New rear axle rubber bumpers - is there a trick to install?

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Spechti

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 8, 2011
Messages
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Location
Hamburg, Germany
My Car
1971 Mustang Mach 1 (under restoration), 1973 Lincoln Mark IV (show boat)
Today I tried to install two new rubber bumpers on the frame rails over the rear axle. The whole receptacle was media blasted, cleaned and painted with chassis black urethane. Prior to installation, I coated the upper part of the rubber slightly with vaseline and tried to press them in by hand. Whatever I did, I could not persuade them to slip into place. Dang!

Did anybody of you do this before and has a recommendation, a tool hint or a tip how to do this?

Thanks.

Michael

 
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I used white lithium grease, but that should not matter. Try to work one side in at a time. Once you get the rubber flanged section in on one side it can help free up some room for the other side to pop up. Trying to go straight in tends to mush the hole thing flat. A long flat bladed screwdriver on the side you are trying to work in can give it that little extra push. It is not easy in any way, but you just need to keep working at it.

 
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Petro jelly always works for me! Rubber is probably made in china so you might have to file it down a little to get it to fit.

 
I finally found a trick to get it done. I lubed the rubber with aqua gel, put it in place and pressed it in with a beam of wood. I used the upper edge of the brake drum as a pivot. With the right amount of pressure and some massaging movement it slipped right in with a funny slurping sound.

DSC02162.jpg

 
+1 on the wood. I had to jack my car up wedge a wood 2x6 then lower the car and force the rubber into the holder I used grease also.

 
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