I'm in the process of replacing the rear axle bushings on my GF's VW Beetle. I made this post for another forum. I thought BITOG'ers might enjoy seeing my cobbled-together DIY tool. It works really well and made replacing the bushings really easy.
Enjoy
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I’m in the process of replacing the rear axle bushings on my girlfriend’s 2000 Beetle. I thought I’d show the tool I used to press in the in the bushings. It appears it’s similar to some tools other members have cobbled together.
Here’s what you’ll need to build the tool:
- 4 blocks of 2x4. Mine are about 4-5” long.
- 1-3/4” hole saw. NOTE - this was the size I needed for Meyle bushings. If you use a different bushing, you may need a different size hole saw.
- ⅜” threaded rod. My local hardware store had foot long pieces.
- Bolts and washers for the threaded rod
- Wrenches to turn the bolts
To make the tool:
-Drill a ⅜” hole into two of the blocks
-Drill a hole in the other two blocks with the hole saw. My pieces of 2x4 were too thick for the saw to go all the way through. So, I drilled a small pilot hole then used the hole saw from each side to make it all the way through the block.
You’ll see that the central support of the bushing sticks out farther than the body on each side of the bushing. The holes allow the block to push on the body of the bushing.
Here’s how it will go together. The outside piece will be a solid block.
I pulled my rear axle because I couldn’t get the bushings in. If I had built this tool first, I probably wouldn’t have had to pull the axle. You could use thinner wood pieces, to make the tool smaller. That may make the tool more useable when the axle is still on the car.
Position the bushing and tool on the axle. You’ll need a solid block on the side pulling against the axle. The part pulling against the bushing will have a solid block and a hole block. Start tightening the bolt. I put the bushing in the freezer overnight and used lithium grease. The Meyle bushings are out of round. I used a file to grind a beveled edge on the end of the bushing to help guide it in. It might take several tries to get the bushing started without it popping out.
After a while, you won’t be able to press the bushing in any farther. That’s because the bushing support has gone far enough that it is now bumping against the solid block on the other side.
You can see the bushing has pressed in enough that the end is now even with the other side of the housing.
Add a block with a hole to that side. Try to position it so that the end of the bushing will go into the hole in the block.
Keep tightening the bolt. If you have it positioned properly, the end of the bushing will go into the hole. You can then tighten the bolt until the bushing is pressed in all the way.
Additional notes:
-I’m not very happy with the Meyle bushings. These are part number 1J0501541C. I bought mine at NAPA, but you can get them at most of the online parts dealers. These don’t seem very heavy duty. The housing is plastic and mine were significantly out of round. If you looked at them from the end, they were an oval, not round. Other members have bought the Genuine VW part, which has been updated and is beefier. If I had to do it over again, I would have bought the VW part. It’s more expensive, but appears sturdier.
Enjoy
=========
I’m in the process of replacing the rear axle bushings on my girlfriend’s 2000 Beetle. I thought I’d show the tool I used to press in the in the bushings. It appears it’s similar to some tools other members have cobbled together.
Here’s what you’ll need to build the tool:
- 4 blocks of 2x4. Mine are about 4-5” long.
- 1-3/4” hole saw. NOTE - this was the size I needed for Meyle bushings. If you use a different bushing, you may need a different size hole saw.
- ⅜” threaded rod. My local hardware store had foot long pieces.
- Bolts and washers for the threaded rod
- Wrenches to turn the bolts
To make the tool:
-Drill a ⅜” hole into two of the blocks
-Drill a hole in the other two blocks with the hole saw. My pieces of 2x4 were too thick for the saw to go all the way through. So, I drilled a small pilot hole then used the hole saw from each side to make it all the way through the block.
You’ll see that the central support of the bushing sticks out farther than the body on each side of the bushing. The holes allow the block to push on the body of the bushing.
Here’s how it will go together. The outside piece will be a solid block.
I pulled my rear axle because I couldn’t get the bushings in. If I had built this tool first, I probably wouldn’t have had to pull the axle. You could use thinner wood pieces, to make the tool smaller. That may make the tool more useable when the axle is still on the car.
Position the bushing and tool on the axle. You’ll need a solid block on the side pulling against the axle. The part pulling against the bushing will have a solid block and a hole block. Start tightening the bolt. I put the bushing in the freezer overnight and used lithium grease. The Meyle bushings are out of round. I used a file to grind a beveled edge on the end of the bushing to help guide it in. It might take several tries to get the bushing started without it popping out.
After a while, you won’t be able to press the bushing in any farther. That’s because the bushing support has gone far enough that it is now bumping against the solid block on the other side.
You can see the bushing has pressed in enough that the end is now even with the other side of the housing.
Add a block with a hole to that side. Try to position it so that the end of the bushing will go into the hole in the block.
Keep tightening the bolt. If you have it positioned properly, the end of the bushing will go into the hole. You can then tighten the bolt until the bushing is pressed in all the way.
Additional notes:
-I’m not very happy with the Meyle bushings. These are part number 1J0501541C. I bought mine at NAPA, but you can get them at most of the online parts dealers. These don’t seem very heavy duty. The housing is plastic and mine were significantly out of round. If you looked at them from the end, they were an oval, not round. Other members have bought the Genuine VW part, which has been updated and is beefier. If I had to do it over again, I would have bought the VW part. It’s more expensive, but appears sturdier.
