im trying to replace my front and rear controll arm bushings with polyurethene but i cant get the old bushings out. is there a good way to do it myself or should i just take them to the shop to get pressed?

I ended up making 2 cuts with a chop-saw through the old bushing to take out the middle part and just hammered out the remaining pieces left in the control arm. It only took about a half hour to do both of them. I could've pressed them out but in my opinion cutting them out is the fastest way. Just my

i payed pepboys $75 to do it for me, they quoted me 1.5hrs at $50 an hour, and 20 minutes after i dropped them off they called me and said they were done, that was to remove the old bushings and install the new ES bushings

I would just buy new control arms with bushings installed. Most venders sell them for about $100 for their basic arms. A lot less hassle for better performance and not much more money.

Spohn: $105
UMI: $100
BMR: $100
Global West: $143
Lakewood: $108

Yep this is usually what we recommend. Also with our aftermarket arms the polyurethane bushings are grease-able... this is something you don't get with replacing bushings in your factory control arms.

We have them for $99.99 a set- www.umiperformance.com/2015

Thanks!
Ryan

Of course you would recommend that.

Whether we sold control arms or not if you do the math in most cases it is less expensive and much easier... I have done it before..

Easier, yes, less expensive, no, unless you aren't willing to spend a couple hours changing the bushings yourself.

It costs less than half as much to just buy bushings and change them yourself then it does to buy aftermarket control arms, especially for A-arms.

its not that hard i jut did some on my 91 s-10 they are same design and everything, s-10 were built on car chassis design even the steering boxes etc same as the cars

unlike full size trucks.



i just take air chisel and chop and collapse the shells til they fall out of the arms

then freeze the new bushings and they slide right in with grease and a socket and hammer

not a big deal at all

the upper ones on my 91 were completely gone the arm would move in and out about 3/4" by hand very easily just by grabbing a hold of the spindle and yanking or pushing it

it was bad,....

197k bone stock all original miles, and going strong still.


now it rides so smooth and less travel over bumps yay

so much different!

the way that i changed mine, i used a torch and a air hammer. you use the torch on the center metal sleeve. after a minute or two the rubber expands and pushes the sleeve out.(be careful, they shoot out) then use a screwdriver to pry the rubber out, then a air hammer easily crushes the metal sleeve out of the way. then you freeze the new bushing and lube it good, and they go in really easy with a rubber mallet. thats how i do it atleast. took me a few hours, but was pretty simple.

I just wanted to make a recomendation in the front A-arms. I just installed some del-a-lum bushings in a friends car and the a-arms are allmost friction free. I have polyurethane in the front of my car and they are not nearly as free moving.

The one warning I have is the Del-a-lums where a PITA to install. Even freezeing the bushing and heating the arm didn't do the trick. I finally had to ever so gently take a die grinder to the A-arm and even then I needed heat along with a BFH to get the bushings in. The Polyurethane bushings where much easier to install, just needed the BFH and some grease.

I cut mine out as well, only I used a sawzall with a metal blade. I had a new blade and it tore through the bushing, no problem. Be careful at the end of the cut when the sawzall blade "releases", or you could end up nicking the a-arm itself. I removed the bushing and cut "tabs" into the remaining pieces of sleeves. (1st pic) After that, I just hammered down the tabs until the remaing pieces of sleeve dropped out. (2nd pic) Took me a little less than an hour to do both, but I was being real careful when I cut the tabs, as to not cut the a-arm itself.

Go to http://www.maximummotorsports.com/, / Products and Online Ordering (left side) / Tools / Rear Upper Control Arm Bushing Tool.

I have never seen this before about 5 minutes ago, and I am now wondering if anyone makes one that will work on our bushings...

One thing you could probably use is a ball joint press. It would probably work well with both the front A-arm and the rear LCAs

check around with local machine shops I had both front A arms,4 bushings pressed out and installed for $20 bucks.I would go with a better control arm in the rear. I installed umi stuff and its great.But if your on a tight budget u could intall new bushings and I would box them in a little then put a fresh coat of paint.the stock stamped steel crap has a lot of flex in it.I would think bushings alone would almost be unnoticeable.Good luck