Took the a-frames off the chevelle and have removed the upper ball joints.

Called around for a labor cost for someone to replace the bushings. $150 to 300 dollars with me supplying the parts. :( was wondering if I bought a cheap harbor freight press: http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=1667

Would it be worth it to do it myself. New to this part. In the past I've always had someone else remove and install the bushings. Easy job?? thanxs db

I use an air chissle to remove bushing or a hammer. It can be a little bit of a challenge, but usually is not too bad. I just put one in a vise, using an air chissle I crush the outter sleeve towards the inside. Once it collapses enough you can then knock it out rather easy. You can just use the air chissle to push it out. To me $150 for the fronts means the person does want to do it. I can do the whole front upper and lower in just about an hour.

When you use a press you may need to make some tools to help you reach through the a arm. When you need to push one out, you have to do it from the inside out, with the arm being so wide it gets in the way. I have a press but prefer to just knock them out with a hammer or chissle.

rent a ball joint press from auto-zone. i used this and it worked great. freeze the bushings over night (easier to put in) and press them in. be sure to brace the bottom control arms where bushing goes thru as to not bend control arm. the top just press one side in slide in the cross bar then use rubber mallet and hammer in the other side. its not easy work but, when your done you saved yourself the cash and you know how it was done.

There's a cheap ball joint press (looks like a big C clamp) at Harbor Freight that costs $30 or so (not much and you'll use the tool again). Getting them out is the hard part. I used Dave's method, although I drilled out the rubber before whacking on it to collapse. Took an extra 15 minutes before I started banging and probably saved some time with the hammer. Be sure and take a "before and after" forearm measurement! LOL

Signed,
Popeye

When you buy new ball joints get Mogue they will fit the bolt holes

Keep shoping around... maybe try and find a shop outside of your city somewhere that might be cheaper.

All the places near me wanted $175 to R&R them... The guy i had do my sandblasting was 30 miles out of town, when i mentioned the cost of the bushing install he pointed me to another guy local to him. That guy did the R&R for $80 cash.

I tried the "do it yourself" way a year ago when i re-did my cutlass's bushings. A friend had a big hydraulic press at work. We Got all the old bushings out (upper and lowers) and the new upper bushings in, but we just couldn't get the lower control arm bushings with those "C" channels in. I wound up taking to a shop beucase i kept bending them (even with putting spacer/inserts in)

When i did my elcamino's here a month ago i just let a shop do it all this time. Would have even paid the $175 if i had to, just didn't feel like fighting with it. Felt glad i found the guy to do it for $80 though.

I refinish control arms for people and will use your parts. See this link.
http://www.leverfamilysite.com/cost.htm
Here is the correct setup for remove the bushings, do not use an air chisel
http://www.leverfamilysite.com/Spacers_and_Shims_Page.htm
There is lots of good information on my site about control arms take a look.
http://www.leverfamilysite.com/controlarms.htm
If you have any questions give me a call, the number is on my site. Thanks

You can see the c-clamp type press in 70's pictures. It's really not that hard to do yourself and you can use the press for other stuff. For example, I used it to press out a broken wheel stud. IMHO, paying someone $170 is ridiculous. If you took the control arms off yourself, you can replace the bushings.

I had balljoints and bushings R&R'd for $30 and arm. $150 is ridiculous for a 20 minute job, which is about how long it takes with the right tools.

Did I read that right ... $150 is ridiculous, but $120 is good ($30/arm)?

Honestly, I'm running into a lot of problems with mine (not a lot) ... but I've semi-crushed one of the lower arm bushing holders (about 1/8"), and now will try and move it back (we'll see). The upper bushings look like they're going to be stuck real good.

Anyhow ... I'm putting together some special arbors to try and do the job a little better now. You couldn't afford a shop to build arbors for just one job. So my guess, is most shops are going to do with a chisel ... so-so results, but I doubt you find much less than $100.

FWIW ... I borrowed a ball-joint press from both Auto-Zone and Advance. The one from Auto-Zone only had 3 receiver tubes, and a C-Clamp ... the one from Advance had many adaptors, and the C-Clamp, including the one that would fit my ball joints.

Thanks, Neal

I bought a similar 12T Harbor Freight Press a couple years back. Use it all the time, friends like it too. For 79 bones, I'd pick it up, do the job myself and you'd still have the press when your done, instead of empty pockets.
JC

Did I read that right ... $150 is ridiculous, but $120 is good ($30/arm)?

Honestly, I'm running into a lot of problems with mine (not a lot) ... but I've semi-crushed one of the lower arm bushing holders (about 1/8"), and now will try and move it back (we'll see). The upper bushings look like they're going to be stuck real good.

Anyhow ... I'm putting together some special arbors to try and do the job a little better now. You couldn't afford a shop to build arbors for just one job. So my guess, is most shops are going to do with a chisel ... so-so results, but I doubt you find much less than $100.

FWIW ... I borrowed a ball-joint press from both Auto-Zone and Advance. The one from Auto-Zone only had 3 receiver tubes, and a C-Clamp ... the one from Advance had many adaptors, and the C-Clamp, including the one that would fit my ball joints.

Thanks, Neal
He said bushings, he already removed the balljoints. That's 8 bushings = $80 or less. If it's all eight bushings and 4 balljoints that's different. I paid $30 for lower arm, including ball joint. $20 for upper arm, no ball joint.

Damn! $$$ :eek:
Too bad you didn't live closer...I've got access to a press and have done quite a few sets of A-arms (and rear control arms) for myself and guys around here...for free.
Just completed a total front end rebuild on the '72.
It's an easy job with the right tools.

Wow I thought I was getting raked at $20 an arm $80 total all bushings and lower ball joint. I guess I got a great deal.

Bob

Alright ... worked what I could tonight. The lower's are coming fine, using the spacer to put inside the arm (support around bushing). Ball Joints have been nothing ... BUT

This upper arm is killing me ... 2hr on it with air hammer, and I'm just getting one of the shells to move. It appears the cross-shaft has rusted to the inner bushing sleeve. I'm going to hit it again with an air hammer in the morning, and see if I can get it out. One of the bushings are definitely going to need to be removed in order to get the cross-shaft out ... then the second will easily come with the press.

By the way ... one of the holes for the bushings on the upper arm is bent pretty far, and the shaft definitely will not be going straight through with new bushings. Going to try and hammer it back straight tomorrow ... Any thoughts?

Thanks, Neal

On your bushings, take a drill and drill holes all around the bushing to relieve the pressure, then they will tap out just fine. As someone else mentioned, put the new ones in the freezer for a couple of days, and they will pop right in when installed.

You can do it yourself but without the right tools it is hard. I got my bushing out with a large flat head screw driver and a Big hammer..I put them back in with a 3ton jack on bottom and my house on top with a small pipe wrench extended snugged between the A arm to keep it from bending. I did get the ball joint tool from autozone tho it did help.I got the job done,,you do what it takes when you poor :) .I you got the money pay someone..