TheSamba.com :: View topic

Wed Mar 10, 2010 7:00 pm

Hello folks, I have a bad swing lever shaft/bushings in my '78 Westy. The steering is terrible with the steering wheel going back and forth while driving. In all my years in my Buses I've never had this problem but I have had just about every other front suspension problem. Originally I thought I had a bad steering damper and I replaced it with one from a previous Bus which I replaced the damper on it back then. The old damper removed was bad, but the good replacement damper had no effect on the bad steering. Obviously a look at swing lever shaft showed a lot of slop in the shaft.

Having correctly identified the problem I expidite ordered a swing lever shaft kit from Bus Depot. The only brand they have is Meyle/German. I was reading some posts that some of these kits when installed still have some play or slop in the shaft. Another brand out there is FEBI/Bilstien from Bus Boys. By reading the posts I'm a little confused as to which is the better brand, maybe someone can comment as to their preference and why.

Also, I've never installed one of these kits and I see that Bus Boys offers an installation tool for I guess removing and installing the bushings for rental. My Bentley manual shows some kind of sliding hammer special tool to remove the bushings. On the Type2.com site I see two methods of bushing removal not using any special tool and it seems kind of simple to do. Any advice out there from someone that has done this? I want to get it right the first time. I haven't looked at my Haynes manual yet but will do so. Thanks.

Thanks for your replies. An update on my repair attempt to remove the two shaft bushings has not been fruitful. Having removed the swing arm and shaft I tried hammering the lower bushing up using a 20mm socket from below and the bushing didn't move at all. I also tried a C-clamp with the 20mm socket with the same result. I dont think washers and a threaded rod is going to work either. These bushings appear to be rusted together to the tube hole. I'm thinking I may have to drop the front beam making it easier to work on it. I'm thinking of hacksawing slots vertically through both bushings, two slots on each bushing all the way or nearly through the bushing wall. Then I should be able to pound the bushing pieces off with a hammer and punch rod or I could heat up the bushing pieces with a welding torch and they should just drop out. Don't really want to drop the front beam though, its much extra work. Any other ideas? I'm thinking of making that hammering punch out of the old shaft as shown in one of the replies first and trying that to remove the upper bushing that way. I think its worth a shot before dropping the beam.

Wed Mar 10, 2010 7:44 pm

I did it like this and it was easy...

http://www.itinerant-air-cooled.com/viewtopic.php?t=3164

Wed Mar 10, 2010 8:12 pm

Wait until SGKent sees your topic and directs you to his topic.

Wed Mar 10, 2010 8:59 pm

Bus_Ghia_Dude wrote:

Having correctly identified the problem I expidite ordered a swing lever shaft kit from Bus Depot. The only brand they have is Meyle/German. I was reading some posts that some of these kits when installed still have some play or slop in the shaft. Another brand out there is FEBI/Bilstien from Bus Boys. By reading the posts I'm a little confused as to which is the better brand, maybe someone can comment as to their preference and why.

Also, I've never installed one of these kits and I see that Bus Boys offers an installation tool for I guess removing and installing the bushings for rental. My Bentley manual shows some kind of sliding hammer special tool to remove the bushings. On the Type2.com site I see two methods of bushing removal not using any special tool and it seems kind of simple to do. Any advice out there from someone that has done this? I want to get it right the first time. I haven't looked at my Haynes manual yet but will do so. Thanks.

I ordered my kit from Bus Depot and it was Febi. It was only a couple of months ago. Maybe they changed brands?

As for the tooling, I made my own using all=thread, nuts, some large and thick washers and a socket that was just larger than the ID of the buhings. If you search, you will find plenty of threads on this and a few of them have pics of home made tools. As I understand it, there is a long wait for the rental tool from Bus Boys. I have no direct experience with it, just hear-say.

My steering was reallybad as well and after new pin and bushing it is night and day difference. I can even fell confident taking one hand off the wheel now. Before it was total death grip.

Wed Mar 10, 2010 11:04 pm

Quote: Wait until SGKent sees your topic and directs you to his topic.

naaah. I'm done with that one. Steering is at 5/8" lash so that is Bentley spec. I might be game to try tighter bushings if NOS OG kits came up but what we have is fine now.

Thu Mar 11, 2010 2:52 am

SGKent wrote: naaah. I'm done with that one.
I thought the OP was asking about brands and recommendations frome someone who might know.

Sat Mar 20, 2010 9:11 pm

I've updated my original post.

Sat Mar 20, 2010 10:55 pm

this is about all I used. You won't get it with a hammer unless you have the special tool that sits inside the bushings and a slap hammer that goes through it which would be rare because they are no longer available through Baum tools.

Sun Mar 21, 2010 12:04 am

Bus_Ghia_Dude, did you grind the end of your socket flat? The chamfer on a socket will just force the bushing out tighter in the bore. A nice crisp flat edge won't do that. Also just 1 saw cut might relieve outward tension even if the cut doesn't go to the O.D. It did on mine. And a threaded rod produces much more force than a C clamp. Be sure and remove the zerk. :wink:

Sun Mar 21, 2010 5:59 am

Made these out of 4140, one for a BFH the other for air hammer, either works for removal and install.

Sun Mar 21, 2010 6:59 pm

Thanks for the replies. Regarding the 20mm socket I did not grind the surface flat but I was thinking of doing it because the edge on the socket is radiused and very smooth. I'll try to do that if my idea of cutting slots in the bushings doesn't work. Slotting the bushings and then heating the bushings with a welding torch should do it. I may have to burn the bushings out with the torch if necessary. I'm from the Midwest ( Rust Belt ) and things rust together out here, for example shock absorber bushings on a shaft, I always have to heat them up to get them off. What is the zerk that one reply was saying? That air hammer tool looks really slick I'll bet it works great too.

Sun Mar 21, 2010 8:26 pm

There is a grease fitting for lubing the bushings, you need to remove it prior to removal of bushings the threads can interfere with bushing removal and install.

Sun Mar 21, 2010 8:36 pm

I've never seen one of those bushings rust, You need a piece of all thread and some big washers. I lock two nuts on the end of the all thread and use them to keep the all thread from spinning. Then use the socket at the top to pull them down into the big socket on the bottom.

The tool for the hammer / air hammer works because it keeps the bushing from deforming. If you try that with a plain drift it will push the bushing out and possible damage the inside bore. Pull them down with a piece of all thread.