A-arm bushings

[dshanks]

Im rebuilding the front end on my 71. Are there any tricks to getting the old A-arm bushings and the control arm cross shafts out? Ive been hammering on them, but I dont want to damage anything.

Thanks!

 

[Art Jett]

I used a 4 lb. hammer and a chisel. I put the chisel on the bushing right where the larger diameter goes to the smaller in between the two sides of the arm and gave it a good whack! The bushing came right out. The only one I had trouble with was one of the lower ones that had the inner sleeve frozen on the shaft. I had to use a die grinder with a cutoff wheel and cut the bushing away from the sleeve and then I was able to get the sleeve off the shaft. When you go back together, use anti-seize and they will be easier to get apart the next time. LOL, Art

 

[Twin_Turbo]

[Take it to someone with an air chisel (or if you have a compressor and air tools..invest in one) and you will be able to get them out in seconds or minutes in the worst case scenario.

 

[vette-dude]

I don't know if this will work on your A Arms but on cars with steel a arms, after they are removed from the car, I just take a torch and set the rubber on fire and let them burn. Caution: will leave a stain on Driveway so pick your burn spot carefully. Makes alot of smoke but once the rubber is all burned out the steel bushings are a snap to tap out with a hammer. The heat from the burn loosens up the steel bushings on the pivot arms also. Be sure to punch mark the pivot arm and a arm so when you re-assemble they go back together in the same position -- ie,: front to back. Don't think I would do this if A arms are aluminum.

Randy

 

[dshanks]

thanks for the advice. I'm sure one of those will work just fine. What exactly is the pivot arm. Dont want to start pulling stuff and not marking if I need to be marking...

 

[Art Jett]

The pivot arm is the round piece with the bosses on it that the bolts pass through to fasten the control arm to the frame of the car.

 

[dshanks]

The pivot arm is the round piece with the bosses on it that the bolts pass through to fasten the control arm to the frame of the car.

Maybe a dumb question, is this the same as the control arm cross shafts? If so, why do they need to be marked?

 

[Art Jett]

Same part. The only reason to mark them would be if there is any confusion as to which one goes where. I've read posts where guys had taken the control arms off and some time later, they couldn't remember which one went on which side. All you have to do is remember which arm goes on which side and you can look at the car and see how the shaft needs to be positioned.

 

[dshanks]

All you have to do is remember which arm goes on which side and you can look at the car and see how the shaft needs to be positioned.

I try to play it safe, I'm doing one side at a time just in case...

Thanks!

 

[Art Jett]

Just got done doing mine!

 

[vette-dude]

The reason to mark the parts are that some control arm shafts/pivot arms shafts are offset where they bolt onto the frame. You can't really see the offset till you go to bolt it back on and by then it is too late so you get to do it all again. I don't know if vettes are this way or they are symetrical but on other non-gm cars the mounting holes are minutely different front to rear. Have fun and take your time doing it as you don't want to do it over.

Randy

 

[dshanks]

So maybe an arrow would suffice? just in case they are asymmetrical.

 

[vette-dude]

ARROWS??? You all still got Indians in them there parts??:L (Oh Yeah, Kansas City Chiefs, I forgot!)

Randy

 

[Art Jett]

Good one!!!!!

 

[dshanks]

Need help here

Hi guys, Ive tried everything that everybody listed here, but I still cant get the outer sleeve to release from the Control Arm. I couldnt get them out, so I finally set them on fire as someone suggested, then I drilled into the rubber over and over til I could remove all the rubber. So now I have the inner metal sleeve and the rubber out, but the outer sleeve is still in there fused to the control arm, and I cant get the cross shafts out either, cause its tool long to come out with the outer sleeves of the bushings still in place.
Any other ideas? Im tapped...

Thanks

 

[Art Jett]

Twin Turbo's answer is probably the best one. Get an air chisel and use the widest and flattest attachment. Home depot is a good place to get both cheap! Put the a-arm on the floor and place the chisel on the outer sleeve where it steps down to a smaller size ald let er rip. It should bend a little and then pop right out. If it dosen't, move around the sleeve and try again. A couple of mine were frozen bad and they came out right away with this approach. LOL Art

 

[Jack]

Hi guys, Ive tried everything that everybody listed here, but I still cant get the outer sleeve to release from the Control Arm. I couldnt get them out, so I finally set them on fire as someone suggested, then I drilled into the rubber over and over til I could remove all the rubber. So now I have the inner metal sleeve and the rubber out, but the outer sleeve is still in there fused to the control arm, and I cant get the cross shafts out either, cause its tool long to come out with the outer sleeves of the bushings still in place. Any other ideas? Im tapped...Thanks

Are you replacing bushings with OE type rubber ... or ... polyurethane? If poly ... stop right where you are and reply.
JACK:gap

 

[dshanks]

I bought the rubber front end rebuild kit from VB&P

 

[dshanks]

The reason to mark the parts are that some control arm shafts/pivot arms shafts are offset where they bolt onto the frame. You can't really see the offset till you go to bolt it back on and by then it is too late so you get to do it all again. I don't know if vettes are this way or they are symetrical but on other non-gm cars the mounting holes are minutely different front to rear. Have fun and take your time doing it as you don't want to do it over.

Randy

I messed up, when I took the front left control arms off, I forgot to mark the upper cross shaft with an arrow showing which way it came off. The bottom is obvious, but on the top, the difference must be sooooo minute that its not visible to the naked eye. I cant tell which way it should go back on, it seems symetrical to me.
The good news is that I did not remove the passenger side, so if I need a reference, I can get it there. Problem is, what type of difference are we talkin here, is it measurable with a ruler?
Im just worried about putting brand new bushings in that control arm, then having to air-chisel them out after finding that the cross shaft was installed incorrectly.

Any Ideas?

 

[TJay]

Check the other side first, and can you post a picture of what you have apart. I have a lot of pictures, (like the one below) just not sure which ones to post for you to see a complete install or stages of it where you are now.