Steve,
Thanks for the info. and the picture of the bushing. What is the diameter of the light colored metal that you can not push on? I was thinking of using the end cap that is used to cap off a metal tube in plumming. It would have to be a larger diameter than the light color metal in your picture but still be able to fit the lip of the black metal or the outer case of the bushing. Then drill the correct size hole for the bolt to go through and use a cap on the other end too. Similar design to the MB tool. What do you think?

Mike,

That is a great idea with the 1/4 in. cable and the clamp. Let me know if it works.

Tom

Unfortunately a tube that goes over the the light metal but hits the dark metal will both catch the dark metal to far outboard and with too little surface contact. It will deflect the dark metal if pushed from that point.

By using the cable trick above one can push on the light metal and have the load transfered to the dark metal without pushing the light metal into the hydraulic portion of the bushing.

__________________
Steve Brotherton
Continental Imports
Gainesville FL
Bosch Master, ASE Master, L1
33 years MB technician

Steve, thanks. I'll try it next weekend. Do you use any lubricant on the bushing? I'm thinking to use WD40.

HPF:
Light colored metal diameter is 69.45 mm.
The lip of the black metal diameter is 75 mm. As Steve says, the lip doesn't not look strong enough to press.
I'll let you know how my "tool" was.
Thanks, Mike

Just thought I would post this tip from Mike about using his method of the 1/4 in. cable for the bushing insertion on a W140 lower arm. It seems you have to spread the pressure force of the clamp to the edge where the cable is under the metal to prevent damage while inserting the bushing. Thanks for all the help Mike!

"Everything worked fine except I broke the first
bushing light metal thing. It was my mistake: I put pressure in the middle and the thing cracked. I was able to reuse this thing from the old bushing. For the second one I used large diameter metal plate. Almost as large as the light metal thing. It worked fine. To press it in I used the sets from Harbor Freight: "
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=38335
and
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=43032

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This is the bushing with clamp and cable inside:
Thanks, Mike

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Don't know if you are still out there but your information was very useful. In a nut shell, sounds like its difficult to remove the bushing and you end up destroying them...no problem going to replace them. Hard part seems to be the install. If I have it right and make this tool described you can press on the outside of the bushing into the control arm if it is oriented right. Question is how did it work? thanks

Yes it worked fine.

Thanks for the reply. I am about to go for the same undertaking. I can make that special tool in the picture but have many questions and any advice would be greatly appreciated. First did you remove the whole lower control arm to do the work? If so, assuming you replaced the ball joints at the same time since it is difficult to remove them w/o damaging the boots? Also assuming if you did you had to compress the spring so did you also remove the brake caliper and disc to remove the dust shield for better access? How did you press in the new ones and what method did you use to remove the old ones? Assuming a sawsall? As you can tell I have never done this job but the mechanic want $700+ to do it and it seems possible to do the work. Thank you