A-Arm bushing

[chucks70]

Is it hard to change the upper A-arm bushings? I have changed ball joints before but don't know how much more involved this is. Local shop quoted me just under $200.00 to change one side then $45.00 for an alignment. Only my passenger side is going bad. It's on my 1 ton. From reading about it you have to decompress the spring, remove the ball joint, take the grease fittings off of the bushings then remove the bushings. I bet they are a real PIA to get out.
Thanks for any input,
Chuck

[Brad]

If you're capable of taking the control arm off without breaking yourself then it's extrememly easy to do. They just screw in and out, but if you do it then replace the center bar at the same time you do both bushings otherwise they'll strip out. I learned the hard way.

Taking off the control arm is easy; all you have to do is get a chain and wrap it around the spring so it doesn't go flying when you break the ball joint loose. I recommend breaking the lower one loose. Use a special tool called a pickle fork to do that part- they're only $20 new. The rest makes sense once you get that far.

[72SWBChevy]

Mine were actually fairly easy to take off, I am about to try and re-install the new upper & lower cross shafts and new bushings. We will see..

[Jimbotronics]

Good post - i'll be doing the same here shortly, parts are on their way. A few years ago when I installed drop springs I did so by putting the front end on jack stands then using two jacks, one under the middle of the control arm and the other under the lower control arm shaft. Removed the two u-bolts and slowly lowered both jacks at the same time. Re-installed in reverse order. I spoke with a machine shop and they said they only charge me $20 per side to remove install the new shafts. Mine's a 1/2 ton though - is the set up different on a 1 ton?

[junkyardjohn]

I COMPLETELY REBUILT THE FRONT END ON MY 69 1 TON SUMMER BEFORE LAST. THE HARDEST PART WAS GETTING THE NEW COIL SPRINGS IN PLACE. I BUSTED 2 COIL SPRING COMPRESSORS & WHEN I TRIED TO LIFT THE LOWER "A" ARM WITH A FLOOR JACK IT LIFTED THE TRUCK OFF THE JACK STANDS INSTEAD OF COMPRESSING THE SPRINGS. THEY ARE STOUGHT. MIGHT I SUGJEST REMOVING THE RUBBER BUMP STOPS DURING INSTALLATION, & REPLACING THEM AFTER THE "A" ARMS ARE BACK IN PLACE. I'D DO IT AGAIN MYSELF BUT I'M A STUBBORN S.O.B. THAT WAY. CHANGING ONLY ONE SIDE IS KINDA LIKE TAKING A BATH WITH YOUR SOCKS ON. JOHN

[70-Chevy]

I also did the same on my 70 about 2 months ago. I replaced the whole front end with a PST kit and some other parts purchased at the local auto parts store. It was very simple. My dad and I did it in a day easy. Heres a pic or two....

[Jimbotronics]

right on! how hard was it to grind the upper ball joints off? Grind down -punch through?

[chucks70]

When I changed ball joints I didn't have a grinder at the time and used a sledge and chisel. Didn't take very long to get them off, just cost me a couple of wacks with a sledge on my hand. OUCH!!!

[Tynee]

Yeah, uppers were the easy ones to remove for me. Just grind and punch, like you said. The lowers were the ones I could never get to budge. I wound up paying someone to replce the lowers for me. AutoZone loan-a-tool loaned me the aforementioned spreader fork, or "pickle" thingy, and a press for lower ball-joint removal, but the press was too small, or too big, I can't remember. I just know it didn't work.

[70-Chevy]

They were all simple, especially the uppers. The lowers took a little while, but we got them to budge. Everyone says you need to get the bottoms "professionally" pressed. I "proffesionally" pressed them with a railroad tie and a sledge, hehe. They all turned out fine just as long as you line up the threads properly. Good luck!

[mbgmike]

Getting a shop to do benchwork anymore is getting harder to find. We us a company down the road called Benson's. They charge us $18.00 per side to take the old bushings out and install the new ones if we furnish the parts. Worth every penny to me.