Hub bushings

[doru]

Hi all,

I'm looking to overhaul my rear hubs and brakes from drums to disks in my 97 Camry. I already changed the fronts to V6 brakes.

I got the parts from a junk yard and I'd like to bring them to best conditions before installing them in the car. I'm talking about the hubs, because the brake parts are new replacements, except for the calipers body.

The hubs have a pressed in rubber bushing for the suspension trailing arms. The rubber is in excellent condition. I'd like to powder coat the hubs for another 11 years or more of service. Problem is that powder coating requires oven time, and the rubber does not like it in the oven.

Getting a new bushing is not possible: dealer wants me to buy the entire hub. Going aftermarket I can only get poly bushings (Energy) but I'd like rubber.

Can the original bushing be repressed in after pressing it out? Has anyone tried it and can give some tips?
Should I just paint the hubs and forget about powder coating?

Thanks much!

[Kep]

You might want to see if you can find some cheap bent up ones at a junk yard and practice on those before you start on yours. You might even try baking the beat up ones to see how the rubber responds to heat.

Kep