Do-it-yourself pressing and pressing of silent blocks

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• How to press a silent block into a lever at home

02.12.2021

There are two ways to press the silent block into the lever. The principle is almost the same, even the tools are not much different. There are slight differences for different types of silent blocks.

But before replacing it with a new rubber-metal hinge, it must be removed. This can be problematic for an inexperienced owner, as it is securely pressed in. But we are all “seasoned” here and know how to press it out without pullers in a garage. I will reveal this great secret to you.

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What is a silent block

This word is of foreign origin. Translated from English, silent means silence, and block means detail. A silent block, or simply “silent,” is a rubber-metal component; in ordinary words, these are two bushings that are connected to each other by a layer of durable rubber. This invention, in addition to guaranteeing comfortable and silent movement in a car, has a number of advantages that will be listed below.

Purpose and functions

Silent blocks perform the following functions:

1. Protect components from wear and tear by damping vibrations .
2. They dampen vibrations that come from the chassis of the wheels, thus providing a comfortable and soft ride.
3. Prevent vibrations and beatings that appear during the movement of the car between different elements of the chassis and engine compartment.

And these are just the main advantages; in fact, there are many more.

Do-it-yourself professional press from a hydraulic jack

Version with hydraulic pump

In industrial designs, the separated hydraulic cylinder and hydraulic pump are connected to each other by a supply tube. This is convenient because it makes the design compact, and it is more convenient to use a manual pressure pumping system.

You can make a homemade press of a similar design, using literally scrap metal.

The material was actually lying underfoot - on the way to the scrap metal collection point.

Nevertheless, the result was a fairly strong frame, or bed. The structure was welded using a homemade welding machine.

Apart from the grinder, no additional equipment was required. The upper and lower platforms are designed as a ladder frame and can be moved vertically along the frame.

This is done to be able to process parts of various sizes. A podium with a square hole in the middle is installed on the lower platform.

The podium consists of two halves, so you can adjust the size of the hole for removing bearings or silent blocks.

The highlight of the design is a homemade hydraulic pump. It is made from an old hydraulic jack. To do this, the working piston is cut into 2 halves with a grinder.

The lower part remained in the jack body; an adapter for the high-pressure oil line was welded on top of it. After assembling the jack body, we get a hydraulic pump with a force of 10 tons.

The upper part of the working cylinder, together with the rod, is installed upside down on the platform, and a similar adapter for the oil line is welded to it.

Both parts of the hydraulic system are connected to each other by a high-pressure oil line, which was removed from a scrap truck crane. The range of movement of the rod can be further adjusted by using a screw inserted into the rod.

The structure is ready. Costs are almost zero (electricity for welding, a couple of grinder discs and a can of paint). The jack was not included in the price - because it was purchased in ancient times and was still lying idle in the garage.

The only drawback of the design is the inability to use the jack as a separate tool.

Classic design

If the bottle jack is needed by itself, it is necessary to provide for its easy dismantling. The design is made according to the classical scheme - the movement of the platform from top to bottom.

For production you will need:

1. Actually a jack.
2. Channel.
3. Steel sheet 4-5 mm thick.
4. Two steel springs.

The frame is welded from a powerful channel 5 mm thick. The corners are reinforced with gussets and rods made of steel sheet of similar thickness.

Points of application of maximum pressure must be reinforced. To do this, you can weld the heels from a steel sheet. They are installed on the upper platform and the moving element.

In addition, it is advisable to install limiters on the moving element to keep the jack from slipping.

The moving element is suspended on springs. Guide flags are welded at the ends to prevent the platform from moving vertically.

The structure is ready. The jack can be removed at any time and used separately from the press. If you have a set of devices (bushings, dies, molds), you can perform any work - from making souvenir coins to using the structure as a pipe bender.

However, the most popular use of the design is to remove bearings and silent blocks when servicing a car.

The design can be improved by adding adjustable puller rods. To do this, a U-shaped structure made of a steel angle and thick threaded rods is put on the upper platform.

From below, elongated nuts with welded L-shaped hooks are screwed onto the studs.

As a thrust rod when extruding a shaft from a bearing or a silent block from an eye, you can use a shank from a propeller shaft or an axle shaft of a suitable diameter. Such a device is easy to find at a car disassembly.

The structure is assembled in 5 minutes, and the press turns into a powerful puller. You can remember how much it costs to replace silent blocks and calculate the savings.

