MRKearney

I'm a new member to this great site. Additionally I'm a novice at Corvette restoration. Does anyone have a simple method to remove the bushings from the upper & lower assemblies of the front suspension without buying expensive tools? My restoration will be a one time project... I think so I don't won't to invest in tools I may use only once.

72ls5fla

Do yourself a very large avor and take the arms to a machine shop and have them preseed out.

You can use an air-chisel to force them out of teh arm tabs, but you may bend/distort the arm in the process.

Pressing them is the best and safest way to do this. I had mine done and it cost me 50.00 to do all 4 arms.

Hope this helps.

Bill

wartosh

Pressing them out is the way to go. You should try one of the local Technical Colleges with an Automotive Program. Most will press them out and install the new during the suspension class.

Good Luck. :iagree:

PROSOUTH

I do not press mine out. Even a press sometimes causes problems.

I take a Metal Chop Saw and cut as close to the arm on each side as I can and that allows the center section to be removed. Then the piece left in each end taps right out.

This way you do not bend or distort anything. There are many methods used to perform this operation and really none are very pleasant. The Chop Saw method is the best I have found, some even use a torch to burn them out.

If I remember someone from the Forum recently took their A-Arms to a Machine shop and had them ruined. Jim

Richard Cooper

I just did mine in my 81 two weeks ago. I took them to a local machine shop to have the old bushings pressed out and the new ones pressed in. They bead blasted the control arms and made them look like new. It cost me $ 80.00 to have the two upper and two lower control arms done and it took them one day. I replaced the whole front end if you have any questions e-mail me at rcooper1@hvc.rr.com Good luck. :seeya

Smokehouse69

How quick these guys forget! :D The absolute easiest way is to take a torch and burn out the old rubber bushings, But your neighbors will raise hell about the smoke and and it stinks really bad. The next easiest way, without any expensive tools is to take 1/4 bit and put it in your electic drill, and drill down through the rubber all around the center of the metal tube that goes through the bushing. It takes less that 10 minutes on each of the bushings. After the metal is free from the rubber, you can peel the rest of the rubber out very easily.

BSeery

:iagree:

Welcome to the forum. If you plan on using urethane bushings, the above method is the best way to go. It leaves the metal sleeves / shells in place and you just clean them up and slide the poly bushings in their place. Make sure to use lock-tite on the bolts at each end of the bushings. I had a bolt come out and the control arm slip off the end and the arm slammed into the engine block. Thankfully I was just backing out of the garage and not carving a canyon at speed.

MRKearney

Thank you so much for the excellent tip. I tried it this morning and it worked perfectly. :hurray:

MRKearney

Couldn't wait to try the torch this morning. Worked perfectly. Why would anyone do it otherwise. One question though. After removing all the rubber and the inner sleeve I wanted to see it my urethane bushings would fit into the opening. No luck, It appears as if i need to seperate the bushings but I didn't want to damage them. Thoughyt I'd ask your opinion again.