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Trying to change bushings in my a frames but i just dont get how the shaft in the lower a arm comes out. I bought a press and tried pressing the shaft back and forth but rubber is stuck even so i dont see how to get the shaft out. is there some kind of trick to this? thanks for any help
If the rubber in the bushings is cracked/crumbling/loose or the metal of the bushing is thin from rusting or loose in the A-arm...the bushing needs to be replaced.
Heating the bushing with a hand-held propane torch until the bushing melts/crumbles when jabbed with a screwdriver is one way to remove it BUT this method is very smoky/stinky/messy......and should be done outside/wearing gloves with a fire extinguisher within reach.
The other method is to use a long metal-cutting hole saw to cut out the rubber from the bushing......then the shaft can be removed....
Use a air chisel or bring it to a shop. I use a air chisel after burning out the rubber. The rubber will ooze out then I grab the inner metal sleeve with Channel locks then work the chisel under outer lip of bushing. Be carefull using a press you can bend the ears pretty easy.
There should be some sort of a "lip" on the side of the bushing that faces outward. Use an air chisel with a dull point, against this lip, and "walk" the bushing forward, out of the arm. Do this on both bushings.
A hand chisel may work too, but it would be slower, obviously.
There should be some sort of a "lip" on the side of the bushing that faces outward. Use an air chisel with a dull point, against this lip, and "walk" the bushing forward, out of the arm. Do this on both bushings.
A hand chisel may work too, but it would be slower, obviously.
Oh I thought just the rubber came out that's what happened on the upper a arm now I see if the part with the lip comes out there would be room to push shafts through. Does the metal hub with the lip come with the new bushings. I haven't bought mine yet
Oh I thought just the rubber came out that's what happened on the upper a arm now I see if the part with the lip comes out there would be room to push shafts through. Does the metal hub with the lip come with the new bushings. I haven't bought mine yet
The OE style, "control arm bushing" is an assembly, consisting of a steel outer shell, with a rubber sleeve, and another metal sleeve, all bonded together, as a unit. Control arm bushings that are polyurethane, however, are "field assembled". They come as outer shells, the poly bushing, and a metal sleeve. Because the parts rotate independently of each other, they aren't bonded together.
To install a poly control arm bushing, you set the pivot shaft in the a-arm, then press the shells in place. After that, the remaining parts are slid into place. In the case of rubber bushings, the shaft is set in place, then the bushing "assemblies" are pressed in place, in the a-arm, capturing the shaft.
While I've heard of people "burning out" the rubber, it isn't necessary. Just heating the outer shell will break down the adhesive, and then the rubber can be simply PUSHED out of the shell. However, in order to remove the shaft from the control arm, the complete bushing has to be removed from the A-arm.
If you spend a minute with a hacksaw (once the rubber is cut out) and slit the outer sleeve you can collapse it and it will push out easy. I use an air-chisel with a flat end to pop it out but I don't like hammering the sleeves out of the vette arms without collapsing them first, they just don't seem as robust as a the other GM arms. LOTS of people have just taken them out with the air-chisel without issue but I'm not usually that lucky
Anyway here's how I did mine, no stress, no drama, no chasing parts across the floor (at least these parts LOL)
Well after two days of fighting I went and bought a 1 1/16" hole saw and a air chisel. 20 minutes later all bushings were out next time I'll read the forum for 2 days thanks for the advice everyone
There's a tool for that! I did it the wrong way with a press the first time and ended up mangling my A-arm. I almost went the crazy route of drilling out the rubber, but the time, the mess and the smell, just had no appeal. Went to Pep Boys and dropped $80 on the right tool.
It's so easy, with a Control Arm Bushing Removal tool. It comes right out! And the new one goes in, easy-peasy!
There's a tool for that! I did it the wrong way with a press the first time and ended up mangling my A-arm. I almost went the crazy route of drilling out the rubber, but the time, the mess and the smell, just had no appeal. Went to Pep Boys and dropped $80 on the right tool.
It's so easy, with a Control Arm Bushing Removal tool. It comes right out! And the new one goes in, easy-peasy!
Do you have a link to that tool?
Couldn't find it on their website
I was going to use the hole saw amputation method to remove the control arm bushings. I have a shop press to put the new ones in. Got thinking there must be a tool for this. I have at least ten pullers for ball joints, TR ends, gears, etc. but not this tool for the bushings. Now I will. It's always a good repair if you get to buy another tool. RA
a frame bushing problem
RA