Lower Control arm Tools

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You can get a 12 ton shop press from Harbor Freight or Walmart or Amazon for $100 or less that would do what you need to do. It's just a frame with a bottle jack and the bottle jack can be replaced if yours ever wears out. I bought one probably 30 years ago. Don't use it very often, but when I need one, it's indispensable.

I got the big tap from ebay for cheap. Still takes muscle to screw it into the bushing shell, but it's a lot easier and cleaner than the hammer and chisel method I used to use.
 
I have the Mancini tool.
With the arms laying on the work bench, it takes less the 5 minutes to remove both of them.
Putting them together, we have a big press at work, it makes quick work of them.
 
junkyardhero said:
i just use two rocks and a bearskin. takes about 1/2 of a dirty 30 of high-life and lotsa cussin' and fussin' but it gets done.

the alignment was a nightmare, though.
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Hopefully you used some elk antlers for the alignment
 
John Bedore said:
Lets put a patton on it , it looks like it could do the job. ButI still need the tool to get pivot shaft out? Not big on spending a small fortune on a large tap and still have to use a press of which I don't have.
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As cheap as light duty shop presses are, there is really no excuse not to have one. If you have an older car, it may as well be a prerequisite. Get a harbor freight coupon and go get one. They are cheap but if you keep them lubed and take care of them, they will do the job.
 
65 Cuda 340 said:
You can get a 12 ton shop press from Harbor Freight or Walmart or Amazon for $100 or less that would do what you need to do. It's just a frame with a bottle jack and the bottle jack can be replaced if yours ever wears out. I bought one probably 30 years ago. Don't use it very often, but when I need one, it's indispensable.

I got the big tap from ebay for cheap. Still takes muscle to screw it into the bushing shell, but it's a lot easier and cleaner than the hammer and chisel method I used to use.
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Naw they ain't that cheap. Not anymore. The HF 12 press is 169 with no coupon. But my God, they pay for themselves very quickly.
 
Yup.
No special tools needed, though on some applications I can make use of my c frame from my ball joints press. More on putting the new ones in than to remove the old ones. I've seen a real similar c clamp type tool over the years made for control arm bushings but have never gotten to try one.
I've had lots of "black rubber marshmallow" fires in my gravel driveway, burning out bushings over the years. Then an air chisel walked around the circumference of the old bushing shell as far as I can without hitting the control arm itself to collapse it into itself and they fall out.
Though lately the last handful of control arm bushing jobs I've done I've needed to leave the old shell in place as I have taken a liking to urethane, and they usually don't come with shells. I've gone and bought the cheapest new bushings I can get and burnt them out when I've forgotten that I need the shell for the new bushings.
 
I do have a 15 ton press of my own and use it often/ but rarely for control arm bushings.
 
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