Differential bushing replacement

[mikes35]

I've searched and don't see much about this but my high mileage 2008 has a noise when driving that sounds like the rotation of the rearend assembly is transferring sound to the body of the car. I'm starting to think its the rearend housing bushing, either on the upper control arm or the housing itself. I have a Metco upper control arm and bracket to install and am thinking of replacing the upper bushing on the rear end housing. What's the easiest way to remove this upper bushing? What is the best bushing to replace it with that will give me the quietest ride? I have a lift so accessing the underside of the car will be easy. I've seen people say they drill out the rubber but I am wondering how easily you can get a drill in the space while the rear is in the car. I've also seen where people drop the rear end. Seems like that would be a lot more work?
My car is stock, no plans to add any HP. Just looking for a good ride and the right bushing and easiest way to replace it. Thanks

 

[RedVenom48]

I *think* ford has an SST for it though im not certain

 

[1Slowfocusst]

I got my old s197 on a two post lift. Took rear bolts out of LCAs and let rear end rest on a trans jack. From there I used a small torch and an air hammer to remove bushing. It was still a huge pain in the ass. Got new bushing from upr. Put in freezer for a few hours then used torch to heat metal. Applied a handful of grease to edges of bushing and drove it into place using actual hammer attachment on air hammer


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[Catmonkey]

For quietest ride you'd want to retain the stock rubber bushings. There is a small NHV penalty going to poly. If you're installing the Metco UCA, then I'd say just replace the differential bushing with poly. Energy Suspension makes a poly bushing that used the stock bushing shell. I think you can swap it out under the car, but you'd probably want to detach your shocks and let the differential drop as far as you can in the car.

As for drilling out the bushing, you'd need a cup type drill attachment that is smaller than the cup and larger than the internal steel bushing. A wire brush drill attachment makes easy work of removing the remaining rubber bonded to the cup. You'd need to either fabricate or purchase a bushing tool remover if you just want to replace the bushing with stock because the cup is tapered and it's a pressed fit.

I didn't find that the poly bushing made any more noise than the rubber bushing, but I already had been running BMR LCA and UCA with poly bushings. I heated the inner steel collar of the bushing with a torch to push it out of the bushing and then used the wire brush cup to remove the remainder of the bonded rubber. If you go that route, you'd probably want to use some sort of shield to keep the heat away from the under body.

 

[HillbillyHotRod]

Could you not use the correct size hole saw to get the rubber out?

 

[Catmonkey]

I think a range of sizes would work. You don't want it too small because the inner steel "bearing" is quite thick, so it needs to be wider than that, and you don't want it so large that it chews up the outer shell. The bonded rubber is thinnest in the middle of those two variables, which would be the least amount of work. Unfortunately to determine size, you'd have to be looking at that bushing.

 

[barspen]

Hole saw and wire brush on the end of a power drill make this a simple, but messy job.

The biggest PITA was not having a c-clamp large enough to get the poly and metal sleeve compressed into place. Tried many different methods, but at the end , I had to run to ACE and get a larger clamp.

As Catmonkey mentioned, you need to disconnect the shock and brake lines to get the rear very low for better access.

I noticed no extra NVH with the new poly bushing. I'd say maybe less, since the stock rubber one was worn and cracked.

 

[Snoopy49]

From the 2014 Mustang Service Manual.

 

[RBB]

I recall Kelly from BMR saying you need a 1.5" hole saw bit.

 

[ante]

I would just purchase stock lower ca and upset from someone here.
I'm sure you can get them for peanuts since that's ghe first thing most change.


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[mikes35]

I would just purchase stock lower ca and upset from someone here.
I'm sure you can get them for peanuts since that's ghe first thing most change.


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I could be wrong but I'm not thinking many people are changing the upper control arm bushing unless they have to, and if they do it sounds like you destroy it in the process. I'll get it on the lift here in a couple of days and see what it takes to remove it. I remember spending hours cutting these types of bushings out of my 67 mustangs leaf springs. I'm not looking forward to the job.



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[mikes35]

I can see where the hole saw might work- probably have to cut it from both sides.


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[Catmonkey]

It's really not a solid piece of rubber from side to side like most bushings. The rubber tapers in the middle for articulation. I was surprised how flimsy it is. I used a torch, but I could see the hole saw working. Based on info from Energy Suspensions, the outer shell appears to be 1.7"-1.8" in diameter, so the 1.5" saw would probably work. A drill attachment like below will cut through the bonded rubber pretty quickly

 

[RedVenom48]

Are there any solid rubber inserts that can be installed? Id prefere to stay away from poly if i can.

 

[Lillou74]

http://www.bmrsuspension.com/siteart/install/EN001.pdf


I'm looking at doing the same, only $50

 

[mikes35]

Are there any solid rubber inserts that can be installed? Id prefere to stay away from poly if i can.

I called Ford. It's $33 for the factory bushing, they can get it overnight if ordered by 3 pm. I'm torn between the smooth ride of the rubber or the BMR poly...

 

[barspen]

I called Ford. It's $33 for the factory bushing, they can get it overnight if ordered by 3 pm. I'm torn between the smooth ride of the rubber or the BMR poly...

Highly recommend poly. Minimal extra cost, much more durable than rubber and little to no NVH. If you were thinking about a rod end bushing, that would introduce all kinds of NVH.

 

[Catmonkey]

With that Metco upper, you won't notice any difference in NVH with poly in the differential bushing. This video is the upper control arm in a Mustang GT at the drag strip on stock tires. Just think what a beating a GT500 does to these things. This guys got a few more videos and then replaces the UCA with a BMR piece.

 

[Lillou74]

Thanks for posting that video.

 

[Catmonkey]

Yeah, it's an eye opener. You'll notice that the bushing on the differential wobbles more so with the BMR arm in place in one of the other videos. The amount it moves is about the limits of it's travel, so it beats that bushing up pretty good.