Jims71duster
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Nov 27, 2006
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Holy $%#@ if someone drives by my friggin garage with a mustang for trade,,I'm tellin ya,,these bushings got me so mad i'd consider it!!!!!
Lower control arm bushings*%#@#
- Thread starter Jims71duster
- Start date
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mullinax95
Well-Known Member
Mustangs SUCK!
Everyone has one!
Take some pics and let us try to help you. What are you trying to do right now?
416stroker
Well-Known Member
Repacing the uppers isn't any easier either. Been through that whole ordeal before.
Johnny Dart
Well-Known Member
I usually take my upper and lowers down to the local machine shop and let him press out and press in all the bushings.
It's worth the $20.00 or $30.00 to me.
It's worth the $20.00 or $30.00 to me.
cudaspaz
Well-Known Member
If you have a small shop press and a wire feed welder, you can weld a washer to the (inside) diameter of the LCA bushing cups, put a bolt with a big nut on it through the hole in the washer and press the cup out like butter.
Bingo!
Bingo!
mguner
How many is too many?
Getting them in is easy compared to getting them out....
Removal: Air hammer with a panel ripper or a cutting torch and cut or blow a couple of slots down the side of the bushing shell after the shaft is pressed out and the rubber peeled out. Some heat may be required to turn the rubber loose if they are not old and dried out. Putting them in requires a press. Polish out the bores with a sand-o-flex wheel if you have one or similar device to remove or smooth scars from removal. Lightly grease the bore then use a large socket or thick piece of plate or washer to press the bushing in. After the bushing is in the arm then you will need to support the center sleeve from behind with a 9/16 deep 1/2" drive impact socket (Perfect fit for all I've done on A and B body cars) before you press in the stub shaft(also using a good lube or STP). HTH
Like your method too spaz!
Belden
Removal: Air hammer with a panel ripper or a cutting torch and cut or blow a couple of slots down the side of the bushing shell after the shaft is pressed out and the rubber peeled out. Some heat may be required to turn the rubber loose if they are not old and dried out. Putting them in requires a press. Polish out the bores with a sand-o-flex wheel if you have one or similar device to remove or smooth scars from removal. Lightly grease the bore then use a large socket or thick piece of plate or washer to press the bushing in. After the bushing is in the arm then you will need to support the center sleeve from behind with a 9/16 deep 1/2" drive impact socket (Perfect fit for all I've done on A and B body cars) before you press in the stub shaft(also using a good lube or STP). HTH
Like your method too spaz!
Belden
2 Darts
A-body Addicted
If you need to save the shells, torch the rubber, then clean out the inside of the bushing shell. If the shell has to go, it takes a powerful press to push it out. Use a socket that is easily bigger than the shell below the bushing, and a small socket, that is as close to the same size as the bushing shell for the top side of the bushing. Before you begin to press, make sure everything is lined up or something may come blasting out of there.
I bought this kit from American Muscle and it made the upper and lower control arm bushing and metal shell removal easy for me.
http://www.magnumhp.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=57_59&products_id=208
http://www.magnumhp.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=57_59&products_id=208
rmchrgr
Skate And Destroy
How did those tools facilitate removing the bushing shell? I know it pulls the pivot out, but the metal shell is still left in there after the rubber bushing is removed. Curious minds want to know.
In lieu of an answer, I used a hammer and something like a chisel to bend the shell inwards on itself then used an air hammer to push it out. Very crude and ended up chewing up the control arm pretty good.
Welding the washer on to the end of the shell and pressing it out seems like the best way to do it (if you have access to a welding equipment).
Those bushing shells can make grown men cry.
In the kit I received there was a shell extraction tool that catches the bottom lip and lifts it out when you turn the nuts on the threaded rod. Just had to get the rubber out first which was straight forward. I can post a picture of it if you are interested.
rmchrgr
Skate And Destroy
Definitely, please do!
THEWHITEZOMBIE
Mopars an Heavy Metal
thats what i did worked great but what a pain in the *** i was thinking of buying new ones!:angry7:
MopaR&D
Nerd Member
My dad and I have already started chiseling out the outer shell on my LCA bushing. Can it be done without messing up the control arm? We scratched up a few places and put a tiny nick in one part near the top of the sleeve in the LCA but got the shell chiseled almost halfway down. Will it come out if we chisel it all the way down, then bend it inward and pull it out? I'm thinking that'll be the only way to get it out by now.
