[dauber65]

The title says it all. I bought a set of boxed rear lower control arms from someone off the forum. They are a little rusty, but its not the end of the world. I didn't really think about it, but he left the old bushings in there and I'm putting all new in. I have this neat C-clamp (ball joint press) tool rented from an auto parts store. I thought that would make the job of pressing them out fairly straight forward. Basically it has a pipe that fits over one end of the bushing and the C-clamp reachs over and presses the other side out. Well I had it attached to my bench vise and I was really putting the sqeeze on. I heard a big pop. I looked down and I noticed a gap between the bushing and control arm.......... I thought I was pressing it out slowly. I kept putting the torque to it then it popped again. I noticed about a 1/8 inch gap. I thought I was getting somewhere. I then noticed the other side of the bushing didn't appear to move in respect to the control arm. I took the clamp off to inspect. Holly crap, I was bending one ear of the control arm down the bushing while the other remained stuck. Any good ideas? Should I be able to rebend this ear without a major hassle? I don't have an air chisel.

 

[Chicken Coupe]

That pop you heard was the one side breaking loose.

I used to place a socket (or other suitable metal object-press block) inside of the arm when using a hyd. press to keep one side from bending in as yours did.

I often had to "work" it with a hammer and chisel or wide tip punch. Sometimes heat it up with a propane torch. Spritz it with some liquid wrench too.

 

[dauber65]

Its currently soaking in liquid wrench. I thought about putting something between the ears to keep them from bending last night when I went to bed. By then it was a little too late. I'm hopeing I can get the tab unbent enough to make putting the new bushing back in not a nightmare.

 

[Mr Chevelle]

The absolute easiest way I've taken an old bushing out of a control arm is with an air chisel. Knock the rubber middle out, collapse the side and it will fall out.

I also have used a hammer & cold chisel. I pressed the rubber out and collapse the bushing shell with the BH & chisel.

I've tried a press and it bent the control arm by the hole even with a spacer between the sides.

I made a spacer by splitting a short piece of thick wall tubing and attaching a handle on the side. This spacer snugs up against the bushing and goes about half way around for support. I use this spacer whenever needed and especially when pressing in new ones.......

 

[g-man65]

Mr. C has got it covered ....i took bushing/arm to hardware store, found the perfect size black pvc pipe couplers, cut one to snap inside around bushing, one left whole to sit under arm/bushing but allows old one to pass thru....now, you first off need a very SOLID surface to do your pounding on....a 4# BFH & a 2+# deadblow....alternate between these two hammers to find the right combo.....you have to hit it HARD...its kinda the shock of the hit , you'll see....so, your setting the spacers, holding control arm level & set, hammer in other hand ....& SMACK,SMACK...re-set spacers...repeat....just when your saying, mother'f'er, how hard do i have to hit you?...you'll get that perfect connection.....put new bushings in the freezer for a day, they will go back in easier...same reversed principals

 

[Cameano]

With a big enough air chisel, you don't even need to remove the rubber to collapse the shells. I have a Snap-On PH 2050 hammer that'll make quick work out of bushings with a chisel on it. Couple of quick hits on either side of the bushing inside the flanged end, and it usually pops right out. Use the right spacer inside, and you can knock the new ones in with a hammer head bit used gently around the flange on the bushing. Of course, this does nothing for you, not having the aforementioned air chisel. So I'd go looking for an appropriate piece of pipe to cut/shape into a spacer to go around the bushing inside the control arm. Make it fit good and tight, but also make sure it'll come back out after using it to reinstall the new bushing. Get the clamp loaded up with some good pressure, then smack the control arm good with a hammer over the top, right by the bushing, to distort it a bit, allowing the bushing to pop free.

 

[M.Maner]

dauber heres the down and dirty no bs way to do it. Find a piece of pipe,exhaust tubing whatever that has an I.D. slightly larger than the flanged head of the bushing about 6" long. Fit a spacer in to keep the sides from pinching together,set the arm on the pipe with the bushing centered and hit the bushing with a 2lb hammer like you want to kill it. I've done it this way often enough that I can remove all four bushings in less than two minutes. Also I have an air hammer and a press and this takes much less time.
Mike