Can someone walk me through how to change the bushings on my 68 Camaro control arms? They are out of the car and all cleaned up. I have a small arbor press, I think I'll need it. :rolleyes:

hey, they are a pain in the butt!!!!! i would find a socket that fits without being bigger and try pressing out, i had to burn all my rubber out the i was able to get bushing sleeve out, its a real pain, but at least the new ones go in easy!!!
jake

I just did my wife's 73 Camaro and had to up my bottle jack in my home made press from 8 ton to 12 ton. I should have gone to 20 ton as the 12 barely made it.
David

burn the pushings and push them out, It stinks, and its messy but it is the fastest way out. sand and grease them up and press the new ones in, piece of cake...speedy

Burn out or drill out the rubber in the original bushing. Take a cold chisel and collapse the remaining part of the bushing, fold it in on itself with the chisel and a bfh. Start at the open end and work in a line toward the collared end. Sometimes the chisel will cut the steel bushing that remains, that is good. Be careful when cutting the outer collar of the remaining bushing, do not damage the a-arm.When folded in you can push out the bushing with your fingers or pull out with pliers. Support the area between the arms and ears(I use a piece of 2x2 about 12 inches, cut to fit between the arms, and sockets between the ears) on the a-arm and use the same bfh and appropriate size sockets to "tap" the new bushings into place. Do not forget to put the shaft into positon before you put the bushings into place on the upper arm.

I used lots of long, threaded bolts and big washers. Broke one wise, and used a saw to crack two of the bushings, drilled out as much rubber as i could and lots of curses, and all this on my kitchen floor.

I also made some pipe picecs that i used between the gaps on the A-arms so they did't get bent.

And i used long bolts and big washers to put in the new ones aswell, it was hard cos they always wanted to shear and stuck.

But i had to take the A-arms to a shop to press out and in the lower balljoints.

But i dont recomend this method. smile.gif

I paid $120 to have a machine shop do it. They pressed out the old bushings, sand-blasted and cleaned the arms, powder-coated them and then re-pressed the new bushings in. Well worth the $$$.