A-arm bushings

[bill81vette]

Ok so I'm under the vette last weekend changing the oil and filter and I got looking around underneath the old girl and I notice that the tire on the right side is bald on the inside.Went to check the bushings and the top rear is gone :ugh :ugh.
Got the new tires last week,and had them mounted and balanced yesterday.
So I bit the bullet and bought new front shocks,new springs and bushings!!!!
I started today with removing the radiator,shroud,and clutch fan.now for the fun part,getting the A-arms off.

 

[TimAT]

Just be careful around the springs. Lots of stored energy just waiting to get loose. they will hurt you.

 

[Peer81]

THe upper a-arms aren't the problem, they only control camber, caster. The lower ones have all the tension on them, but you're lucky you have a compleet car so you can use the weight of the car.
Good luck and make pictures

Greetings Peter

 

[bill81vette]

Finished taking the a-arms out!
uppers were relatively easy,the lowers a little more tricky but doable!!!!
now to get them cleaned up and the new bushings in!!
these bushings were SHOT!!!!(I guess the dragon did them in!!!!)
I did make the mistake of NOT putting the floor jack under the lower a-arm,before separating the spindle on the 1st one.It made it a little more difficult to get the lower arm off,but it took aliitle longer than the 2nd one!!

 

[bill81vette]

Here are some more pics of the bushings!!
these were the original bushings!

 

[bill81vette]

and some more...:ugh

 

[TimAT]

Judging from the pictures, I say those bushings were about toast..

The uppers come out pretty easy (at least they did on my 69)- when you get them apart look at the shafts where the bushings ride- look for any bad pitting- they'll probably be rusty, but that will clean up- it's the big pits and loss of material that bother me. Loss of overall strength.

Lowers are a bit tougher. I took mine to a shop and had them pressed out/in. They can be removed by cutting too- I was too lazy at the time. (I have a press now)
I got the arms stripped and then powder coated all the parts.

 

[bill81vette]

Uppers were toasted!!!!,and came apart real easy,not so with the lowers.
I'll take them to my buddies garage and press them out get every thing cleaned up and we will see from there.I'll probably just paint them!

 

[TimAT]

Use caution when you get to the press- I've heard it's not difficult to "spread" the lower arms. GM had a bucket of special tools for them.

 

[bill81vette]

Uppers came out easy(shafts were out)
lowers are being a PIA!!!!mad
we ordered the lower shafts last night after fighting with the 1st one and second one laughing at us!!!
when we see the new ones in the shop,then the old ones are getting torched in half!!!!!

 

[73shark]

Use caution when you get to the press- I've heard it's not difficult to "spread" the lower arms. GM had a bucket of special tools for them.

You have to have something in between the legs of the A-arm to prevent bending them. At least that's what the GM tools look like. Trying to figure out how I'm going to do that on mine.

Wound up using a drill to remove the rubber. Mine weren't quite as "toasted" as Bill's. I've burnt them out on others but that's kind of nasty.

Now have to get all the stuff stripped and painted.

 

[GTR1999]

I never use a press to remove them and I have the pipe supports for in between the arm. Yes they can be bent easy enough. I use a hole saw to cut the rubber bushing out,then an air hammer and chisel to work them out.
I clean up the bores before installing the new bushings and after blasting,etching,POR15 & top coating.

 

[73shark]

The hole saw idea sounds good. Have to try that next time. The drilling wasn't much fun but neither was torching.

GTR1999: Did you make your own pipe supports? If so, got any pics?

 

[bill81vette]

I ended up pressing the old bushings out with a bushing clamp,after we torched the old frame mounts in 2 places
I then had them soda blasted.pressed the new bearing in yesterday and painted them last night!!
hopefully the old girl will be sitting on the ground by Monday!!!!!

 

[GTR1999]

The hole saw idea sounds good. Have to try that next time. The drilling wasn't much fun but neither was torching.

GTR1999: Did you make your own pipe supports? If so, got any pics?

I made them out of EMT but fence post is better. I put them in the mill and cut a slot so I can fit them in around the shafts. You can find them in manuals, I made mine like them.

 

[bill81vette]

Before and after pics of the a-arms...
right side is almost done3 more bolts to torque,
then hook up the tie rod end,and on to the left side!!