Depending on how you value your time, the real tool sells for about $150.00 and probably is a bargain at twice the price. I did this job without any special tools (only because I did not look for one) and can tell you that it is more difficult to remove the bushing than to install it. If your homemade puller does not work, you will spend hours under the vehicle when it should only take about an hour and a half per side.

Regards,
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Will Dallas, www.willdallas.us, www.willdallas.org, www.willdallas.com 86 245 DL 222K miles, 93 940 260K miles, 88 765 GLE 152K miles, 87 Honda Civic 96K.

I built a TAB removal tool using the predrilled and threaded reducer a few years back. I forget the size of the threaded hole. Worked fine. (Probably better as you don't have to find a 1/2" drill bit and the hole is properly centered.) Just double up on the thick 1/2" washers between reducer and bolt head.

BTW, since you're installing poly, I think people just burn out the rubber leaving the outer casing to accept the poly bushings.
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1980 245 Canadian B21A with SU carb and M46 trans in Brampton, Ont.

Ever read Daveshan's adventures with aftermarket TABs?

I haven't done this job yet, though I have two 240s that need it. I read a lot on Brickboard though. Seems to me, the obvious solution is to go polyurethane. You don't need a special tool.. Well a blue-tip wrench and a wire brush, if those are special. And poly has got to last way longer than rubber. Sure the parts are more expensive but how often do you really want to be under there turning wrenches on a special tool to replace those pesky bushings?



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Volvo Farmer:

21 Volvos '58-'91

445-544-122-144-1800-240-740

sorry, no FWD

I just built one a few weeks ago and pressed out a really nasty bushing.

I used 1/2 all thread and had an older 240 lugnut welded on one end to basically make it a bolt. Home Depot didn't stock the correct length bolt, but had everything else for a total cost of $13.xx.

My bushing was trashed, so the little metal sleeve that the bolt passes through in the middle of the bushing was off center. When I ran the bolt through the bushing, the bolt was pulled off center due to the bushing sleeve, so we had to drive the metal sleeve out with a large c-clamp meant for ball joints (think that's the normal use of the tool).

Make sure you press against the smaller end of the bushing (it's tapered, only goes out one way). Once I had it on the right way, it pressed out easily.

Next problem was that I ground down the bushing pusher plug too much, so it wouldn't stay centered on the bigger end of the new bushing sleeve. Couldn't press the new bushing in w/o the plug slipping off center. So a piece of 3/16" steel plate was torched to make a hole in the center, and that was used like a giant washer to go up against the bushing. Worked great.

The half-round piece used to support the flanges on the axle had to be ground down to fit (this is mentioned in the directions, measures 2.125", needs to be ~2").

I did this job on a lift. It would suck to do it on your back in the driveway, but it's possible. Didn't require any air/power tools, but they make disassembly easy.
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forums.turbobricks.com

I don't think a bolt larger than 1/2" will go through the TAB. Dan

You could of course try and see, but like already mentioned 3/4 - 1" is a too large hole. I found it to be quite easy to measure and drill the hole using my power drill in a stand (pictures on my web site).

Erling.
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My 240 Page

I have made two according to the directions and they work great.

I think you would want the hole in the end to be as close to the 1/2" diameter
of the bolt as possible to make sure the washer and bolt head/nut had some good shoulders to stand on.

You might also want to investigate the availability of hardened bolts in the longer length that you would need.

Without crawling under one of our 240's I can't tell you if the added length of the "tool" would work in the space available at the TAB location; but you might want to check that as well.

When it is all said and done you might just want to go with the plan... did I mention they work great??

Don't forget to scrape and pick the area where the bushing is held by the "ears" and soak it with PB Blaster or Kroil (accept no substitutes) for several days to save yourself a lot of time and vocabulary exercise when you remove the old bushings.

Randy