Front Differential Bushing Stuck on Install

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Mar 25, 2023 | 12:42 PM

#31

Disel

Senior Member

Joined: Jan 2023

Posts: 133

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nikal

I’ve never changed the front dif bushings in the Hummer, but I’ve done bushings & races on other parts & vehicles. A trick I’ve learned is to freeze the bushing or bearing race in your freezer. Then the part the bushing or bearing race is going into, add heat to that part. Don’t make it glow, but take a propane torch and heat it up. Then grab your bushing or race and it will darn near drop
in, or atleast press in very easily. Then let it come back to temperature naturally.

We were taught to do this on an aluminum wheel hub on a off road race car when putting new hub bearings in. Because it was aluminum you had to be careful to not cross bind the race as you’re pressing it in the aluminum hub to not score the hub.

By heating the metal, you weaken it.

Mar 25, 2023 | 01:14 PM

#32

hummerz

Senior Member

Joined: Jul 2012

Posts: 8,999

From: C-Town

Quote:

Originally Posted by Disel

on a homemade lathe.

The sleeve is thin and should be pressed in TIGHT, if it moves it will cause wear to the frame! DO NOT MODIFY THE SLEEVE!

Mar 25, 2023 | 01:30 PM

#33

Disel

Senior Member

Joined: Jan 2023

Posts: 133

Quote:

Originally Posted by hummerz

The sleeve is thin and should be pressed in TIGHT, if it moves it will cause wear to the frame! DO NOT MODIFY THE SLEEVE!

The sleeve from aliexpress has a larger size. It needs to be removed a bit. I changed twice. One was excellent, the other needed a little chiseling (a couple of microns).
And also the inner hole is much larger than the native mounting bolt. This is specially made at the factory.

Mar 25, 2023 | 01:53 PM

#34

hummerz

Senior Member

Joined: Jul 2012

Posts: 8,999

From: C-Town

Quote:

Originally Posted by Disel

The inner sleeve can't move after the bolt is properly tightened. The outer sleeve is only held by the pressure it takes to press in, if it moves, metal to metal friction will cause wear to the frame.

Mar 25, 2023 | 03:57 PM

#35

Nikal

Member

Joined: Feb 2023

Posts: 56

Quote:

Originally Posted by Disel

By heating the metal, you weaken it.

Correct, but you’re not heating that much of the crossmember, or that hot. You’re not trying to make it glow. Your engine gets hotter. You’re just trying to add some heat for it to expand a couple thousandth, just as freezing the bushing will shrink it a thousandth. This just helps get it straight and if you don’t have a press, you’re not beating it in.

Mar 30, 2023 | 10:31 PM

#36

Mikey13b

Junior Member

Joined: Feb 2023

Posts: 24

If you want to go with a poly bushing instead like from Badlands for example they just slide in without needing much force. Apparently will last way long than rubber anyway, so worth the extra cost

Apr 22, 2023 | 04:26 PM

#37

Justinh

Senior Member

Joined: Feb 2014

Posts: 475

From: north Alabama

@KU1525 Did you have any problem getting the cross-member mounting bolts out? Were either of the lower A-frame parts in the way? Did you use hand tools to take off the 18MM hex nuts?

Last edited by Justinh; Apr 23, 2023 at 05:38 PM.

Apr 22, 2023 | 04:58 PM

#38

KU1525

Thread Starter

Senior Member

Joined: Mar 2017

Posts: 129

From: Lawrence, Kansas

Quote:

Originally Posted by Justinh

@KU1525 Did you have any problem getting the cross-member mounting bolts out? Were either of the lower A-frame parts in the way? Did you use hand tools to take off the 18MM nuts?

No problem with anything in the way. I used a basic wrench on one end to hold it and a socket/ratchet on the other like this setup below. I sprayed some PB blaster on the bolts a few minutes before starting but didn’t have any trouble getting them loose.