Tool Review: SP Tools Manual Bushing Removal and Installation Kit
The SP Tools Manual Bushing R&R Tool, No. 11100, allows the technician to service a wide range of bushings without removing components from the vehicle. This complete system is a budget minded alternative to hydraulic systems and can be used anywhere in the shop. It comes with 22 press adaptors and receiver cups, allowing hundreds of different size combinations. There are also threaded spindles to keep the adaptor and cup centered.
The Review
The tool was reviewed by Lou Fort, owner of K.A.R.S. Inc., in Huntingburg, Ind. Lou noted several time-saving features, the most obvious being the ability to service suspension pieces on the vehicle. He said preparing to use the tool is a simple matter of selecting the adapter that fits the bushing and attaching the adapter and its receiver cup. Keeping the large selection of adapters all in one case “eliminates running back and forth to find the right size.”
Reporting on ease of use, Lou says, “The only way to make using this tool easier would be to have someone else change the bushing for you.” An instruction sheet shows how to set up and use the tool, and the instructions are also on a sleeve covering the adaptor case. Lou called the instructions “easy to read and simple to follow.”
“The one feature I just loved, over having so many adapter sizes at my finger tips, is the U-shaped cut-outs in the adaptors. (That) lets me watch the operation to insure damage-free work.”
Lou also appreciated the threaded spindles that lock into the adapters, keeping the work centered, and he noted the bearings on the other end of the spindles that “make for near effortless work.” He liked the cap that allows using the adapters in a regular shop press without worrying about damaging them.
Although Lou liked having all the adapters in one case, he suggested some improvements. “My case did not stay latched. Considering the weight of this tool set, it needs a better latch on the case to prevent it from coming open in transit.”
He would also design the case to store the adapters with the working end pointing up. “This would make for faster selection of the appropriate adapter.” Lou would also like an attachment to fit his homemade C-clamp press, just to increase his options. “We can never have too many adapters!”
Lou used the tool to install rear camber/toe adjustment bushings on a Ford Taurus, upper control arm bushings on a Chevrolet Silverado and lower control arm bushings on a couple of Chevrolet Impalas, all without removing the links or control arms from the vehicle. He also changed sway bar link bushings on a Jeep CJ “with such ease it surprised me. That job left me wishing I had this tool back when I was changing Dodge LH-body inner tie rod bushings, before the aftermarket came out with a two-piece design.”
Lou rated the tool “a solid 10. We all know that no one tool kit can cover all of the possible repairs we may see, but this set does an excellent job of covering such a wide range of applications. It is valuable addition to any shop.”