The illustration on the left shows bearing dismantling using a puller; on the right, the bearing is pressed in using a press without additional tools.

How to understand when it's time to replace

Before you set out to press in these parts, you should first of all inspect them thoroughly to make sure that they really require replacement. Check for holes and any deformations, for swollen rubber on the hinges and for cracks. Manipulate the components, determining the presence of backlashes. If the permissible norm is exceeded, then replacement of parts is inevitable. It is not recommended to delay the pressing procedure. Over time, this problem will only get worse and can lead to suspension arm failure.

The main indicators that indicate the failure of one part or several:

1. Driving the car has become much more difficult.
2. When overcoming bumps, the suspension begins to knock loudly. Tires wear unevenly, which has not been observed before.
3. It has become much more difficult to adjust wheel alignment.

Determining wear

It is generally accepted that the service life is 100 thousand km, but in domestic conditions it is recommended to inspect them after 50 thousand. Constantly working under heavy load, these parts often wear out and require replacement. You can understand when a silent block needs to be replaced during a routine technical inspection or by changes in the car's handling.

One of the indirect signs is a wheel alignment disorder (the car “steers” to the side or the tire begins to wear unevenly). We felt that the car was “floating”, the reactions in turns changed - a reason to sound the alarm. In most cases, this is caused by wear of the silent blocks. However, the exact cause can only be determined through detailed diagnostics, which can be done in a specialized service or, if you have certain skills, on your own.

For an independent visual inspection, you need a lift, pit or overpass. It is advisable to have an idea of ​​what the new silent blocks look like and where they are located. We clean all rubber-metal hinges from dirt and carefully inspect them. The rubber part should not have cracks or tears, and the chassis parts should not dangle freely. To do this, check the play in the connections.

We'll look at how to replace the silent blocks of some suspension elements yourself below.

You can tell whether the silent block can be replaced by its appearance.

Necessary materials

To press this part into place at home, you will need the following tools:

1. Mount;
2. Jack;
3. Set of wrenches;
4. New hinges.

It is recommended to use machine oil or other types of lubricant as a lubricant.

Among other things, you will need special mandrels designed for pressing silent blocks; as an alternative, you can use a piece of pipe with the required diameter. You also need to get a press to press in a new rubber-metal hinge . When it comes to home use, an ordinary vice can serve as a press. In addition, you can stock up on a set of sledgehammers, but with this approach it is necessary to maintain high precision in the work.

Culinary uses of a jack press

And for dessert - a somewhat exotic, but very popular use of a hydraulic press. By making a simple device from a tray, an old aluminum pan and a wooden chock, you can easily squeeze juice from grapes or apples.

And if you work a little with wood, you can build a real oil mill from a homemade hydraulic press.

An ordinary car jack, plus a little ingenuity and seemingly unnecessary junk - and you will get a set of tools that previously only industrial production and services could boast of.

Pressing out at home

Replacing these parts is not as difficult as it might seem at first glance. For example, many car owners made sure of this when they replaced parts, using special equipment for self-replacement. It is for this reason that there are many people who have decided to replace silent blocks with their own hands and at home.

First method

First of all, let's learn about how it should be ideally.

The lever in which the rubber-metal hinge needs to be replaced is installed on a special spacer for the press. The old silent will be squeezed onto this spacer. Then another spacer is installed on top - it squeezes out the old bushing. This method is used by service station workers, since they have the necessary set of spacers and a powerful press of 10-20 tons.

Second method

Almost all car owners, naturally, do not have a powerful press, but many have a jack or a good vice in their garage. If you use a powerful vice, you can successfully squeeze out the old bushings according to the principle that is already familiar to us: a spacer for the original bushing and a spacer for pressing on the bushing.

At first glance, it becomes unclear how you can squeeze out the silent tape with a jack? Everything is very simple: you need to weld a frame in the shape of a rectangle from a channel or corner so that its height is slightly higher than the lever and the jack. The operating principle is as follows: place the jack in the frame, then install the lever eye on top of the rod, as well as the two spacers mentioned above. We create the required pressure, after which the bushing is squeezed out of its seat. It must be emphasized that most often a jack with a capacity of 3-5 tons is not able to cope with such work, therefore it is recommended to use 10-ton jacks.

