Control arm bushing without removal?

[triophan]

I'm snowed in today (and probably tomorrow from the looks of things).
I have this master rebuild kit from Energy Suspension.

I was thinking of going ahead and replacing the cab mounts and the control arm bushings tonight/tomorrow to keep myself busy.
Problems (before I even start... of course)
A. I don't have a pickle fork
B. the ball joints are new anyways, I don't want to tear them up
C. I do have coil compressors that will fit in there

So i was thinking (sinister music here) if I removed the u-bolts holding the lowers and dropped the arms Theoretically I could remoe the arms and the spindle as an assembly without tearing up the new ball joints...?

[Gordonr1973]

Yes but how are you going to get the bushings out if the arms are still attached to your truck?

I had to burn mine out....

[95 S_Trucker]

with a jack under the lower control arm. take off the upper balljoint castle nut. flip it upside down and screw it on until the stud is even with the bottom of the nut, then back it off a turn. then hit the balljoint stud/nut out of the spindle, the remove the castle nut, and then just unbolt the contol arm from the frame.

the above method will separate the balljoint and spindle without damaging the balljoint. and its about impossible to replace the bushings while its on the truck


edit, that is for upper control arm. which bushings are you replacing? upper of lower

[1LowToy]

I had to use a pickle fork on my air impact hammer on the lower ball joint. Yes it did tear the dust seal. On the upper ball joint used a tierod end puller and the seals torn also. I have ordered some seals for an 89 and they should be here any day now and I'll post up if they look like they will work. Otherwise I'm going to have to buy ball joints just for the seals. I would not attempt to take the lowe control arm off at the frame mounting. If you do get it off without serious injury I doubt that you will get get them back on. I just put my lowers back on the other day and the little U bolts don't just slide in as easy as it looks.

[triophan]

Well, at the moment I am still working on the cab bushings. Thats a JOB in and of itself. I thought it would be a cakewalk... but as this truck constantly reminds me, I should NEVER think ANYTHING will EVER be easy with this heap.

the top bolts on the core support are a booger to get to... I'm surprised I've been able to break loose all the bolts thus far. But, as usual, I'll just keep plugging at it and try to accomplish a little.

Ultimately, as I've stated in my other recent post, feels like its tracking a little funny and handling a little odd... so I'm starting at the frame and working my way out to try to resolve some of this and get it going down the road a little firmer. Tires are new. Stock 15x8 rallys. lower profile tires. Sway bar bushings. LIBERAL amounts of grease to ALL moving parts...are done.
Now its on to the cab mounts and just being under it, measuring frame height, mount height, wheel well height... its all painting a pretty good picture of what's on the to-do list.

Hopefully the cab mounts reconcile the 1" lower passenger side issue... which that kind of body offset CAN'T help handling...

[triophan]

Got all the cab bushings replaced. Leveled out the body!

One small victory in the war with the 79 heap... Not sure I want to embark on the control arm bushings tonight. I got through the cab bushings without getting mad and throwing stuff once!!!

maybe tomorrow... this 8" of snow today has kinda ruined the work week...