I need to do my front control arm bushings.. Can i just goto autozone and rent a tool to press them out and press them in? Or do i have to go and spend $100 or so to have a shop do it?

 

Depends...
Different shops have different tools...
Often they will have a ball joint press that you can use for this purpose.

If you have the a arms out it is not too soon to
start soaking the ends in a penetrating oil.

take your new bushing with you when you go to the "zone"
or somesuch. Ask to see the tool.

The reach of the ASSEMBLED tool needs to be a twice
the length of the longest bushing.

Hmmm...
for 100.00 bucks you could buy a press from Harbor Freight

 

The AZ I went to didn't have a bushing tool. I had mine done by a shop and it ran me $100. WELL worth it in my opinion. Dropped them off, picked them up 4 hrs later. That's only $25/hr labor and I didn't get pissed off.

My .02

 

IMO, if you can get/rent the proper tool, it would be worth it to attempt it yourself and save the bucks for something else. It's really not that hard of a job if you've got your control arms out already.

Brian

 

I tried to press mine out but couldn't get the a-frame in the press at the right angle. Gave up and dropped them off at a local garage. They replaced the bushings and ball joints for $15 an arm, and didn't even bend anything! Best $30 I ever spent.

 

should i try replacing engine mounts while a-arms are off?

 

That's a great time to do it, doesn't get any easier to access the nuts inside the crossmember than with the A-arms off.

 

Really! Hm. Gotta see if I can find poly mounts for my v6 motor. After 232,000 miles, they've gotta be tired! Hopefully someone's started making them in the past few months...

 

I did mine with a ball joint press I bought on e-bay for 45.00 . Works good but helps to have an extra set of hands to hold it in place till you get everything lined up. I would not try this if you don't have an impact gun. Good luck.

 

Are you serious? There's a shop up here that does both arms control-arm bushings for $20 if you bring in the arms. I believe they use an arbor press with a spacer in between the legs of the control arm.