sleeve removed, my mistake, I was unsure whether the new bushes would need to sit inside the sleeve. I will not need a press for the new bushes as they are sleeveless.

Along the same lines, I had to get the metal bushes from the the front spring hangers on my MK Patrol what a prick of a job that was.
I tryed the socket the same size it started to move then just got the socket stuck, so we tried the porta power but that just bent the hanger so we had to heat them up with the oxy and flog them out with real big bang stick at this point i would like to thank the old famer next door they know all even if it is dodgy plus.
Any way i think the oxy is the best but don't heat it to hot or else you will lose stregth in the spring. If you do heat it a bit quench it in old oil DO NOT quench in water this won't help your cause.

I've seen an air chisel with the rite size drift (maybe a socket would do). Fit the best fit chisel bit, then just apply the x hits/minute till it comes out.