BillGrissom
Well-Known Member
Renewing the suspension on my 64 Valiant, so thought nice to share info. In the past, I always took my control arms to a shop to have bushings changed (Newport, Dart), but shops are now rare and I have a 12-ton shop press (Harbor Freight), so decided to try myself.
The LCA's were toughest. The innards pressed out easy, indeed not much rubber left in one. In the other, my shop press rod pushed out the pivot pin, and replaced it snugly in the rubber, so had to use a puller to get the LCA off my press. The problem is the outer bushing shell is left in the LCA and the inner bushing shell is stuck on the pivot pin.
Switching to poly bushings would be easy, since you just slip the poly in and reuse the bushing shells without removing them. Many opinions on that, decide for yourself from FABO posts:
www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/showthread.php?t=185594
www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/showthread.php?t=152308&highlight=bushings
www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/showthread.php?t=151690&highlight=bushings
www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/showthread.php?t=150378&highlight=bushings
www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/showthread.php?t=133582&highlight=bushings
I didn't want the risk & cost of poly and already had new rubber LCA bushings (~$9 ea Autozone). The first outer shell I removed by chiseling it inwards and running a small chisel (or nail set) down the gap. That was difficult since fairly thick and I broke off a few chisel tips knocking them sideways. On the 2nd shell, I got smarter and used a saber saw to cut a slot mostly thru. A standard blade is the perfect length. You still need to run a chisel down to break it at the bottom, but the slot makes that trivial. Photos below. An American Muscle tool ($41, photo) grabs the inner shell at the gap in the bottom (if lucky), giving you something to pull on, but I am too cheap and wasn't convinced it would work.
In removing the inner shells from the pivot pins, I didn't learn much and tried chiseling off the first one. I folded it out just enough so I could apply torque with a pipe wrench, but had to hold the pin with another pipe wrench. I was barely able to start turning it, and with penetrant was able to get it turning easy and work it off. I gouged the pin a bit with the wrench, but filed it clean. Still, I will be embarrassed if anyone eyeballs my pivot pins in the future. On the second one, I used the saber saw trick, though harder to get a groove started on the concave surface. It then peeled off easy. I cut into the pin a bit. Good I'm not working on someone else's car because they would make me buy new pivot pins ($80/pair).
Removing the UCA bushings was fairly easy. I couldn't easily use the shop press because you must push from the inside. Instead, I made a puller from pipe spacers I had lying around. I show a photo of a slicker tool by other FABO members (Brad426, mopardude318 ) and store-bought tools (American Muscle & Miller Special Tools). I did have trouble with one bushing that wouldn't pull thru until I noticed it had a pressed-on collar that was bottoming out (seen that?). I was able to push it back enough to hacksaw the shell below the collar. I haven't pressed my new bushings in yet, but should be easy with the shop press. Pulling is much harder, especially with nothing to grab hold of.
The LCA's were toughest. The innards pressed out easy, indeed not much rubber left in one. In the other, my shop press rod pushed out the pivot pin, and replaced it snugly in the rubber, so had to use a puller to get the LCA off my press. The problem is the outer bushing shell is left in the LCA and the inner bushing shell is stuck on the pivot pin.
Switching to poly bushings would be easy, since you just slip the poly in and reuse the bushing shells without removing them. Many opinions on that, decide for yourself from FABO posts:
www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/showthread.php?t=185594
www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/showthread.php?t=152308&highlight=bushings
www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/showthread.php?t=151690&highlight=bushings
www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/showthread.php?t=150378&highlight=bushings
www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/showthread.php?t=133582&highlight=bushings
I didn't want the risk & cost of poly and already had new rubber LCA bushings (~$9 ea Autozone). The first outer shell I removed by chiseling it inwards and running a small chisel (or nail set) down the gap. That was difficult since fairly thick and I broke off a few chisel tips knocking them sideways. On the 2nd shell, I got smarter and used a saber saw to cut a slot mostly thru. A standard blade is the perfect length. You still need to run a chisel down to break it at the bottom, but the slot makes that trivial. Photos below. An American Muscle tool ($41, photo) grabs the inner shell at the gap in the bottom (if lucky), giving you something to pull on, but I am too cheap and wasn't convinced it would work.
In removing the inner shells from the pivot pins, I didn't learn much and tried chiseling off the first one. I folded it out just enough so I could apply torque with a pipe wrench, but had to hold the pin with another pipe wrench. I was barely able to start turning it, and with penetrant was able to get it turning easy and work it off. I gouged the pin a bit with the wrench, but filed it clean. Still, I will be embarrassed if anyone eyeballs my pivot pins in the future. On the second one, I used the saber saw trick, though harder to get a groove started on the concave surface. It then peeled off easy. I cut into the pin a bit. Good I'm not working on someone else's car because they would make me buy new pivot pins ($80/pair).
Removing the UCA bushings was fairly easy. I couldn't easily use the shop press because you must push from the inside. Instead, I made a puller from pipe spacers I had lying around. I show a photo of a slicker tool by other FABO members (Brad426, mopardude318 ) and store-bought tools (American Muscle & Miller Special Tools). I did have trouble with one bushing that wouldn't pull thru until I noticed it had a pressed-on collar that was bottoming out (seen that?). I was able to push it back enough to hacksaw the shell below the collar. I haven't pressed my new bushings in yet, but should be easy with the shop press. Pulling is much harder, especially with nothing to grab hold of.