back in the dim ages... when I got my control arms powder coated... I had to remove the bushings... not a big deal, right ???

now it's time to put them back in..... of course they don't just slip fit, right ???

I've got a vice,(no press) sockets and slippery stuff to grease them... I want to be as careful as I can be and not destroy the p.c. on the arms...

control arm bushing gurus !!!!!! give me the 411

tia
John

 

Hey John, if my feeble memory works at all I think these are a tough tight press at the best of times. Probably not be what you want to do but you might have to die grind just the powered coating inside the A arm where the bushing goes?

 

John,

Not a Guru but every control arm bushing I've ever replaced was done by a machine shop with a press. I don't think you can get enough pressure on them with a vice...but then again I've never tried it!

 

you had the inside of the bushing sleeves powder coated too? ouch..

really a hone on the inside to remove the coating is probably the only way to get them to fit.. you don't want to sand the outside of the bushing due to heat..

Sam

 

r the bushing rubber or a bearing style?

 

I think a hone is your best option too.

 

You can make your own simple hone to remove the PC from the bushing bore: cut a piece of 1/4 or 5/16" mild steel rod about 4" long. Use a bandsaw or a hacksaw with a fine toothed blade to saw a slot down the center of the rod ~ 1 to 1 1/4" long. Cut a strip of 180 grit wet or dry or emery paper (if you have emery cloth available even better) ~1"x 8" and fold in 1/2 grit side out. Slip the strip of sandpaper into the slot in the rod so that the ends without the fold is sticking out ~ 1" longer than the portion with the fold. It should resemble a letter T with the top bar offset. chuck the other end of the rod in a variable speed drill. Run the drill slowly while cupping your fingers around the twirling paper to form it into an S shape. Stop the drill and insert the paper into the control arm bushing bore, turn on the drill building to full speed. Work the rod around in a circular motion and in and out. Only the rotating paper should touch the bore, not the rod. You do not need to nor is it desirable to press the paper against the bore sides with the rod, just let the spinning paper do the work. Avoid pulling the paper out of the bore or trying to insert it while the drill is running to avoid damaging the PC on the outside surfaces. The PC in the bore should sand off fairly quickly. Stop as soon as you reach shiny metal.

 

plans are to clean out the bushing holes with a brake hone... the p.c . doesn't look very thick at all in the cylinders....

my main question was procedure for pressing them in... they are the bushing type... round bushing approx 1.5" long 1" thick with a steel center tube for the cross bars...

I'm assuming I have to press one in... then insert the upper control arm bar then press the other in over the bar... maybe pics would help ???

do I just grease them up and vice jaw push them in with a socket of proper size

the second one will be more fun... probably need to use a tube instead of a socket...

suggestions and instructions welcomed !

john

 

John, don’t you realize that this is a huge opportunity to take a couple of months and over-build the best press ever made?

I think there is a faint memory of a big vise with A arm securely held, a piece of old pipe and a really big hammer. (maybe).

 

The easiest way to do this job is with a large press, rather than a vice. I'm assuming you're using stock Ford arms, and being stamped steel, they are easy to deform when pressing bushings. To keep that from happening, use a piece of pipe to place between the bushing holes. You'll need to cut a slot lengthwise in the pipe so it can go over/around the mounting shaft and be removable when you're done. Now you can press the bushing in one side, then the other with the shaft in between using the large press and not worry about collapsing the arm. A normal vice just doesn't have a wide enough jaw opening to do the job.

 

.................................................. ...

 

OK.....
here's the control arms we are working with





first attempt... bushings have been in freezer for days... control arm hole honed and shiney...

greased the bushing exceptionally well... greased the cont. arm hole equally well...

placed the control arm in vice against padding to protect powder coat...
placed greasy bushing at hole opening and started closing vice
right off the bushing cocked sideways... since the rubber material is larger than the hole and larger than the metal bushing sleeve...

corrected angle and pressed on (pun intended) started moving (yea !)and realized that the control arm had cut the edge of the bushing material ( boo)..

stopped operation, kicked the table, cussed table..wiped all the grease off and took these pics...limped to computer to post for everyone to see...

ready for next set of suggestions/ideas/unkind remarks
always bearing in mind that the powder coat must remain pretty... i.e. no BFHs

pic #1 is the hole where it needs to be


pic #2 is what needs to go in above mentioned hole

 

well, that looks like its gonna be fun.

why did you freeze the bushing? make em smaller? but also made the rubber non-flexible..

Also as u are sliding the bushing into the arm, and the bushing has a collar on it, I would use a die grinder to soften the inside edge of the arm.

I would want the rubber flexible, so not cold.

and make sure u know which way the rods go in before pushing that second bushing in..

Sam

 

Take them to NAPA...

 

well, so far I haven't found anyone who wants to or is set up to press these bushings in..

one guy suggested shaving/turning/cutting the rubber 'bump' even with the steel sleeve to make it press in easier since the little rubber donut is what is causing all the trouble.

I'm wondering if this will cause any problems.. I cant see that this donut is what holds the bushing in place... it should be the friction fit of the sleeve?? right ???

tell me somebody if my thinking is flawed (on this subject..I know it is on other things)..



later
John