My father and I started the front end rebuild on our 70 Vette this morning and we came across some things that we have questions on that the service manuals didn't really cover well.
We started with the passenger side and removed the upper control arm down to the lower control arm and everything in between as one piece. We got both the upper and lower ball joints removed and the holes predrilled to fit the new bolts that will fasten the new ball joints to the control arms. Now for the questions:
How in the HELL do you change out the control arm bushings? The pictures in the manual are vague and the instructions are brief. The pictures also show the bar that goes between the to bushings in both control arms removed, but there are no instructions as to how to get them out. They just show the required tools that you need to push the bushings out and how to push the new ones in, but doesn't explain how the bar gets removed for reinstalled. So whats the deal there? Does anyone have any experience with replacing the control arm bushings?

I have one other question that I'll just throw in here too instead of starting another thread. The last idiots that were working on the car put the front lug nuts on with a friggin air gun so tight that they rounded one of the lugs enough that we can't get it off. Is there a tool (nut splitter) or something of that idea that can get this lug off?

Thanks for the help in advance!!

 

It's common to burn out the control arm rubber bushings with a torch. I did that with good results. That leaves the outer shells in place and if you plan to use poly bushings, you can let the outer shells stay in place and just clean them up and slip in the new bushings. If you want to put in new rubber bushings, you have to press out the shells too.

 

What jontis said about the control arm bushings.

To remove the lug nuts you can try vise grips or a pipe wrench (stilson). If that fails, put the business end of a long chizel on a nut corner and wack with a hammer. Don't be bashful about it and you will set it free. Good luck and have a good one!

 

I used a tip given by Durango-Boy a couple weeks ago. Use a 100 mm hole saw without the center bit. I use a 1" metal cutting hole saw and I had the upper bushings out in minutes. The lowers were a little more work but a ton faster then ever before.

 

Are you referring to a hole saw bit taht you would use to cut out a door **** hole if you have a door slab that wasn't predrilled? I'm not quite picturing what a hole saw is? And then how exactly do you use it on the bushing itself? Also, do you have the bar removed from the arm prior to removing the bushings or do you remove the bushings first?

 

They are cutting the rubber out with a hole saw with no drill in the center. When the rubber is out the shaft will come out. I then use a hack saw to cut a slot in the outer bushing and the lip so nothing gets bent and they fall out.An air chisel is another method. Do not bend the ends together putting in the new bushings.

 

I rebuilt the front end on my 70 over the winter. I took the control arms to a machine shop. They removed the ball joints and control arm bushings, blasted and painted the a arms, and pressed in new bushings. It took one day and cost $90.

 

If you use a hole saw to cut out the bushing, don't you run the risk of damaging the outer shell if you want to reuse it? Or is it just me, not understanding the intended use?

 

I used a different drill trick. I used a small diameter bit and drilled many small holes in the rubber all the way around and pretty soon the inner sleeve came away. I then popped the outer sleeve (the one still connected to the a-arm) with an air hammer.

 

i used an air hammer with a chisel on the end. it takes about 10 seconds per bushing

 

I used a cold chisel and a drill hammer. It took about 10 minutes each. Same basic theory, but I don't have a big compressor handy at my house.

 

Did the same thing this summer, all 8 were out in minutes.

 

I recently rebuilt my entire front end to my 75. I took all the A-arms to a machine shop to have them pressed out and then back in. Too much hammering does not make the parts look good and can cause damage. Make sure you chain or compress the spring when you reinstall.
Ross

 

i had a similar problem with a nut that was rounded off. i found a socket type device (irwin) that is a female easyout. it can be turned by a socket or combination wrench. worked like a charm. well worth the cost considering the other options.

 

Ok... I'm guessing that I'm going to have to brake down and go buy an air hammer and chisel set because I can't get these friggin brushing shells to budge. I used the hole saw and drill to get the rubber cut out and that worked fine. And the upper arm, the bar just fell out once the rubber was gone, but I can't get the bar out of the lower arm even with the rubber gone. Not to mention we've used everything but the kitchen sink to get the rest of the bushing out of either of the control arms and they aren't moving at all. Chisel and a hammer; and the chisel just cuts right through the shell. So is the air hammer really the way to go?

 

hi! sears sells a socket kit that they claim will remove rounded off nut heads. i have one and it did work for me on a lawnmower where the deck nuts had carroded away.look in sears tool dept. good luck----john

 

Patrick7899 - You are almost there man. Take a hacksaw and remove the blade. Insert blade inside the outer bushing shell and reattach the hacksaw to blade. Then cut straight down through the shell until you have cut through it. Try not to cut into the control arm if possible. Next, use a hammer to drive them out. I'm sure chisel and hammer are much, much faster, but like you I don't have these (yet) and used this method that I learned here on the CF. Works great!!!