I am doing all of the work myself and I am wondering what is the best way to get the rubber bushings off of the control arm so I can replace them with Energy suspension bushings? I have access to a large press, but it seems like it will be hard to get the control arm to lay on the press straight up and down.

What has been the way that worked best for those who have done this themselves?

 

Torch them first..then press them out... worked for me

 

i keep hearing that same method every time some one asks and i'm seriously starting to believe i'm the only .orger that doesn't own a blow torch

 

I used a torch to get my old motor mounts out, but I have a brand new set of control arms, so I was wondering if I would be able to press them out without torching. I am only wondering because I am afraid that the torch will weaken the metal.

 

Use a MAPP gas torch. Propane can't generate enough heat.

The issue is that there is a thin layer of rubber between the metal sleeve of the bushing and the metal of the control arm itself. It grips the arm like a ****. If you get the arm hot enough to burn that rubber, it's much easier to press out the bushing. (If you apply the heat to the bushing, only the outside will burn and won't ever let go. It's gonna be pretty hard to overheat the arm and damage it.

The alternative is to cut apart the bushings with a sawzall. Once you get the metal sleeve cracked/cut open, pressing off the bushing isn't too bad.

Regardless, this job can go well beyond what many DIYers have on hand and will tolerate. Paying a shop is money well spent.

Dave

 

Agreed. Actually I bought used control arms with the bushings already installed and all I did was swap the arms then sell the old for somebody else to do the same.

 

I was just thinking that. People need to know you can't just take a blow torch to the steel and expect it to be as strong afterwards. It worries me...

 

Don't touch the metal? Just cut the bushing and then use the hacksaw to cut out the metal ring.

I got my torch from Autozone for 20 bucks but I have yet to use it. I will do it all this weekend.

 

I can tell you it would be extremely difficult to get any part of the steel arm to a temperature sufficient to alter the grain structure. You'd need a really big torch on it for a really long time.

The bushings will burn and pop off long before the steel heats to a transition temperature. The challenge is that with propane torches, the arm sucks away the heat and sinks it and the temperature stays too low to even scorch the bushings.

Dave

 

My friend and I did our control arm bushings with cheapo propane torches, then sawed into the metal sleeve, then pressed it out. Did the exact same for my motor mounts. Huge pain in the @$$ for both, not recommended unless you have a lot of patience. I have pictures but my website's not working at the moment for some reason.

 

is the control arm bushings a common problem?? is there any in the rear that should be replaced also??

 

u could just buy brand new control arms from eBay for 75 bux a side with new bushings and ball joints

 

If you read the first post, I am trying to replace the rubber with ES poly, and if you read in post #4, I already have new control arms.

As for the OEM rubber bushing on the back of the control arm, the large, exposed one, can I just melt that off, or is there a metal ring on the inside of the bushing that I also have to cut off?

 

It has a U-shaped piece of metal and another flat piece or two. Just start torching it and scraping the rubber off and the metal will fall out. No cutting needed IIRC.

I have a few pics here:

http://www.vquick.net/gallery/v/fall05/

Oh yeah, we removed the whole unit including the steering knuckle and hub as you see in the pics, but that's not necessary. On the other side I just removed the control arm. I also messed up my ball joint rubber cover on the first side so I decided to replace the ball joints too. Good luck, it's not a fun job but you can do it.

 

Status update: Rubber bushings are off and after lubing the hell out of everything, the ES bushings are in. I will be putting them in tommorrow.

That makes new control arms, ES everything (inc. motor mounts), new swaybar endlinks, and new tie rods. Not too bad for learning as I go. Now I need to go get an alignment bad.

 

I see in one pic a C-Clamp that looks alot like the 3-in-one Harbor Freight unit. Did that work with the ball joint install?

 

The harbor fright ball joint set worked for me.

Dave

 

I ended up having to rent a real ball joint press for over $20 for a day since none of the local auto parts stores loan ball joint presses. I actually did buy a huge C-Clamp from Harbor Frieght in the hopes that I could somehow use it as a press, but no way. You definitely need the proper tube and cup accesories to press out or press in ball joints.

The HF near me also didn't stock ball joint presses or else I would have bought one. Although HF tools sometimes suck, I can't imagine why their ball joint press wouldn't work.

In the pic below, the grey C-clamp looking thing is the press and it's beefier than it looks. Also, note the threaded rod has no pin at the bottom to spin by hand as a C-clamp would. Instead it has a hexagonal end so you can put a socket wrench on it and spin with a breaker bar. You can also see two of the big metal cup things and a tube thingy near the press.

 

i am illiterate so no i didnt read the other posts