[made2cut]

A little background before we get too far here. Last Fall I took the 66 in to have the all the front bushings and ball joints replaced by a shop. There must have been a misunderstanding along the way because they didn't replace the lower bushings (even though I supplied them with ALL the bushings).

I'm going to swap out the sway bar this week (going from a 1.25 to 1.125) and thought I might try doing the lower bushings myself. Now for the questions. I read a couple of times posted by Schurkey that you can leave the outer shell of the bushings in place, just clean out the old rubber and make sure they are smooth and install the poly bushings. You guys think this is possible with with the LCA still attached to the ball joint? Obviously I'm trying to complete this task with a minimum amount of effort. I know trying to cut corners sometimes increases the actual effort x2. Should I just bite the bullet and remove the ball joint? I'm hesitant mainly because I've never done it and they are new and would hate to cause any damage them. The again maybe they would come apart easily since they are new.

Also, what are the odds that the inside diameter of the old shells will match the Prothane bushings?

Okay, let me have it...

 

[barrrf]

A little background before we get too far here. Last Fall I took the 66 in to have the all the front bushings and ball joints replaced by a shop. There must have been a misunderstanding along the way because they didn't replace the lower bushings (even though I supplied them with ALL the bushings).

I'm going to swap out the sway bar this week (going from a 1.25 to 1.125) and thought I might try doing the lower bushings myself. Now for the questions. I read a couple of times posted by Schurkey that you can leave the outer shell of the bushings in place, just clean out the old rubber and make sure they are smooth and install the poly bushings. You guys think this is possible with with the LCA still attached to the ball joint? Obviously I'm trying to complete this task with a minimum amount of effort. I know trying to cut corners sometimes increases the actual effort x2. Should I just bite the bullet and remove the ball joint? I'm hesitant mainly because I've never done it and they are new and would hate to cause any damage them. The again maybe they would come apart easily since they are new.

Also, what are the odds that the inside diameter of the old shells will match the Prothane bushings?

Okay, let me have it...

Im not picking up what youre laying down unless youre suggesting installing the new bushings with the LCA still attached to the spindle by the ball joint and just removing the bolts that hold the A-Arm to the frame? In which case, I would recommend just disconnecting the whole thing. It will much easier to remove the old bushings and install the new ones with the a-arm on a bench.

And you dont have to ruin the BJs. The only concern is ruining the grease boot. Most guys can get the ball joint to pop out by simply smacking the spindle with a BFH with the castle nut loose (nut flush with the end of the BJ) and this prevents ruining that boot. I had to use a pickle fork. You can buy replacement boots - even polyurethane ones.

Any way you choose do it youre going to have to unbolt the shock and remove the coil spring. And yes the prothane bushings will slide into the old sleeves.

 

[made2cut]

Thanks for the reply Bart, yes you understood what I was planning. The more I think about it the more confidence I gain. Knowing that I don't have to remove the old shells and press in new ones is a relief (I never forget about Murphy's law in these matters though ). I'm fairly decent with the wrenches so if all you guys can deal with ball joints I should too.

 

[barrrf]

You can see in my build thread that I just did the whole front of the car back in April. I can answer most of your questions.

Popping that BJ loose is pretty simple as long as the whole thing is still under load from the spring. Like I said before, loosen the castle nut up so the top of it is flush with the BJ shank leaving a little gap - then wack the pickle fork with the big damn hammer. It will POP. Now you have to support the arm with a jack while you remove the castle nut and then lower the a arm down until the spring comes loose. Keep the spring secure with a tow strap or chain to the frame of your car to prevent any major mishaps. Search this forum for proper spring removal/installation techniques.

Its really not that tough of a job. The hard part will be, if those arms hadnt been previously removed or havent been removed in a really long time, getting the bolts out that hold the A-Arms to the frame. Those bolts go through a metal sleeve and its very possible they may have rusted themselves in holy matrimony. I had to cut the head off one side and the shank off the other side - then just gently pried the arm out.

Also check out proper spring removal technique - search for it on here. The spring is under tremendous pressure and can cause srs damage to limbs, faces, ect if not properly handled. Dont let that scare you though - its not a tough job.

Remove the old bushings can be done 2 ways. You can melt the old crap out with a torch being careful not to inhale toxic fumes or light yourself on fire. Or you can use a bushing press which you can borrow for free from Autozone, ect. You will not need this press to reinstall the new bushings as they should just slide right into the original sleeves.

 

[made2cut]

Many thanks again Bart! I've replaced a bunch of stuff on the car and so far the nuts and bolts have been kind to me. I haven't started anything I couldn't finish and I'm not about to begin now! I did read up on all the safety issues surrounding the springs, I'll be careful :thumbsup:.

 

[made2cut]

Woah!!! hold on to you seats kids cause its "way back time", necro thread if you will. I hate searching for a solution and the OP never comes back with a resolution so here I am with beer in hand :beers:. Hey it's only been a year and six'ish months . And don't give me grief about refinishing the arms, I thought about it and lets be honest... wouldn't pristine black arms look odd against the rusty frame?

It was a good project during the holiday season with my 15 yr old son. The rubber turned out to be in really nice condition (probably why the garage guys didn't replace them!). Perhaps that aided in the removal processes, I don't know (first time newby an all...). I used a drill to remove substance from the bushing before pressing it out with a gear puller and a socket. My outside shells were in good condition so I left them in place, just cleaned them up a bit with fine sand paper. The poly slid in with little resistance using Mobil1 syn grease. When drilling the rubber be mind full to not nick the outside shell and pick your drill size appropriately. One of my bushings was thinner on one side than the other (the rubber had compressed).

So far I'd say the car is more quiet and if you will "smoother" down the road. I'm happy :yes:.

Pics or it didn't happen!

(yes, I used a big ass chain/bolt to secure the spring)