Wideline swinging bushes renewal

You may be able to insert them using a bench vice, or by making an insertion tool. A length of stud, a couple of large heavy duty washers and a pair of nuts. You can press the rubber bushes in from each end

Paul

The first time that I ever changed a set of Silent Blocs/Swinging Arm Bushes turned into a very steep learning curve. Both the old spindle and bushes had rusted in place and took some tricky sawing and a very large press on maximum push to get the old set out.

Fitting the replacement bushes was no easier and the first one began to concertina after only a short length had entered the swinging arm. This was the point where I noticed that the old genuine bushes had rounded shoulders on each end which obviously helped the insertion process. The replacement were just a piece of tubing with the rubbers bonded inside. Another set of bushes was obtained from a different supplier but looked identical despite a large difference in price.

Some precise measuring showed the replacement bushes were 5 thou greater in diameter than the swinging arm inner dimension which is way too much for a simple interference fit. So both were ground down to give just a half thou oversize fit. The swinging arm was thoroughly cleaned internally and then warmed before pressing in the new bushes........not forgetting the inner spacer.

On another swinging arm that need sprucing up, I just got it stove enamelled. This did not appear to affect the bushes in any way.

I submitted my swinging arm, for powder coating, with the bushes in situ. The powder coater refused point blank to process it for fear of damaging the rubber. After reading pretty much every post, relating to swinging arm bushes on the forum, I have decided to take the easy option and have them painted.

My S/A bushes seemed OK so I had it stoved, along with the frame and some other cycle parts.  The heat used for stoving is not enough to damage the rubbers. I can't see how powder-coating would damage them at all.