What is the best method for changing the bushings in the rear lower control arms?

It looks like there is a very thin wall that the bushing is pressed into, so using a press looks difficult unless I had precision/custom made pieces made to drive the bushing. What tools or methods have people successfully used to get the old bushings out?

I have heard of some people burning and beating the old bushings out, but it looks like it would be easy to damage the control arm that way.

Any input is appreciated.

 

If your new bushings don't have the metal outer shell then you need to remove just the rubber from the control arms. The stock bushings are bonded to both the outer shell and the inner sleeve, which is why they tell you not to torque the bolts untill the car is on the ground. Since the rubber is bonded to the metal pushing just the rubber out is not an option.

I've had good luck drilling the bushings out. Most of the time the drill bit will wedge itself between the bushing and the shell and travel around the diameter of the bushing pulling it loose from the shell. Don't use a good bit for this as I've broken quite a few doing it this way. It's still better than dealing with the goo and smoke of burning them out.

Of course if you have new shells then a press is a must.

 

Yeah, drilling works. It just spins its way around the bushing cutting it out. Works well

 

Yep, that's what I did. Broke a bunch of bits, so use CHEEEEP ones.

After that's out, you can cut up the metal shell to remove that, since your new bushings will probably have metal shells.

I didn't realize that metal shell was part of the bushing, and that when the "bushing" was removed from the arm, it was quite literally a piece of sheet metal stamped into a U. I had a hell of a time trying to press new bushings, with sleeves, into the old sleeves . I even paid a machinist to use a press, and he told me "there's no way in hell that's gonna fit in there, that's about a .050" press fit! Are you SURE you got the right bushings?"
That's when I figured out you need to remove those shells. I still paid him $20 to press those in for me later.

 

i usually burn them out allthough like bmmontess said it creates alot of black smoke and a mess. try freezing the new bushings before you press them back in.