Thread: VS commode caster bushes

Originally Posted by POD

My daughter has just got her license and has bought- at a bargain-basement price- her Nanna's 97VS (?) commodore sedan. We put it in for a roadworthy yesterday to transfer the rego, and they have knocked back a number of significant items. I've spent this evening out in the shed with her, trying to keep the cursing to a minimum.
We have to replace the control-arm bushes and caster bushes. I can not believe how difficult a job getting the front control arms out of this thing is. Absolutely leaves my Rangie for dead in the difficult-to-work-on department. It has left me with a couple of questions, if anyone can please help.
1; I have the caster rod and the control arm out of one side. I need to get the front bush out (caster-arm to sub-frame bush). Is it in two pieces? How the heck does it come out otherwise??
2; The 3 socket-head capscrews that hold the hub in from behind- are they 'torque-yield' or anything? Can they be re-used with some loctite?
3; how do the front brake rotors come away from the hub?
Thanks for any help.

My Commodore (VR) has to be the reliable daily drive. That is why I take it to a reliable mechanic so I'll be little help.
Control arm and castor bushes are a common replacement.
When I saw the mechanics taking the rotor off the front hub, they had the car on the hoist, both hands on a rubber mallet, and they were literally running up to the disc for extra momentum and whacking it with as much strength as they could muster.
It's a bugger of a job.

cant speak for a VS, but i cant recall ever supplying any hub bolts for VT-VZ's at work (Holden dealer)

rotor onto the hub *should* be just a case of taking the caliper and caliper bracket off and giving it a whack if its frozen on

as for the bushes, i'll have a look when i get to work in the morning and see what the cattledog says

Originally Posted by POD

My daughter has just got her license and has bought- at a bargain-basement price- her Nanna's 97VS (?) commodore sedan. We put it in for a roadworthy yesterday to transfer the rego, and they have knocked back a number of significant items. I've spent this evening out in the shed with her, trying to keep the cursing to a minimum.
We have to replace the control-arm bushes and caster bushes. I can not believe how difficult a job getting the front control arms out of this thing is. Absolutely leaves my Rangie for dead in the difficult-to-work-on department. It has left me with a couple of questions, if anyone can please help.
1; I have the caster rod and the control arm out of one side. I need to get the front bush out (caster-arm to sub-frame bush). Is it in two pieces? How the heck does it come out otherwise??
2; The 3 socket-head capscrews that hold the hub in from behind- are they 'torque-yield' or anything? Can they be re-used with some loctite?
3; how do the front brake rotors come away from the hub?
Thanks for any help.

OK POD, lets see what we can help you with. 1. I take it you are replacing the front castor bush with another rubber bush. It is one piece. They actually come out easier than they go in. Use a tapered pry bar or a similar shaped round bar that will fit into the bush. Lever down hard with the bar in at varying depths, and the bush will pop out. The easiest way for you to put the new bush back in, is probably with the radius rod back in place, use several large washers/spacers, and wind the bush in with a nut on the radius rod end. Better not to use the nut you intend to leave there, as an old lock nut won't do as a permanent fixture. Lube the bush up if you have to, to ease fitment, but do not use any oil based lubricant. Detergent or rubber grease only. 2. The nuts should be precoated torque yield, but a buff on a wire wheel, and another dose of Loctite should do the trick. 3. The front brake rotors are an interference fit onto the hub. They are probably rusted on, and even if you don't want the rotors, they may take a massive bashing to get them off, and you can potentailly damage the hub if overdoing it. If you can get hold of a large diameter drum/disc puller, they come off best with an even pull. ( you may still need some impact persuasion as well ) If you are replacing the rotors ( sounds like you may have to ) make sure the facing on the hub is well buffed off and clean before fitting new rotors. Remember to use a good brakecleaner to clean the new rotors as well. Paint thinners is a good substitute, but no petrol. A lick of anti seize on the inner lip of the new rotors to stop them seizing again is a good idea.

Hope this helps.

That is a tremendous help, thanks fellas. I knew the forum would come through again! The rotor looked like it was simply held on by the wheel nuts, but there was no way it was coming off- much hammering tried- so I thought there must be some unseen means of securing. Must be held on by the same stuff that I'm cutting out of the spare wheel well (rusted through- who ever heard of a car body not being aluminium??). I thought it was crazy enough that the disc had to come off to allow the lower control arm & ball joint to come out downward, but then to have to take the whole hub assembly off to get the disc off, and then to have to take the whole lower strut assembly out to get to the hub retaining bolts- the designers were copping some abuse in my shed last night.
I'll look forward to some good times with the caster bushes. Should be able to rig a puller with a 3/4drive socket & long bolt methinks.

If you want bring it over to work on monday and i can do it for you..

Those caster bushes are dead easy to get out. Just use the caster arm (Z arm) as a lever. It is the right size to go in the hole and is plenty strong enough that you won't bend it. Slp it in the hole in the bush and pull downwards to twist the bush out.
New ones will go in with a bit of lube and a big pry bar.

As noted, the discs will come off the hubs with plenty of force and possibly some penetrating lube. If you aren't reusing the discs then a good hammer will have them off in a few hits, regardless of how rusted on they are. Make sure the hub face where the disc sits is clean and rust free to prevent runout and associated brake shudder.

Thanks for the offer Boofdti but I already have one side disassembled.

The discs are okay, only reason I had to get the disc off was to remove the ball joint attached to the control arm, so I can press the bushes out of the control arm. The ball joint is inside the radius of the disc, so the disc has to come off to withdraw the ball joint.