Control arm bushings removal

[Craig09]

Gday,I'm replaceing my control arm bushings.onto the lower control arm now.question is has anyone done this and if so how did you remove the outer metal sleeve of the bushing,the bushing itself came out but without the outer sleeve and that needs to come out for nolathane bushings to go in.i managed to do the upper control arms by weakening them by cutting 2 line oppisite to each other with a hacksaw then crushing them in with a hole punch however this isn't working for the lowers.any ideas would be awesome.also I'm new and I will be doing a new member thread but need to get the car back on the road first.will do a write up on this and also a few other things I have done once its all back together.any help much appreciated,cheers

 

[ShortyNavros]

I know this post is old as hell craig, but I am doing the same thing, I have done my UCA bushes and onto the lowers. I am using superpro bushing and the UCA bushes you leave the OEM sleeves in, with the LCA bushes you have to remove the sleeves. How did you go about doing this?

 

[sparra04]

Very old thread
I would imagine the best way would be to press them in and out
Cheers

 

[ShortyNavros]

Yeah sparra, that is the proper way haha. I mean the dodgy at home way, I have heard using a hacksaw to weaken and then use a punch to get them out but this obviously didnt work for craig and I wondered if he found a way to do it without using a press, as I dont have one. Mehcanic wants $400 in labour to get them out. Also the rear lower arm control bushings are actually attached to the chassis and not the arm itself, meaning you couldn't use a press, unless you bought something like this which is mountable to the car http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/360718339079?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649

However I cannot find anywhere in Aus which sells something remotely like this.

 

[OneMofo]

How do you get them in if they are that hard to get out?? $400 is a bit exy isn't it??

 

[ShortyNavros]

Getting them in is easy as hell. You can push them in by hand, as they are a two piece bush with a metal tube centre just like the aftermarket poly bushing on the leaf springs. It's getting the stock rubber one piece bushes with the metal sleeves out that's the hard bit. The uppers were easy as I just got a propane torch and just heated the metal outside the bush to destroy the bond between the metal sleeve and rubber bush then you can just pop the bush out, leave the sleeve in there and just clean it up with a wire brush, then put the new poly bushes in, however you need a vice for the uppers as the are a one piece cotton reel type bush.

 

[sparra04]

I see now
Heat and hacksaw
And a screwdriver
And hammer
Wd40
And throw just about every tool in the shed at it
Then just as you pour the fuel over the ute and organise your alibi the bloody thing will fall out

 

[OneMofo]

I see now
Heat and hacksaw
And a screwdriver
And hammer
Wd40
And throw just about every tool in the shed at it
Then just as you pour the fuel over the ute and organise your alibi the bloody thing will fall out

Was like that when I did my suspension upgrade, I don't envy anyone doing the LCA's.

 

[ShortyNavros]

Yep sparra, thats my basic thought process. I wouldnt even bother doing them but I bought all the upper and lower control arm bushings off a guy on ebay for a bargain at like $50, they bloody retail for like about $300 from supercheap for upper and lower control arms, couldnt believe my luck. I have some clunkiness, which has been there since I owned the ute and only comes about after being offroad. Apparently the LCA rears are known for making clunking sounds in the front end and replacing the bushing is about my last hope to alleviate the problem. There has been no detriment from the noise, I just get a clunk when the front suspension travels from full compression to full droop quickly. And trust me I have checked the body bounts, tie road adjusters, installed new torsion bars and shocks.

My biggest issue removing the LCA is going to be removing the rear bolt where the torsion bar seats itself on the LCA, I have read people have had trouble removing it and the FSM doesnt explain anything and I cant find much reference to it online, apart from its not a normal bolt and then had use a punch and push it out or something? Beats me, wont know until I pull it apart

 

[ShortyNavros]

Ended up paying some blokes to replace my LCA bushes, still hasn't solved my clunky front left noise going to full droop

 

[Been a while]

Ended up paying some blokes to replace my LCA bushes, still hasn't solved my clunky front left noise going to full droop

Maybe Ball joints...

 

[Been a while]

A section of "all thread", some heavy steel washers and sockets will do the same thing.. planning on that for the chassis bush removal for the L.C.A installation

more worried about splitting the ball joint and kingpin.

 

[Horatius]

I started to change the LCA bushes but after a while just decided they were in there forever lol.