Front control arm bushing replacement? *** Fixed with solution***

[Romanova]

Ugh, I hate this sh*t. So I have either Whiteline or Superpro front control arm bushings... I think they are actually Whiteline, but I don't remember because I got them like 9 years ago and they've been waiting to go on every since then. These bushings unlike the Energy Suspesnion ones have a steel sleeve, requiring the sleeve on the control arm to be removed. No problem I thought as the rear trailing arm bushings were the same way when I replaced them. Wrong. Look at the photos... one side clearly you can see the sleeve that has to be removed. On the other side, there appears to be nothing? What am I missing? I started sawing away at the sleeve, got confused, so here I am.

Thoughts or opinions?

Got it done today!
The sleeve curves around at the bottom and I didn't notice this due to rust. The control arm really didn't fit well in my press so that option was out. I made a series of relief cuts around the sleeve to ease the tension on it, and then used two sockets and my 1920s era bench vise to press it out. Having made the cuts on the rounded part as well, I squeezed them together in order to get my socket to fit (biggest I had in standard... size escapes me now). The sleeve was still a bit rusty and took a bit of force but I was eventually able to get it out. I'll run the Dremmel on it later and clean it up prior to installing the new bushing.

I'm sure this is useless to everyone due to this part no longer being available and new control arms are so cheap... -_-

 

[pauleyman]

Never really paid attention but it appears it's flanged on one end so you could only press it out one way. All the bushings I've done were bushing only, no sleeve.

 

[boostedinaz]

Yes it has a flare on one end of the sleeve. You can only press it out one way and of course it's the hardest way to put tool for the press on it. Make sure to cut the flange and if you have one use an air hammer to push it out.

 

[Romanova]

Looks like if I cut it on several sides it should just fall out...

 

[KiNgMaRtY]

Easiest is to have it pressed out. A mechanic accidentally pressed it out on my prior car when replacing my bushings for ES bushings. He had to have one made to replace the sleeve

 

[boostedinaz]

Quoting Romanova:
Looks like if I cut it on several sides it should just fall out...



That will work as well.

 

[Romanova]

Quoting KiNgMaRtY:
Easiest is to have it pressed out. A mechanic accidentally pressed it out on my prior car when replacing my bushings for ES bushings. He had to have one made to replace the sleeve



I toyed with this, but due to the shape of the control arm, it was difficult to line everything up in my press. Used my bench vise to pop out the old bushing. I'll tackle the sleeve here in a bit... might just clamp it down and hit it with the Sawzall...

 

[boostedinaz]

Be very careful, you don't want to cut into the arm itself. I have always used a small airsaw and checked my progress quite often.

 

[broxma]

I did it with a sawzall, fine tooth metal blade and just watched the progress.

/brox

 

[quicktsi]

I did like you did in the early pictures and cut. I would then use a hammer and small chisel to the pry the cut areas inward and then it will literally fall out. This is how I did it since I did not have access to a press at the time.