Control arm bushing removal

[e30m3ochoa]

I just bought some bushings for my lower control arm and I'm not sure if there is an easy way to remove the bushing from the bracket to install the new one. Any ideas will be helpful.

[jlevie]

The easiest way is a press, which you will want to install the new bushings.

[e30m3ochoa]

Any particular press because I know there are some cheap ones out there.

[cypress]

like 40 tons or something

[e30m3ochoa]

What if I would be doing the job at home?

[ThatOneEuroE30]

Need minimum of a 20 ton press. Good luck doing it at home. That's why people pay extra and get them pressed in lollipops. Take them to a shop and see if they will do it for you. Or else buy a 20 ton press. I got one from harbor freight for 175

[Andy.B]

Front control arm bushings? Just use a hammer and a block of wood. Seriously. Drive the old one out by notching it with a punch and hammer until it falls out, and drive the new one in by putting a piece of wood on top to spread the load.

[e30m3ochoa]

Front control arm bushings? Just use a hammer and a block of wood. Seriously. Drive the old one out by notching it with a punch and hammer until it falls out, and drive the new one in by putting a piece of wood on top to spread the load.

That will actually work?

[Andy.B]

That will actually work?

It's what I've done with both my e30's, and countless other bushings on countless other types of cars when I worked at a repair shop. I've probably done over a hundred cobalt control arm bushings that way.

[ForcedFirebird]

like 40 tons or something

Need minimum of a 20 ton press.

12ton is more than adequate for control arm bushings and ball joints, I have done hundreds of them on mine.

For the bushings, you can also use a large bench vice to press them in, and can get them out with a punch as mentioned, or cut a slice in the metal sleeve and they will come right out.

[ThatOneEuroE30]

If you got a press you just press the old one out with the new one. I always thought it was 20 ton for ball joints.

[frolf]

The last time I did this I could press the bushings into the lollipop, but could get the control arm back through the bushing. What a pain.

Any tips for getting this part of it done?

(I ended up going with poly bushings just to get it done, but I'm not to thrilled with them)

[ForcedFirebird]

The last time I did this I could press the bushings into the lollipop, but could get the control arm back through the bushing. What a pain.

Any tips for getting this part of it done?

(I ended up going with poly bushings just to get it done, but I'm not to thrilled with them)

Soap and a dead blow hammer works great.

[e30m3ochoa]

12ton is more than adequate for control arm bushings and ball joints, I have done hundreds of them on mine.

For the bushings, you can also use a large bench vice to press them in, and can get them out with a punch as mentioned, or cut a slice in the metal sleeve and they will come right out.

Well I don't have a vise or anything but I was thinking that many a large c-clamp might do the trick? Cutting a piece of the sleeve will make it pop right out?

[ThatOneEuroE30]

Believe he's talking about cutting the lollipop. A c clamp won't work you need something to hold it in place like a bench vice or tri pod vice while you wack away at it.