Working on my long-dormant 89LS project. The trailing arm bushings are toast, and the front part of the arm itself is beat to hell from making contact with the frame mount (due to lack of good bushing!)

I have Gen2 arms I acquired way back here on the forum and also bought new bushings. It's time to swap them out. FSM calls for 2 tools: MB991293 and MB990891.

I can only find the later online. The former - not a thing.

1) Does anyone have these tools?
2) the FSM diagram on tool placement doesn't make any sense to how I would think the bushings need to be pushed out and pushed back in. It appears as though the FSM is trying to get you to squeeze the bushing together? Odd. Same on my 89 FSM and the 92-95 (Gen2) FSM I seen.

If you guys haven't used the special tools, what did you use> I've heard of guys burning out the main rubber and pressing out whats left. Sounds messy, and unnecessary. A large socket sounds dangerous. Removal is puzzling since the outer bushing ring lip is so small. installation seems a bit easier since all I think you would need is a flat plate with a hole to accommodate the center bolt sleeve.

Search going back awhile only revealed discussions on part numbers and interchangeability.

Looking for insight on bushing change procedure itself

I did not change the bushing in the trailing arm itself.

Just did the front bushings and all that took was a 24 mm deep socket if IRC. After replacing the OEM rubber ones twice, I went with urethane ones.

~ Jon

Both tools look familiar. I probably have both. I may take me a day or so to look.

I believe the point of the service manual is for the bushings to be nearly centered in the trailing arm. I believe the MB991293 has a threaded shaft and a nut that will pull the bushing into the trailing arm. One could probably make up a similar arrangement with a long bolt and some nuts. One could also get the same thing done with a press.

Jon, whats the part number for the urethane ones? Also, how much lift did you gain with the OME coils and torsions?

The Urethane part number is Whiteline - W61612. Come to find out they are still sitting in the garage <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/scared.gif" alt="" /> guess I should actually install them.

I also went the MOOG K700528 Rear Sway Bar Link. They are holding up waay better than the OEM.

I mainly went with the heavy duty OME parts because I tow a 16ft camper a lot. The parts added maybe an 1" of lift once everything settled. The OME spec says 1.25" of lift. On my old Montero I had 2" Toyota Tacoma coil spacers in the rear that worked really well and a lot cheaper. Then cranked the stock torsion bars and trimmed the bump stops.

Also flipped the upper ball joints, although most folks warn against it, I had no problem during the two years running them flipped. But my driving style is light footed, could see an issue if heavy footed driver.

~ Jon

I checked the tools. I don't have either tool by those numbers. I do have some that seem to be similar. If you can get the dimensions, we may be able to get something to work. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" />

Well, after some additional exhaustive research, I hope I'm a bit closer to solving this.

To recap, Gen1 FSM calls for 2 tools to change bushings on the rear trailing arms: MB991293 Arbor(n/a) MB990891 Bushing tool($95-125)

Additionally if you want to change your panhard bar bushings, you'll need: MB990650 ($?)

I was able to locate a tool lot on 'bay that had both MB990891 and MB990650 in it. But the Arbor tool MB991293 remains elusive.

My thought was perhaps in later FSM's it was replaced by another Arbor tool, but after downloading the 1992 FSM from Mitsubishilinks, it showed the same tools to be used for early Gen2.

Now the tool lot I bought on 'Bay has a few different Arbor's included. I've got my fingers crossed that one of them will satisfactorily take the place of MB991293.

I'll keep everyone updated on my progress.

Damn this is getting expensive (and time consuming!)

Jim

I'm still all just for using a press (first choice) with a socket, just smaller than the hole you want to press the bushing through, backed with a larger socket or piece of pipe to support the piece holding the bushing underneath it.

My second choice, also my first choice when you can't use a press, i.e., the frame-mounted front-lower-rear-most suspension bushing, is to simulate a press by using a carriage bolt, threaded through a half-inch drive socket, larger than the bushing you want to remove, with a socket just small enough to force the bushing out on the other side. Put a nut and washers on the small socket side and use an air impact wrench to squish them together and out comes the bushing. Reverse the procedure to install the new ones. Use a good amount of forethought and it's safe and effective.

The special tools do the exact same thing, at a much greater cost.

John B.

Seems like it would be far easier to take it to a machine shop and pay them $50 to replace the bushings.

That's what I did when I replaced the rear trailing arm bushings in my '95. Except it was NAPA and it was $80 for four of them. Do that twice and you just bought the 20-ton press from Harbor Freight, in which case you can amaze your friends and influence people.

John B.