johnrodz

what is the proper procedure to remove the upper and lower control arm bushings ? is there a tool for this ? if so what is the brand and where can I get one ...Johnrodz

lt4red

Ball joints require a press I think, but I thought the bushings just pop out with a little force, it's been a while and maybe I'm thinking about something else, so hopefully someone else will chime in.

rodj

Stock bushings can be pushed out in a press ; if on a budget just run a drill bit through the rubber until destroyed enough to get the inner liner out.

Once liner is gone the remaining bush can be levered out with a screwdriver

69mako

I'v done the R&R on my control arms on my 94 I highly suggest that you find a machine shop to push out your old bushing and install the new ones...if you don't-you'll be at it ALL DAY LONG!!!

turbotim23

You can do it yourself. You'll need a press, You can buy one of the big floor ones at Harbor freight for less than what a shop will charge you to change the bushings. I'm changing mine this spring. They wanted over 150.00 dollars to do mine. I look at it like, why not have my own press when I'm done? Harbor freight has two models one a 12 ton[around 90.00 on sale], one a 20 ton [around 190 on sale]. I've heard of guys using both to replace replace these bushings,though it's probley easier with the bigger one. You could always drill old bushing with lots of little holes to make it easier to push old bushing out, you use grease to push new ones in so it cant be that hard to push them back in. Changing the bottom bushings is pretty straight forward, you just need the right size adaptors or scrap peices of pipe, shockets or steel to support arm and push on bushing. there are a couple of posts elsewhere here on how to do it. You have to support the middle of top A arm when pushing on the top bushings or else you will bend A arm. Guys have used angle Iron,shockets and extentions, even peices of pipe slotted length wize to fit over flat parts of A arm to support the A arm when pressing. I can't do mine till spring so I'm hoping they will have a good sale price on these before I need to do it. Good Luck Tim

johnrodz

Thanks to all for your info .....johnrodz

tombrammer

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c4-t...ictures-2.html
Scroll down about 1/2 way on the page, good info. good luck.

johnrodz

Tom , hay man thanks for the link to the forum post with all the info i need . great post , I tryed a search but did not find the one you posted . its greate thanks .... johnrodz

1985 Corvette

It does take all day if you don't have the right tools. Probably why mine took all day. To make matters worse, once I installed the one piece bushing on the end closest to the firewall on the passenger side, I noticed too late I didn't put on one of those special washers that go on the A arm.

I don't even look forward to tearing it back down to get that one stupid part I forgot back on. =/

proracr

$150 seems like highway robbery for pressing out the old bushings and pressing in the new ones! I may be wrong but with the proper tools and knowledge of how to use them, I wouldn't think that it would take more than 20-30 minutes to do this job. Correct me if I'm wrong. I have my own press but haven't used it in 12-14 years.

TJM

The way shown in the pictures works if you have a press and do it EXACTLY that way because you cen distort an A arm very easily.

I use a Ball joint "C" Beam clamp borrowed from a local auto store and a bench vise with something to insulate the A arm from the jaws [ wood if nothing else].

Air wrench makes easy quick work, but 1/2" ratchet would do. Maybe a cheater bar if they are stubborn.

The trick is finding something to use as a drive punch to press out the old and in with the new. Large sockets work if your set matches the diameters. Hand that happen two places.

Cost is small. Maybe a few buck for a conduit fitting at the hardware store that is the righ diameter.

Have replaced all the bushing on the cars this way ... easy.

RUU

I don't think it would be possible to do the upper a-arms with a loaner ball-joint press. The lowers & rears, yes, but not the uppers.

anciano

Well, yeah, but "proper tools" involves making up a brace for the upper control arm as well as finding the proper-sized peices of pipe or sockets to press out (and in) the bushings. Hell, I spent 20 minutes just rummaging through buckets of old pipe and then cutting the right lengths.

69mako

$150.00!!!!...sorry to see that you got ripped
for my control arms-8 old bushings pushed out and 8 new bushing pushed in $45.00 and .5 hours in the shop

turbotim23

Most shops think that tackling a bushing in a aluminum arm is harder or more tricky than steel arms. Maybe it's the hidden vette tax, I don't know. I called around,They were all around that price. Frankly I wouldn't give that job to just any shop. I wouldn't want some inexperenced mechanic bending my aluminum arms.

racebum

do the suggested harbor freight 20ton press. they aren't all that big and are useful to have around for various projects.

70chev

Hi guys,

Old post I know, and a bit of a Corvette noob here. Just bought an 84 here in Brisbane Australia.

I've searched and searched on here and can't find the detail I need. I've ordered new bushings for the front control arms and the job appears mostly pretty straight forward. One thing I'm not sure on though is how to get the upper control arm pivot shaft out. I know it only comes out in one direction due to the location of the large washer, but is it and the associated bushings all pressed out in one go (whilst properly supporting the control arm so it doesn't bend), or do you remove (I'm not sure how) the outside bushing first, then push back the shaft so you can get better access to the bushings on the other side of the arm?

The threads I've seen go straight to pressing out the old bushings, but I can't see you you can get the shaft out with these still in there. Maybe these relate to the lower control arm.

Anyway, I hope I've explained this well enough and if there is a thread already detailing this, I apologise in advance.

Thanks

Darren

70chev

Anyone? I'd be really grateful for any advice on this.

Thank you.

Darren

DanZ51

It's been a while but IIRC thats how the upper control arm is done: shaft first with bushings "in one go".

https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...g-r-and-r.html

Impala Balko

The lower control arms come out very easily with a ball joint press. The upper ball joints I burned out then brought the uppers to my mechanic to have the bushings pressed in