hey all,

well im going to be putting my control arms, hopfully this week, and the only thing left to do is put the arms on, and the new upper bushings in.

what is the easiest way to getting them out, and putting the new ones in. i know there was a guy who had me upload pics of a tool he made out of PVC and all thread and used it as a puller.
and, will it be possible to get them out with the rear end in the car yet?


aaron

I sprayed em with WD40 and found a piece of either brass pipe or a snapon socket ( i forget which, pretty sure it was the pipe) that fit the hole and knocked em out with a hammer, they stick in there pretty good and it might help to have someone who can help hold the rearend when knocking out/in bushings

thanks man.

so the bushing install will be easier than knocking the old one out?


aaron

Depends, one side of mine kept going in crooked. With a lot of grease we got it in, took about 15 minutes on that one, seemed like the hole might have been slightly mis-shapen on one side

the other one went right it once it straightend out

i'm pretty sure it was a huge as heavy duty socket we used after all

I just used stock rubber bushings and my ride quality was greatly improved even though the old ones didnt look that bad

It depends...it is infinitely easier to get the bushings out and back in if the axle is out from underneath the vehicle. I removed mine with a big block of wood and a sledgehammer. To put them back in I used a large 3/4" drive socket that was the same OD as the steel bushing sleeve and the same said sledgehammer. No problems, just take your time and be sure that it is going in straight.

I found the easiest way to replace the bushings is to remove the control arm from the car and use either a drill press or a hand drill and drill a bunch of holes into the rubber to release the pressure from the pin. Then remove the pin by hitting it with a hammer. Keep hitting it and the rubber should eventually come out. All you should have left is the outer metal sleeve of the bushing. Flip the control arm and put it in a vise. Then with a hacksaw cut down the middle of the bushing and remove with a hammer. I just finished doing my bushings today and I found this was the easiest method without destroying the control arms. I would also check the holes that the bolts go through that they are still round and not oval like mine. I had to weld some grade 8 washers to the frame to tighten up the bushings. I found my '69 wandered too much going down the road and I have a feeling this was the cause. Good luck, have fun. graemlins/thumbsup.gif

Aaron, I replaced my 39 year old bushings in mine this past winter. It was a struggle for sure, but i kinda stumbled on this technique. I was trying to drill through the rubber to loosen it up. Using a 5" long 5/16 bit I drilled in right tight beside the centre sleeve. The bit walked itself around the sleeve and separated the rubber from it. I was then able to easily remove the sleeve from the rubber bushing. I then did the same thing and drilled right beside the outer edge of the rubber, once again the bit sort of walked its way around and freed the bushing completely.The bit just seemd to catch enough on the metal and literally walk around the bushing. It only took a couple of minutes for each one.
Good luck graemlins/thumbsup.gif

thanks guys.

when i got the bushings out of the control arms, i drilled the rubber out, then i pounded the pin out, and used an air hammer to get the sleeve out. to install the new ones, i just gave them to my uncle, who took them to work and had them done. i should recieve them, this week.

i think i will do the same with the ones in the housing.

thanks


aaron

I like my tool I got from www.hrpartsnstuff.com (http://www.hrpartsnstuff.com) all that sledge hammering,I'd be afraid that I'd break an ear off the housing graemlins/clonk.gif

I tell you what..those housing bushings can be a bear. I "made" a tool for this which basically was a piece of pipe which was slightly larger than the bushing , a steel plate, a long grade 8 bolt and nut and a stack of hardened washers. Its easier to do than to describe but here's a picture of a tool which does the same thing... I used the pipe in place of the "U-section" of the tool. One way pulls out the bushing, flip it over and use the tool to pull in the new bushing..
bushing tool (http://www.advanceautoparts.com/howtos_tips/automedia_html/pht/pht20021101bt/index.html?page=/howtos_tips/automedia_html/pht/pht20021101bt/pht20021101bt.htm)

thanks guys, if i cant get the tool from a friend,, i will try and make one.

thanks for all the help.

aaron

Easiest way to get bushings out? Take a torch to the rubber. Melts away almost instantly. Just be sure to do it outside. :D

Steve

haha, yeah i only have a propane torch, no oxy accedelin (sp).

thanks for the help.

aaron

I concur on the torch idea.. they literally flew out of mine in like 30 seconds!!..not to mention you get to play with fire!! :D an air hammer works well for the sleeves

how would i use the air hammer on the sleeves? would i go from the front side of the housing, and push them out the backside?


aaron

push them out on the flange side of the sleeve.. takes a bit, but it worked for me

Originally posted by WestyJ69chevelle:
push them out on the flange side of the sleeve.. takes a bit, but it worked for me yeah thats what i had planned. what did you use to do so?

i am going to pick up my bolts tomorrow morning, and start on the arms. shouldnt take more than a few hours to swap old ones out, and new ones in, and put new bushings in the housing

aaron

I used an air chisel also, took about 10 seconds to knock each one out smile.gif . I did, however, use the air chisel to collapse the back sides of the sleeves to make them a little smaller.

thanks blue,

know.... how should i put the new ones in? freeze them right? then beat them in with a hammer? i dont have a puller or anything to get them done easier. to get the new bushings in the arms, i had my uncle do them at his work.


thanks again

aaron