Trailing Arm Bushing Flair Tool

6

68/70Vette

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Jun 19, 2008
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Location
Torrance, Ca.USA
I'd like to install new bushings on my trailing arms. I read GTR1999's trailing arm rebuild thread. Looks like he uses a custom made bushing flair tool and said you can buy them - some good and some not. Question? Can someone recommend a bushing flair tool to buy. So far I've seen one for sale in Corvette America's catalog. Should I look for some standard tool makers like S&K, Lyle, etc. (I'd have to take a deep breath to open up my Snap-On catalog!)

I'll be installing them in a pair of Toms Differential offset trailing arms. I'm kinda leaning to polyurethane since I've come across a lot of bad repro rubber parts lately.

Thanks
 
I installed poly bushings in 2004 and I'll remove these trailing arms soon and replace them with arms I rebuilt last year. Lots of discussion about poly vs rubber over the past years.... One big problem with using poly in this location is that it does not flex as much as rubber. On the front control arms that is an advantage over rubber but the trailing arms do not simply move up/down. The trailing arm actually rotates slightly during suspension travel because the stock strut rods are not parallel to the half shafts. This effect can be reduced or even eliminated by lowering the inner mounting point but then the arms still move slightly in/out during suspension travel.

With stock strut rods the poly won't last long. I'm very curious to see how chewed up my bushings are...

I'd use rubber or Johnny Joints. Bad thing about rubber is that you must compress it and then flare, you do need the "special" tools for this..

I used Johnny Joints for the trainling arms I rebuilt last year, linky:

http://vettemod.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2315&highlight=johnny+joint

http://vettemod.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2877&highlight=johnny+joint
 
My tool was made by Taylor Design Inc. #A2545 TDI064A
Its been a good one and I have beat the crap out of it.
Don't remember where I bought it but I thought it was a Kent & Moore.
 
MYBAD79 said:
How could I possibly forget..... Jeremy made this tool and offered it for sale.... price went up from $35 on page 1 to $40 on page 3 but it sure looks like a quality tool, seems to weigh twice as much as the ones shown in most catalogs :lol:

send him a PM....

have a look here:
http://vettemod.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2575&highlight=flare

.
Click to expand...

He was selling both the 35 and 40 dollar versions, the 1/2" steel ones are 35, the 1" steel are 40.
 
Thanks
I PM'd Stinger12. Thanks for all the responses.

I saw the Johnnie Joint installation photos. That's not a practial option with the Tom's Differential Offset arm. The Tom's arm has a welded in cylindrical sleeve with the correct inside diameter for stock bushings. You'd have to remove the welded in sleeve and put in one with a 2 inch diameter outside diameter. You'd have to refabricate the entire end of the trailing arm. Also, the Tom's arm I have does not have provisions for a rear sway bar. The arm was targeted for the drag race community. I think the one's he sells now does.

Kenny, Tom's builder, did my differential and rear wheel bearings for my 68. The trailing arms are his design. I needed a pair for my 70 and so as a favor, I bought his. Kenny died in September 2008 at age 56 of a heart attack. I think a lot of Tom's Corvette stuff originated with Kenny. With Kenny no longer there, I think Tom now just sells parts, not assembled components.
 
The tool Jeremy made will work. You need to compress and then flare the bushing. You're correct there are a lot of junk bushings on the market now, the ones I use work great, if you need a set I can sell you them.

Tom is no longer building anything. He refers the vette diff's to me when asked. He does still stock all the vette parts and I use them in my builds.

I'll be building a set of his offsets in a month or so. His are the only offsets I would use since I haven't heard of the fabrication problems the more common ones on the market have.
 
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