2 Darts
A-body Addicted
I hear ya. I had a 20 ton press for the job. Uppers came out easy. Being warned about the lowers, I soaked overnight with a copious amount of a penetrating oil before pressing. Even so, I almost needed a cheater bar on the pump.
rmchrgr
Skate And Destroy
Any pics yet? Would love to see this thing in action!
Here is a picture of the tool from an old add I had. I do not have pictures of it in action. My wife and son are travelling and have our digital camera so I cannot take any mock ups at this time. It worked well for me after getting the rubber out. I soaked the sleve with quality spray lubricant and let it sit for a while. Then I inserted the sections and it came up without any problems. I did one half way then stopped. I informed myself on the use of poly bushings and I understand I should leave the sleve in the control arm if using the poly busing. I pressed the sleve back in with a large vice.
Good luck!
Good luck!
rmchrgr
Skate And Destroy
How does it actually work? How do the pieces fit together? Does the long nut and threaded rod push the two half cylinder things outward to draw the sleeve out?
375inStroke
Well-Known Member
In one of the Mopar Mags, there was someone who suggested something like welding the washer on, but instead, you just put the washer in there, and hit the outer shell inward to cage the washer. You then press against the washer from the other side, and it's supposed to work great. Without a press, you can run a bolt through the washer, through a socket, and use a washer and nut on the other side to draw the shell out into the socket.
Here are the instructions that go with the tool. As mentioned in the instructions it works with the other tool in the kit that removes the control arm pivot.
Drop the beveled machine screw down into the bushing. Drop in the 2 halves flared side down. Thread on the dual sided female coupling . Thread on the long threaded rod that comes with the pivot remover to the other side of the female coupling. Lower the pivot remover tube over the threaded rod assembly. Place a washer over the threaded rod. thread on a nut onto the threaded rod and use a socket and power bar or large ratchet socket wrench to tighten the nut and lift the sleeve up.
It worked well for me.
Drop the beveled machine screw down into the bushing. Drop in the 2 halves flared side down. Thread on the dual sided female coupling . Thread on the long threaded rod that comes with the pivot remover to the other side of the female coupling. Lower the pivot remover tube over the threaded rod assembly. Place a washer over the threaded rod. thread on a nut onto the threaded rod and use a socket and power bar or large ratchet socket wrench to tighten the nut and lift the sleeve up.
It worked well for me.
rmchrgr
Skate And Destroy
Thanks for posting that.
Kinda makes me want to go out and restore lower control arms for fun!
I think I may have a set laying around somewhere....:tard:
Kinda makes me want to go out and restore lower control arms for fun!
I think I may have a set laying around somewhere....:tard:
Well I had a second set lying around as well and removed the control arms and bushings. Took me around 30 minutes including clean up. Here are a few pictures of the steps including the tool mentioned above. All the tools are from American Muscle.
charger70
Well-Known Member
That would be my good buddy Tom. He sent photos and wrote his idea in to Mopar Action. He likes to remind me how he got his fingers published. I watched him do it, works good, doesnt mar up wall inside of the control arm either. Just make sure its a big enough washer that it cant sneek out past the folds. He uses a small enough pipe to go thru the control arm and wails on the pipe with a BFH.
I have a good wirefeed welder so I do the welded idea. ----and a BFH.:toothy7:
mullinax95
Well-Known Member
I must be missing something here but that's ok.
I did a complete front end rebuild on 68 Charger when I was seventeen. There was no welding involved and no special tools just me and a press. The only tools I used that I can remember was some metal laying around to sit the control arm on and to fit just right to push the bushing out. It seems it would be less a PITA to use a press to me but like I said I must be missing something. I know where there are 3 presses that I can use and any given time for free. Im pretty sure you guys know where there are presses that you can use.
I did a complete front end rebuild on 68 Charger when I was seventeen. There was no welding involved and no special tools just me and a press. The only tools I used that I can remember was some metal laying around to sit the control arm on and to fit just right to push the bushing out. It seems it would be less a PITA to use a press to me but like I said I must be missing something. I know where there are 3 presses that I can use and any given time for free. Im pretty sure you guys know where there are presses that you can use.
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