Third method

If you have neither a press nor a jack, but still have a strong desire to replace the silent blocks on your own, you can use the third method - using a simple press puller (bolt with nut or stud).

The principle of operation is to create pressure by gradually tightening the nut on the stud; this method can be called an analogue of a vice. This pin with a washer of suitable diameter is inserted into the eye through the silent block, then on the other side you should put on a spacer with a washer and tighten the nut. Rotating along the thread, the nut creates the necessary pressure and forces the silent to be squeezed into a special spacer.

This “method” requires the use of a strong, hardened stud and an equally strong nut. If you take a soft pin or nut, you will most likely fail. For example, there are cases when, due to strong pressure, the stud becomes bent, as a result of which the thread on the nut breaks. However, there are thousands of those who managed to change silent blocks using this particular method. After all, everything depends on the quality and strength of the material used.

The advantage of this method is its low cost, as well as its convenience, if you look at it from the “mobility” point of view. In other words, you don’t need, for example, to completely remove the lever or the entire hub; it will be enough to just have a simple press puller like this.

Fourth method

This method can be classified as drastic decisions or extreme measures. Its principle is to use all popular methods and devices to extract silent from the seat. To do this, you need to knock out the old part using a powerful screwdriver or a thick wedge-shaped piece of reinforcement. You need to try to hammer a screwdriver or something between the silent block and the bushing, thus deforming the wall of the bushing inside. Now that the bushing is crushed and pushed inward, it is not at all difficult to knock it out. Before you start knocking out the silent block, you need to squeeze out or burn out the inner sleeve of the part and, if possible, all remaining rubber.

Fifth method

The next method of removing a silent block cannot be called pressing out, since it, like the previous one, does not require the presence of a press: all you need is a metal blade, a hammer and a screwdriver. The principle is simple, but unsafe. We remove the inner sleeve, then take the blade and start cutting the outer sleeve. Try to cut through the old silent as much as possible without damaging the lever itself or the eye. It is best to make two cuts, and then using a flat screwdriver, the silent block will be easily deformed and knocked out.

If none of the methods listed above helped, and you still need to do it, there is only one option left - to entrust this work to specialists. To achieve the desired result, take the part and go to the service station, where specialists, using a silent block extractor and other special tools, will qualitatively do all the necessary work “in the blink of an eye.”

Installing daisies in the front suspension beam of a VAZ

Replacing silent blocks of the front suspension cross member

1. We hang up the front wheels.
2. Remove the engine protection.
3. Remove the front suspension braces.
4. On a car with a VAZ-2112 engine, disconnect the front engine mount.

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Then:

1. We unscrew the bolt securing the support to the cross member of the front suspension (key “15”).
2. Loosen the nut of the bolt securing the support to the generator bracket and move it down (with two 15mm wrenches).
3. We unscrew the two bolts securing the cross member to the body (head “13”).
4. We unscrew the four bolts securing the cross member to the side members (head “19”)

1. Remove the front suspension beam.
2. Using a bolt and suitable sections of pipes with washers, we press the silent block towards the front of the car. If it is difficult to press out the silent block, cut off the collar from the side with a smaller diameter.
3. We clean the nest from dirt. We wet it and the new silent block with soapy water.
4. Pressing is done using a bolt with washers and pipe sections. In this case, the smaller shoulder of the silent block should completely come out of the hole in the cross member.

Daisies in the front suspension beam of a VAZ

• ─ Control becomes more precise. The car will respond faster and more clearly to steering wheel turns.
• ─ Reduce chatter during acceleration and braking. When braking, the wheels will no longer touch the wheel arch liners.

─ Faster wear of the daisies.

Pressing in silent blocks

We have already talked in detail about how to get the “silents”, now another problem arises - how to press this part? This procedure is difficult because it requires certain skills and abilities. An incorrectly or crookedly installed silent will either not work or break prematurely.

First method

As with pressing, pressing should ideally be done using a vice. The principle is somewhat similar, but just the opposite. Before pressing the part, you need to thoroughly clean the seat from any residues and rust from the previous silent using sandpaper. Then the eye is generously lubricated with a lubricant like “Litol” or with a soap solution. A lever is installed, the part is placed on top, after which press pressure is applied to the spacer through a special mandrel. It will press the part into the seat.

