Front end Rebuild

[68ValiantEffort]

Im a major newb so please have patience, im rebuilding my front-end on my 68 Valiant and ive run into a little problem, i took off my upper A-frame to replace the bushing, but the bushing look like they are part of the A-frame. What do i do?? Thanks for any help...and i'll prolly have more questions to come.

 

[dgc333]

Unless somebody previously had a problem and welded the bushing into the control arm they are just pressed in. I have heard that in fleet applications there was also a reenforcing ring over the bushing but I have never seen one.

The control arm has a stamped and drawn hole for the bushing, that is the hole is made by using a punch that is smaller than the die which draws the metal through forming a larger contact are for the bushing. Some times it looks like the bushing is part of the arm but it's not.

The bushing consists of and inner and outer sleeve (or shell) with the space between filled with rubber. If you have some large sockets or a piece of pipe that will fit over the outer flange on the bushing you can usually press them out with a vice. Otherwise you will need to bring the arm to a shop to press out the old one and press in the new one.

The hole for the ball joint on the upper arm is formed the same way but the ball joint has self cutting threads and is screwed in. Normal practice is to leave the arm on the car until the ball joint is lossened because it takes a huge amount of force to get it loose and it gets almost impossible to do it olding the arm in a vice. Quite often you still need to heat the control arm to get them loose. You also need a special socket to fit the ball joint, I have heard people being successful using a pipe wrench but in my experience there is not enough material for the wrench to get a good bite on a stubborn ball joint.

 

[68ValiantEffort]

your right its pressed in. i noticed that little crease. i took it to a my friends house and we took out the old ones and put in the new ones, im almost done just have to do the right side of the car now. thanks