Tow bar bellcrank bushing

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rtadams89
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Tow bar bellcrank bushing

Post by rtadams89 » Tue Feb 09, 2021 10:38 am

I'd like to replace the worn out tow bar bellcrank bushing on my mule. I found a NOS bushing, pressed out the old bushing, and am no faced with figuring out how to press the new bushing in. Both ends of the bushing have rubber on them, so there is no good place to push from that will allow me to drive the bushing in without destroying the rubber ends. The TM looks like the trick is to use an arbor that presses on the inner metal tube of the bushing, but even trying this I'm afraid I'm just going to push that tube out and not actually drive the whole pushing into the bellcrank. What's the secret?


Chuck W.
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Re: Tow bar bellcrank bushing

Post by Chuck W. » Tue Feb 09, 2021 4:18 pm

You are correct, follow TM 9-2320-246-34. Put the bushing in the freezer overnight before you press it in and it will shrink

rtadams89
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Re: Tow bar bellcrank bushing

Post by rtadams89 » Tue Feb 09, 2021 4:40 pm

Any idea what size the reducer/arbor is?

rtadams89
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Re: Tow bar bellcrank bushing

Post by rtadams89 » Tue Feb 16, 2021 9:51 pm

After making a arbor that allowed me to push on the interior of the bushing, I'm still having trouble getting the bushing pushed in. I can get it about half way, but then the internal metal tube of the bushing starts pushing out of the bushing instead of the bushing pressing into the bellcrank. I've tried freezing the bushing + warming the bellcrank. I've sanded the interior of the bellcrank. I've used lubricant.

Looking at the bushing I have, it has a step about halfway up where the OD of the exterior gets slightly larger. My bellcrank does not have this same step. It seems like this is where I'm running into trouble as that larger bushing OD doesn't want to push in. Any other ideas?
IMG_1725 - Copy.jpg
IMG_1726 - Copy.jpg

Warren Duchesne
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Re: Tow bar bellcrank bushing

Post by Warren Duchesne » Wed Feb 17, 2021 5:11 am

The outer sleeve where the tips of your fingers are touching are what you use. Find a socket that fits that lip and press it in. It’s no problem.

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Re: Tow bar bellcrank bushing

Post by markrdje » Wed Feb 17, 2021 9:26 am

I don't know how else you would push it in but as just mentioned
change user name to mark

rtadams89
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Re: Tow bar bellcrank bushing

Post by rtadams89 » Wed Feb 17, 2021 10:40 am

The TM shows pushing on the inner part of the bushing (at least that's what it looks like to me):
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But as I called out in my first post, this doesn't make a lot of sense to me and didn't work as it would just dislodge the inner part of the bushing. Pushing on the outside makes a lot more sense, but that has also been unsuccessful. The flange on the outside isn't strong enough to push on, so you have to carefully press only on the innermost part of the outside metal sleeve of the bushing (the part nearest the rubber of the bushing. I couldn't find a socket that would come close to this; all were eitehr too small to fit over the rubber, or so large they would press on the metal flange. I ended up boring out some steel pipe on the lathe to make a ring I could slide over the rubber top and use to push on the metal sleeve of the busing as described. While I went with the minimum ID I could to still get it over the rubber (with a lot of lubricant and force), this ring still seems to push on the flange too much. I was able to drive the bushing in farther this last try, but still have a 1/4 or 3/16 gap between the flange and the top of the bellcrank. If I push any more, I see the flange starting to deform downwards instead of the bushing moving any more.


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