Second method

When you do not have a press, you can press the part using the above-mentioned jack or a vice. The principle of operation is no different from a press. The lever, bushing, and spacer are installed. Then, under the force of a vice or jack, the part is pressed into the seat.

Third method

Press puller. If the silent block is small, you can “put it in its place” using the same press puller that was used to press the part out of the socket. Again, the principle is the same, only a thick washer and a pin are used as a press.

Fourth method

Using a sledgehammer and brute force. This method is not the best of all existing ones, since it is considered more from a purely theoretical point of view. In other words, it really allows you to press a part, but it’s very difficult to say what the results and quality of work will be. The principle is quite simple: we take a lever, put a silent on it, and then hit it quickly and hard.

After such a strong impact, it should go into the ear of the lever. Only the main drawback of the method is that it is not so easy to predict the correct movement of a given part; it can fit crookedly into the landing site. Among other things, “biting” of the rubber components may occur and damage to the lever itself or the silent block. Simply put, the blow is very difficult to control, and often after this kind of “experiment” you have to turn to specialists and redo everything again. Therefore, think carefully about the possible consequences before using this method.

Fifth method

The last known method of pressing a silent is to use the weight of the car. The principle is to use the weight of your car for personal gain. It all happens like this: install a hydraulic or screw-shaped jack and remove the wheel. Then install the lever with the silent, which needs to be pressed, under the hub.

Then we level everything thoroughly and begin to slowly lower the jack. In this case, it is recommended that you have someone help you. The weight of the machine will be quite enough to firmly press the part into the landing site. The disadvantage of this method is that it is inconvenient and somewhat unsafe; in addition, it is not so easy to control whether the part is correctly seated in the socket. But when you have no other option, the method is well worth considering.

Each method is effective and interesting in its own way. Consider for yourself all the pros and cons of each method to make sure you decide.

Homemade press from a jack with your own hands almost free

There are plenty of situations in everyday life when it is necessary to squeeze objects with great force.

Here are a few of them:

• Extracting juice from grapes, fruits and vegetables.
• Pressing in or removing silent blocks, bearings, bushings.
• Molding of products using a matrix.
• Bending strong metal workpieces.
• Straightening curved objects.
• The list goes on and on.

For these actions you need a press. The most popular design is hydraulic. The liquid is not compressed, so it is enough to equip a device for compression - pressing with hydraulics, and you can develop virtually unlimited force.

These devices are quite compact. For example, the illustration shows a machine less than a meter high, and it develops a force of up to 10 tons. And it is controlled manually.

Such a press can be bought at a tool store, however, the cost is quite high. If you look closely at the design, you will notice that the power element is very similar to a regular car bottle jack. Therefore, you can make it yourself.

Licota ATC-2286

The set of silent block pullers is equipped with mandrels and cups of the most popular sizes, which are excellent for working with parts of domestic and foreign production.

Before using the puller, you only need to select a mandrel of the required size, install it on the element to be removed and perform dismantling by rotating the nut. Using the kit, the entire silent block removal process is quick and easy.

Characteristics:

• It is used for both pressing out and pressing in silent blocks.
• Internal mandrels: 34, 36, 38 – 70, 72, 75, 80 mm.
• Outer mandrels: 44, 46, 48 – 80, 82, 85, 90 mm.
• Pins: M10, M12, M14, M16, M18.
• Type: universal puller.
• Weight: 17 kg.

Pros:

• It has different attachments, making it suitable for different brands of vehicles.
• All parts are easy to assemble and disassemble.
• Possibility of dismantling and installing silent blocks.
• Convenient case for storing all puller parts.

Minuses:

• Relatively heavy weight.
• High price.

MASTAK 110-20026C

Another good option made in Taiwan. This impressive set consists of 26 elements, which allow it to be used to remove a wide variety of silent blocks and bearing races.

Characteristics:

• Availability of 20 mandrels with ø 44/34 (11 pieces) and ø 48/38 (9 pieces).
• The set also includes thrust washers (2 pieces) and 350 mm power bolts (M16x2.5, M14x2.0, M12x2.0, M10x1.5).
• Type: universal tool.
• Weight: 18 kg.

Pros:

• High-strength material for all parts.
• Possibility of universal use (suitable for various brands of cars).
• Suitable not only for silent blocks, but also for external and internal races of bearings.
• Convenient storage case.

Minuses:

• Price.
• The latches on the case do not always fit tightly.
• Weight.