tips for removing bush cups from Defender axles.....?

[Anderzander]

I want to fit my EMU shocks and need to remove the bush cups from the axles -

I asked Gwyn Lewis about it and he told me that if I look into the cup I should see four spot welds ....

my eyes aren't brilliant so I took a photo so I could blow it up on screen. I can just about make out 4 spots on it....

but when I'm in front if it I can't.

Is there anything I can do to make them more visible? If I wire brushed it back to clean steel would they be more visible?

I'm not sure how easy it will be to do the ones on the bottom cup - looks like that might be very awkward.

Any advice greatly received.

[landkeeper]

well i took them of the missus disco axle with a sharp cold chisel once you get the edge folding over it's easy

why do you need to locate the spot welds

[Anderzander]

.... to drill them out!

I've heard that one some old ones just a whack with the hammer will knock them off.

So you just worked from the side and they dislodged?

[Disco-Ron]

yeh, cold chisel and big hammer, ten mins to do the lot..... there are i think four spot welds on each, the bottom ones can be ground clean with a grinder if needed, but i doubt you'll need to.....

[landkeeper]

the bottom ones are hard to do i just jacked up the car took off the rear wheels supported the chassis on axle stands and got underneath and knocked them off ,

[SteveG]

The later TD5 obviously have better spot welds than others, as believe me you won't just pop them off by whacking them with a hammer and chisel.

As Gwyn says, on each there are 4 spot welds, in a square shape around centre hole. Drill each one out and then just chisel off. Use a drill bit bigger than weld and you are less likely to drill into bracket below. If you can't see the welds too clearly, then use of wire brush or sand paper will help.

As for lower cups, as said above, just jack axle high enough to get underneath with a drill.

Cheers

Steve

[BogMonster]

The later TD5 obviously have better spot welds than others, as believe me you won't just pop them off by whacking them with a hammer and chisel.

You obviously don't have a big enough hammer

I took the ones off on my 04 90 using this method, though one of them did put up a bit of a fight.

[Anderzander]

I'd forgotten about this thread until some one messaged me about it.

My experience was the same as Steve G's -- ie they needed drilling.

They wouldn't knock off - it became clear the bracket would bend and the cup tear before the spot welds let go.

So I cleaned the cup with a wire brush drill attachment so I could see them clearer and then drilled them out. I did it a bit tentatively to avoid drilling the bracket - so did a bit and then knocked it etc

Hope that helps anyone who comes to do it in future.

[western]

looking at your photo & using windows paint to circle the spotwelds, I reckon they are in the yellow rings. equally spaced

[Anderzander]

That's right Ralf - although the top right circle isn't quite centred on the weld and instead intersects it.

The ones underneath proved the more awkward simply because they are upside down.

[western]

That's right Ralf - although the top right circle isn't quite centred on the weld and instead intersects it.

The ones underneath proved the more awkward simply because they are upside down.

hard to tell the exact location, glad you found them & successfully removed.

[nigelr32]

Just for future reference, I thought I'd pass on a little advice on this one.

I've never done this actual job, but have been met with similar issues on other vehicles.

One method that will definitly work in this application is to first knock the cup at the 12, 3, 6 and 9 o'clock positions. If the cup doesn't break away, it will lift and expose the spot welds as dimples in the surface, as the rest of the cup will have lifted away around them.

Failing that, a good going over with a flap wheel in a grinder will show them up as the thin steel of the cup will discolour, but the spot welds won't.

Nige

[Retroanaconda]

Planning on doing this job in the very near future, as my shocks didn't fit particuarly well to the new (300Tdi) axle and I'm not happy with how the bushes are sitting.

Will post up how it goes, hoping a sharp cold chisel and a big hammer will see it done.

[Anderzander]

On earlier axles they weren't welded ... So they might just knock off Retro.

[duncmc]

on my 300tdi from'96 they came off very easily so not spot welded just rusted on.

[knacker]

Just done this half an hour ago,hammer and chisel took about 5 minuites to do. But the axle was off and on the floor

[Anderzander]

300 tdi?

[mickeyw]

My rear axle was of 1996-ish 300 Tdi origins. The spot welds put up one hell of a fight, and that was with a big hammer and big chisel. A good 10 mins each for top and bottom cups.