Frustrated! trying to get bushings out of control arms

[Puglia10]

hey everyone, replacing all my bushings, trying to get them out of the bigger(lower?) control arms. got them out with an air chisel in the smaller a-arms, but dont know how to get these big ones out, is there a trick!? press? heat and chisel? someone help me please, its been a long day

[jmedero]

I torched mine up and they came right out.

[Mad Rods]

X2...only took about 5min. With a torch and a long flathead screwdriver...just hose off the bushings after their out cause they will stay on fire for a long time

[LONGHAIR]

Pressing is the proper way....you do still need to get them back in. The press does that for you too.

[chevymotocross]

I'm not sure if the control arms are much different, but I recently put all new bushings in my leaf springs. I burned out the old rubbers. Then I took a sawzall to slot the old sleeve. Took an air hammer and got those out. Used a regular bench vise, and pressed the new bushings in. Quite easy to do. I would assume the control arms would be the same concept.

[oldblue1968chevy]

controls arms probably arnt going to fit in a vice i say press

[Cherub]

I just used a heat gun and air chisle and they came out fairly easy.

[Puglia10]

man, i wish mine came out easily! had torches, air chisel, a press...they gave me a fit, but they came out! thanks everyone

[Gordonr1973]

Originally Posted by Puglia10

man, i wish mine came out easily! had torches, air chisel, a press...they gave me a fit, but they came out! thanks everyone

This is how I got out my bushings....5 minutes in the fire and then sawzall'ed the ring, then air chiseled them out.

Am going to use a press to get the new ones in this weekend. Will get my brother hopefully to help me hold the leaf spring / control arms when doing it.

[62 Bowtie]

Gonna do mine soon I was thinking just go to a shop and have em pressed out and replaced

[raycow]

I like the idea of using fire to get the bushings out. It just seems to fulfill some kind of primal urge <ducking>......

Ray

[Clyde65]

That is what I did Raycow.

[Shane]

it's like a beavis and butthead convention around here with all the talk of fire ...

[LONGHAIR]

And you don't think that this fire has some negative effect on the steel? A legit cutting torch is a much more concentrated heat source, which could be directed at the bushings....but I am not a fan of either.

[ozman3803]

Sorry but I agree that may take some integrity and strength from the metal. Torch would be ideal but press was better
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[Gordonr1973]

The idea of using a hole saw to cut the rubber bushings to create a bit of room then using a press would be easiest.

I have a press, air chisel, vice --- but no torch and nothing was working for me...so fire it was.

As for metal integrity, time will tell. I'm not an engineer but IMHO 5 minutes in an open fire while the outside air temperature is -20'C is not the same amount of heat compared to seeing a burned out vehicle at a wreckers with warped metal.

So it's up to you if you are reading this thread to decide whether you will "try this at home".

[Puglia10]

i used a torch, hopefully it wont affect the metal. Hey GORDONR, do you have any more pics of the lowers? I need some of the bumpstop area you can see in the pic you posted, (mine are crushed and i need to fab up some new ones, but i dont know what theyre supposed to look like) any better pics of it would be AWESOME! Ive been searching forever, thanks!

[69 longhorn]

Here in Illinois, everything is rusty! Fire is my best freind I have always "cherried" the outer ring of the bushing with my torch, & left the a arm outside to burn the rubber off. After that, I carefully cut the outer shells (also with a torch), let the arms cool & just tap em out with a small hammer. With a combo of the proper sized pcs of pipe (or sockets), you can press the 1st bushing in a bench vice. Add the cross shaft & the 2nd bushing, then cut a lenght of angle iron to fit tween the inside of the arm (bottom side for support), & you can use your pcs of pipe to drive the 2nd bushing with a hammer. Dont forget the support tween the inside of the arm, or YOU WILL BEND THE CHIT out of the arm! This has never caused me a problem(not the fire , or the hammer), if done carefully crazyAl

[Gordonr1973]

Originally Posted by Puglia10

i used a torch, hopefully it wont affect the metal. Hey GORDONR, do you have any more pics of the lowers? I need some of the bumpstop area you can see in the pic you posted, (mine are crushed and i need to fab up some new ones, but i dont know what theyre supposed to look like) any better pics of it would be AWESOME! Ive been searching forever, thanks!

These are the best ones I have. I'll try to take some tomorrow, PM me to remind me if I forget!

[D.FENS]

I use a propane bottle torch to burn bushings out. Not as hot as an oxy-acytelene rig and doesn't heat up the surrounding metal as much.

Takes a little longer but I don't like to hurry working on stuff like that anyway.

[Gordonr1973]

Here are the pics....

[Puglia10]

Thank you so much for the pictures!! I appreciate it! Now I just gotta make something similar, haha. Anyone know what the drilled hole on the right is for? I know the left slit is for the bumpstop

[62 Bowtie]

so by burning your only removing the rubber part right? can i replace the rubber part only? the pic at Orileys auto shows the rubber only no sleeve or should i order elsewhere a kit that has the sleeves thanks, Tony

[Gordonr1973]

With mine the rubber burned out on it's own. The metal sleeve that touches the control arm stayed intact and inplace (until I hammered it out of there)--- mainly because it was rusted in there.

I heard you can buy just the inside rubber bushings on its own and press it into the old sleeve....I went with a one piece Energy bushing set myself and btw, am having alot of problems getting them into the openings....will need to take them into a shop to get installed.

[Puglia10]

bumping this because the new ones are pressed in but the bump stop area is still crushed. Is that all necessary? The slit for the bump stop on the left, then the right side has a hole drilled (whats that for?) and then the piece sticking out from that, is that the steering stop? Has anyone else had crushed ones, what are my options? It seems impossible to recreate that perfectly as I dont have measurements from a good one or anything. Thanks