Ok, so the bar pin that come pre-installed in the Bilstein 5100 is definitely vulcanized (rubber bushing is formed around the bar pin).

Spent about 2 or 3 hours trying g to get the god damn thing out with a vice, with a ball joint press, with heat, etc.

I honestly don't think that the bar pin can feasibly be removed from the bushing. I am going to give it another go on Thursday at a buddies shop, with a Harbor Freight shop press and see if I can force the pin out, without the bushing popping out.

My question is this;
Is the shock bushing a part I can find at the local parts store? Better yet, does anyone have a part number that would work?

If I can't get the bar pin out, and if I can't get the bushing at a local parts store, I might need to lug my a$$ to 4Wheel parts and see if they have anything that will fit.

And before anyone mentions it, I would really really really prefer to eliminate the bar pin entirely. I even went through the trouble of repacing my current bushings and bar pins, and the pin STILL comes off all the time.

I already have brand new Bilstein 5100s for the rear, and Rocky Road BPEs. They are pretty beefy which I was not expecting for the low price. The welds on both sides of each tab look great, and I love how it preloads the bushings so they can't slip off!

 

You'll have to support the bushing in order to press the pin out, a little PB wouldn't hurt either.

 

Aah, so it is possible! Thank you for the picture, very helpful

Were you able to press the pin out without cutting it first?

I am going to try a big c-clamp like you have, the u joint press i had was not really working for me (the inserts were either too large or small)

 

I just went through this same situation, twice!

I just took a drill and drill out the bushing in a couple places, then pulled it out with a pair of vice-grips. The replacement bushings are pretty easy to find. Usually O'Reilly's will have them in stock. Just measure up the width and the depth and get a set of Energy bushings, like this. They pop in with your fingers. Tough to get out, though!

 

Great tip - I was hoping to re-use the bushings but to be honest, I am fine spending a few bucks on new bushings...

I have a 20-ton shop press that I am going to try on Thursday night (hopefully). If the bar pin doesn't come out I should be able to get the bushing out without too much hassle.

Thanks for the advice guys, really appreciate it!!

 

New bushings for it should be less than $10 for a bag of 2.

 

Are the Bilstein vulcanized bar pins better than an oem type? When I knew I was going Bilstein I sold all my JKS BPE's because I heard the Bilstein shocks really don't need them.

Any truth to this? Or do they still give you the clunk noise?

 

They are definately vulcanized, the bushing and pin almost act like they are a solid piece.
I hate bar pins with so much passion that I won't even consider using them after all the trouble they have given me.
I also want the extra 1" of downtravel to help the rear flex out more so I kind of need to use the spacers.

Hindsight I should have just ordered shocks without bar pins in them, but live and learn...

 

I've TRIED, many times, 4WD keeps sending my shocks with bar pins. I finally just accepted that I need to pull them. Hell, the last FRONT shock they sent me had BarPins!

 

In the old days they at least had the courtesy to send the bar pins in a separate baggie, not installed.

It's a good effort to fix a ****ty design, but it doesn't change the fact that it is a ****ty design. There is nothing but pressure stopping the bar pin from sliding out of the bushing, which seems even more idiotic because it is a Jeep and supposed to be designed for off road and "harsh" conditions. What did they expect to happen after 20K miles of moderate wheeling?? Did they think a rubber bushing would be impervious to changing shape over time, while supporting 3000lbs of furious Cherokee? Madness.

For that reason alone I do not want bar pins anywhere on my rig. I literally want to drive off a cliff because of how much they knock around, it is unbearable.

 

I'm ordering 5100's this week. Is there a part number that I can use to get them without bar pins? I need the 3-4" lift shock.

 

There is a Bilstein 5100 application guide floating around the internet. You could match another set of bar-pinless shocks but it would probably be better to flex your rig out and measure to make sure you properly match your shocks to your lift.

If using Bar Pin Elininators, subtract 1" from your measurements.


Also, for anyone interested - I spent about an hour last night at my buddies shop trying to get the bushing separated from the pin. The ONLY thing that was effective was heating the bar pin, which ruined the bushing. No matter what combo of Sockets and pressure, the bushing and pin stayed fused, even as the busing was under the pressure of a 20-ton hydraulic press.

In the end I pressed the pin and bushing out as one piece, which took about 2 minutes. I ended up clear-coating the shocks because they are too damn pretty to let rust.

 

Clear coating is a cool idea. Glad you got the bushings out finally. Did you just put one of those energy suspension replacements in?

 

Aren't the 5100s already coated?

 

i pressed the whole bushing/bar pin assembly out and used the bushings out of my old RC hsock