removing bushings control arms

[GMC70c20]

I have a 70 c20 that next weekend I'm gogin to start converting to a 1/2 ton. I got lower control arms and spindles off a 81 and was wonderin what the best way to get the old rotted rubber bushing out of the control arm?

[N2TRUX]

Burn em out with a torch. My bro-in-law has been a mechanic for many years and that's the way he does them. Even though we had a press over in the corner, he fired the oxy/acc torch up and the old ones were out in a couple of minutes.

BTW-Don't do this in your garage, it makes a nasty smoking mess.

[BigTruckDriver]

Hey thats a pretty cool trick. I will try it next time. You would have to do it right though, you know not heat the crap of the whole arm.

On a side note , I have replaced my bushings in a 89 burb and at about 1 year old they allready have big cracks like the old ones. Man is that about right? Oh Ya, I used a press.

[COBALT]

The only rubber I remember was the boot on the back of each bushing. The actual bushings are metal and screw into the control arms. The rubber boot slides over the control arm rod to act as a grease pocket for the bushing.

I got a huge 3/4" drive socket set, and locked the control arm in a vice. I got a piece of pipe to go over the 3/4" breaker, and put all of my 220lbs on it until it came loose...

As for burning out bushings...I burned out the bushings on my trailing arms and my panhard bar on my differential. Don't over heat it. you just need to get the bushing burning, and it will just burn itself out once you get a good flame...I did mine with a basic propane torch.