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#1 |
Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: grants pass, oregon
Posts: 390
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home made A arm press
am i on the right track?
This is for a 74 fr. end not a 67 a few answered concerning a 67, was my fault till i added this have to remove the shafts from the A arms in the next week and others have stated a machine shop charges 25 - 50 ea arm? whoa! This is a rough draft & still needs refining but are there any machine shop guys out there that would crytique this for me? Will this accomplish the task? Open to any and all suggestions if ya'll think this will work ill post more updated details and a "how to" if its a keeper......guess im just cheap lol where the bottle jack protrudes through the 4x will need a "shield" or something to stabilze to prevent a blow up or blow out? left it out to view detail. this should cost under $20 to build if it will work correctly.
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1990 chevy 4x4 with a 1940 IHC body Last edited by peglegs; 01-11-2011 at 03:39 AM. Reason: claritied year of truck |
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#2 |
Its a Truck Thing......
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Sierra Vista, Arizona
Posts: 3,159
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Re: home made A arm press
If your doing 67-72's you dont need a press for that, just need a press for ball joints (Or the C-Arm press), the shafts for the A-Arms come right out.
Smitty
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71 C10 283/3SPD Full Resto 71 GMC 1500 Sierra Grande http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=518599 70 C10 Suburban Former military GSA truck. 72 Chevy Blazer 4X4, Sloppy Jo, Mountain Climber. Wife says no more trucks. http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=707378 72 GMC 1 Ton Motor Home, wife said no more trucks until she saw this one. Gen 3 6.0/4L80E 4.10 http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=761110 68 GMC Suburban was 3/4 ton, now 1/2.Wife shook her head 71 C30 Wrecker 71 C20 Scott-Bilt As weird as it gets..BB Cheyenne AC Truck 68 GMC Long Stepside. They keep following me home 71 C20 Longhorn/Ole Yellor 69 C30 Former Motor Home, Flat Bed time Last edited by 71meangreenc10; 01-10-2011 at 05:27 PM. |
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#3 |
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Minnesota
Posts: 943
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Re: home made A arm press
I believe the a arm shafts are threaded in the a arm. The large hex looking nut is threaded into the a arm and the shaft is threaded into the nut. This is so you can adjust the caster.
Last edited by Ram-Man; 01-10-2011 at 05:29 PM. |
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#4 |
Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: grants pass, oregon
Posts: 390
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Re: home made A arm press
so sorry gentilemen i looked @ my post here & didnt refer to the year of fr. end i was rebuilding .............its a 74 to replace my 67 am i still on the right track
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1990 chevy 4x4 with a 1940 IHC body Last edited by peglegs; 01-10-2011 at 06:04 PM. Reason: wronf info |
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#5 |
Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: grants pass, oregon
Posts: 390
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Re: home made A arm press
from justin76
Out of the all places I called, one place offered to do the bushings for $50 PER bushing. That's $200 for both control arms. Another place would do it for $20 labor each, but then I'd have to buy their brand of bushings to put in. A 3rd place said they'd machine the bushing threads off and tack weld it in.
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1990 chevy 4x4 with a 1940 IHC body |
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#6 |
Watch out for your cornhole !
![]() Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Azle, Texas
Posts: 14,162
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Re: home made A arm press
Your drawing isn't clear on this aspect, but you have to put a spacer of some kind between the web of the control arm on each bushing when you press them in. Otherwise, the arm will collapse. It's a pain in the butt to do them and I have a good press in my shop.
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#7 | |
Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Toppenish, WA
Posts: 15,507
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Re: home made A arm press
Quote:
For me getting the first bushing out was always the issue on the lower A arms Once it is out you can slip the shaft out and set the other side on a piece of pipe just big enough to readily slip over the busing and drive the bushing out with a BFH. Going back in I usually use a piece of pipe or old socket that fits tightly over the rubber of the bushing and pushes against the metal collar. A piece of pipe chucked in a vise will work to back up the arm while you drive the first bushing in. Put the shaft in and flip it over and drive the second bushing in. Use the spacers between the sides of the A arm to keep it in shape as Texasfirefighter suggested to save trouble. Those can be wood or what ever as long as they keep the channel section from collapsing. They will last little longer and have less chances of squeaks if you wait until all the weight of the truck is on the suspension before you finish tightening the nuts so the bushings won't be forced into a bind from the start. |
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#8 |
Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: DFW, TX
Posts: 764
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Re: home made A arm press
I applaud you for thinking outside the box. If that is wood 4X4 you are talking about using to build this I just don't see it working.
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72 Cheyenne Super 1/2 LWB White/Dark Yellow 07 Avalanche 2LT 74 Sleek Craft Rebel Jet Boat W/Pontiac 400 Last edited by OhOneWS6; 01-11-2011 at 12:10 PM. |
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#9 |
Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: grants pass, oregon
Posts: 390
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Re: home made A arm press
thanks a bunch folks this is some great info i realize this is a difficult job & your hints made it easier for me to understand & accomplish it
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1990 chevy 4x4 with a 1940 IHC body |
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#10 |
Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Cypress, Tx
Posts: 4,005
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Re: home made A arm press
Maybe I'm wrong, but I could have sworn we just burned out the bushings alast time we did the arms. Kind of like we do for tge trAil arm bushings. Am I misremembering again?
Posted via Mobile Device
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1972 C20 Suburban- Big Blue Betty '56 Chevy Bel Air Sedan- Frame up Restoration -What would you attempt to achieve if you knew you could not fail?- -I Refuse To Tiptoe Through Life, Only To Arrive Safely At Death's Door- R.I.P. EAST SIDE LOW LIFE |
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#11 |
Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Bastrop,Texas
Posts: 61
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Re: home made A arm press
They should be press in bushings. I use a good vise and a BFH. Has worked for years. My grandfather and dad showed me this.
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Ain't no way in the world I'm going out that front door. 69 SWB Fleetside 327/5spd 76 blazer 383/700R4 95 2Dr Tahoe 5.7 4x4 LT |
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