Anyone have spare trailing arm rear bushing shells for a 1988 244 they are willing to sell?

Earlier today I started to replace my worn trailing arm bushings with brand new poly bushings only to find one of my existing shells to be rusted through. Options follow.

(1) buy a new poly bushings kit that includes new shells 
(2) buy cheap-o standard bushings and burn out the innards saving the new shells to be used with my poly bushings
(3) buy and install standard rubber bushings and throw the poly bushings into my spare parts bin to be used who knows when

Prior to deciding on how to proceed I figured I'd reach out and see if anyone had spare shells lying around. Let me know if you do and if you are willing to part with them.

Also, if you have the trailing arm bushing removal tool and would be willing to loan it out kindly let me know. Otherwise, my plan is to build one just as others have done here.

Best,
Ihor 

Hey Ihor,
First off, I would start with the penetrating oil treatment now, to help with the eventual removal later down the line.
I appreciate your request to borrow the tool, just in case someone who has the tool is retiring from the 240 rescue business; but honestly, I think that just making your own tool might be easier and cheaper than packing, shipping and returning one. (especially if you are a good citizen who would want to send in a new grade 8 fine thread bolt and nut to replace the ones that take such a beating during the process). If I remember correctly, the other parts are easy and cheap (>$10.) Just saying.

Hi,

Maybe I'm being a turkey today on here, but doesn't that shell come out of there anyways? It looks cooked! (:-)

The new bushing comes with the outer shell with the rubber casted into the center of it. There is also a center spacer that the trailing arm channel fastens up against to.

The bushing removal tool come with a drop in spacer that holds the ears apart while the tool imparts its pressure upon the bushing sleeve or shell. If not for the spacer the ears would collapse under the squeeze.
I have a the factory bushing tool that RPR use to rent out for big bucks just because they might not get returned! He sold me his when he closed the store and he had spare threaded screw rods come with it too! They do take a beating if not lubricated nicely!
I got the unit for probably half of new and that was around a $100.

I have never put in urethane bushings so consequently I have never paid much attention to them. Don't they come assembled, just as units of the original bushings?

I read where Michael Yount says you don't have to have the car sitting flat on the ground for the front end lower arm bushing if they are polyurethane type.
The originals have outer sleeves but the polyurethane slipping loosely into the box support might be the case there? I just don't know either?
Michael will have to find the dime in the bowl of black eyed peas on this one, just in time for the Christmas Ham dinners next month! (:-)

Are they selling the rear trailing bushings with just the polyurethane centers without any steel spacers let alone the shell. Even though the center spacer could be retrieved from the old unit.
For the rust belt areas, that would never fly with me for the price they want for them.
Double check for the information on those poly bushings!

The fan belt driven accessories on the engine have pop-in rubber bushings but that is a light weight load application when compared to the suspension plus they don't want to change out brackets either.

Ok the stuffing is out of this turkey.
Happy thanksgiving!

Phil

I'm unsure the press tool could remove it. I don't have one and no longer have access to that tool.

People are wary to lend the 240 rear trailing arm bush press. One fellow in Seattle loaned his made at home 240 trailing arm press tool to someone and that someone did not return the tool. Like around 20 years ago.

You could ask the dealership and indie repair shops is they have the factory press tool for rent. Yet you'll need spare bit should thread strip. Ensure the thread is ultra clean and lubed with a rather stiff grease like wheel bearing NLGI-2 grease.

If you have junkyards near you, you may want to ask if someone or you could cut the tabs off the axle. On various forums like the Turbobricks web site and the facebook RWD forums (links later), you read articles of those converting to V8 that modify the Dayna differential or wholly swap out the rear axle. They may or may not have the press tool. Yet if they mean to discard the 240 rear axle, maybe that can cut the tabs off with a suitable outer rear trailing arm bushing shell and can ship to you. You may want the front outer bushing shells also if your front trailing arm bushing shells are likewise corroded.

That bushing interface is so terrible for service. Why not place the 240 rear trailing arm bushing in the training arm and strengthen the trailing arm? Yet rarely needing to deal with it ...

There may be a chance you could crush the bushing shell on the side with the rusted-through void using the bushing press tool. Maybe the press could begin freeing it. It appears you may have a wrestling match a bit to deal with.

Maybe oxy-acetylene torch where the bushing shell meets the stays or tabs or ears? Some percussion persuasion to collapse the shell? Is the right side rear trailing arm bushing the same?

Other than a dealership that has yet to clean house for rarely used old tools for model no longer built and sold nearly 30 years ago, or an indie shop, a VCOA club near you, or contacting one of the large Volvo RWD or 240 pages, and maybe asking at the Turbobricks.com web site, I would not know who to ask.

I guess you plan to install the SuperPro trailing arm bushings without the outer shell?

I'd expect Swedish Baklava to reply as he has dealt with rusty RWD Volvos in NYC. Art Benstein may be able to guide you also.

Anyhoo, aforementioned links:
- Turbobricks site
www.turbobricks.com

Forums. Requires account to post and review performance info and classifieds.
http://forums.turbobricks.com/

Facebook Pages

- Rob Bareiss' (sp?) facebook group page. 21+k members. Rob is a member here, yet is inactive here for sometime.

Volvo 240, 740 and 940 owners club
https://www.facebook.com/groups/23765538560/


Volvo 240 Fan Club - 21k+ members
https://www.facebook.com/groups/Volvo240Club/


Turbobricks - 21k+ members. Unrelated to the same name website forum.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/2204727570/

VCOA
https://vcoa.org/

Search for a chapter or chapters near you. Most VCOA chapters have active facebook group pages.

Central NY-state VCOA:
https://www.cnyvcoa.org/

Other VCOA chapters near you you can contact and ask.

There exist other form websites like Matthew's Volvo site and Swedespeed. I'm unsure how active they are and if you get RWD support you want.


iPd makes mention of the tool. No longer sells it, I guess?
https://www.ipdusa.com/techtips/10192/240-260-rear-trailing-arm-bush-tool


You've read this article on how to build the tool.
https://www-ese.fnal.gov/People/wilcer/volvo_trailing_arm_bushing_tool.htm


Hope that helps.
--
7 240s total since 1984. 3 240s today and rotting away.

The tool you need may be available on the SKANDIX website, but it is expensive.

Owen F