Steering problems, quick response, MAYBE

I had quite a time getting the lower steering bushing out of the bolster. Buggered up the inside of the casting, dressed down with the die grinder. All OK. Problem is getting the lower bushing all the way in. I used a bottle jack and a block of wood to press it most of the way in, at times the bushing would take the weight of the entire front end and I would hammer on the bolster so it would drop about 1/8 inch, repeat. Is this normal? The bushing needs to go in about another 3/8 of an inch for the hole to line up for the grease fitting, but IT IS FLUSH WITH THE BOTTOM OF THE BOLSTER. What should I do now???? Thanks, Ellis

If it has to go in more to make room for something like a seal then you will need to use something like a socket, a piece of pipe, a piece of tubing, solid rod, etc. to press it in further. Choose something that catches as much of the bushing as possible but is slightly smaller than the casting itself (You do not want your pusher press fitting into the casting). Sometimes you have to custom make something - especially on thin wall bushings. Scrap piles sometimes come in handy for projects like this, but I always start looking at my socket sets if I can.

On one thin wall yet large in diameter bearing; I was forced to remove a few thousands by free handing with a handheld grinder on the old bearing race so I could then use the old bearing to push in the new bearing (remove only enough material so the pusher no longer press fits into your casting). Of course less creativity, improvising, scrounging is required if you have access to a lathe. With a lathe any pusher can be accurately made in any exact diameter that you need.

If the bushing is already in the proper place within the casting yet the grease hole does not line up then all you can do now is drill a new hole in the bushing for the grease hole. Unless you think you can easily remove it and reline it up (which as hard as it sounds like it went in - I doubt you could remove it without damage).

Is the old bushing in good enough shape to push the new one more? What little the old one would go in the housing shouldn't make it hard to get back out. To see if its in enough, measure the length in housing from bearing surface down to end of bushing. measure from upper bearing surface or spacer if ones in there down to where the steering shaft starts flaring out.
You don't want the bushing end ending up at the flared or rough area at the end of the machined surface.

feedback-- I found a piece of aluminum bar stock in the loft that was the perfect dia. Sawed 1/2 inch off and pressed bushing in rest of the way. Is it normal to be so difficult to press in? Ellis

A press fit can be tailored to be from a hand insertion pressure to multi ton interference fit. On a bushing that size a .002" interference will result in what you encountered. TURNING THE od to be less dramatic hels, but requires the means to do so. JIM

Thanks for the info. Jim

(quoted from post at 21:36:51 09/27/13) ... Is it normal to be so difficult to press in? Ellis

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Yes, press in fits often take way more pressure than you realize. If you have ever had the luxury of pressing out and then pressing in a new bearing in an upright rigid press with a simple hand operated hydraulic jack, you soon realize just how much force is being exerted - enough that I try to be extremely careful as breaking an old bearing loose can be nerve racking and downright dangerous (especially when it pops loose and things go flying).

I would not recommend removing material from any new bushing (or any new bearing) so it presses in easier. The press fit is so the bushing (or bearing) does not end up spinning in your casting which is a bad thing.

Really the only thing that can be done in some cases is to put the new bearing in the freezer (shrinks it a whisker) and put the casting in an oven and heat it (expands it a whisker). This will make the pressing together of the two parts slightly easier. Of course this is not always practical or possible-LOL.

> Really the only thing that can be done in some
> cases is to put the new bearing in the freezer
> (shrinks it a whisker)

Or put it in liquid nitrogen, which shrinks it considerably more than a whisker.

Too late now, and not sure if this would have worked in your case - but to remove bushings, I find it's sometimes easiest to cut them with a hack saw blade.

Just slice the bushing down the side. If you're careful you can easily avoid doing any damage to the cast iron.

After splitting the bushing, it'll usually pop out with a chisel.

If it doesn't go easily, make another cut on the opposite side and the two halves will just drop out.

Installing new ones - a properly sized tool makes a big difference. A stepped edge to catch the bushing edge just right, evenly all the way around.

(quoted from post at 04:03:41 09/28/13) ...Or put it in liquid nitrogen, which shrinks it considerably more than a whisker.

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Could make it brittle too and shatter when you press it in. Not to mention what that liquid nitrogen could do to a sealed type pre-lubed type bearing. Highly doubt that would be good for the seals or the lube - No thanks.

If that is such a great idea then why are there not more professional shops or professionally written service manuals recommending that as the preferred installation method?