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I appreciate the suggestion. Which rust buster did you use?
Have you tried this technique on the upper control arm bushings on the differential? and which bushing press are you using? One of the "C" clamp type or the puller type that pulls through the bolt hole?
Thanks
Loren _________________ Alabama Sprintman
"77 GMC Sprint (currently)
"73 Elky SS
"71 Elky
Necoa #: 31
Location: 8(OH,WV)
Joined: Jan 01, 2003
Posts: 270
Year: 1978
Model: El Camino
Posted: Thu Feb 12, 2004 1:21 am Post subject:
Loren,
I had to smile when I read Tommys post about the bushings being easy to change out. I have a fifth gen. that a local shop wanted $327.00 to replace my bushings. After doing it myself, I decided that the local shop was underpaid. When you press the old bushings out, put something (scrap metal etc.) inside the control arm on each side of the bushing. This will act as a gusset & add support to the arm when pressing the bushing out. I used a ball joint press for the diff. bushings. It is the C clamp type. I used this for removal, and replacing the new. The new bushings wont be as difficult to put back into the control arms as the old were, coming out. Grease them up good & a little persuasion with a rubber mallet & your good to go. I used a top grade marine grease (Amsoil) when reinstalling them & have had no problems with squeeking. Like Tommy said, this is an excellent opportunity to box your control arms in. Jon _________________ Z15 EL
NECOA Member#31
ECC Member#13
14.027 @ 99.80
Necoa #: 14
Location: 5(NC,SC)
Joined: Dec 07, 2001
Posts: 1761
Year: 1978
Model: El Camino
Posted: Thu Feb 12, 2004 6:06 am Post subject:
I boxed my arms before I removed the bushings. I found a piece a round medal stock that was the same size as the sleeve. Our base medal shop is great. Using our 10000 lb hyd press, they popped right out. The new poly bushings popped right in. _________________ 78 Camino SS, 355,built 700r4,3.23
Gallery78 Camino SS, 355,700r4,3.23
MSGT 145 AW
NECOA #14
Here is a pic of the control arms and sway I have on the way. The sway bracket kind of prohibits the use of a full boxing of the control arms. Now I could have the flat areas of the two ends boxed over the bushing holes. Do you think just the boxing would adequately support the pressing out of the old bushings, or do you think additional support would be necessary to prevent the deformation of the arm under the mega press. The base autoshop has a massively heavy duty hydraulic press.
A big vise, some spacers, and a BFH is all I need to remove and install the bushings.
I've used this method for several sets of both front control arms and rear trailing arms and it works like a charm. For spacers I took a piece of old galvinized fence post and cut it to the right lengths then cut them in half lengthwise. I wrap the spacers around the old bushing and open the vise slightly greater than the bushing. I then put the control arm on the vise and let the BFH do the rest. It usually pops out after a few sharp blows of the BFH. When installing the new bushing I use a little lube on the metal jacket of the bushing. I install the spacers and use the vise as a press to install them in the control arm. _________________ Ernie
87 El Camino
"To be Old and Wise, you must first be Young and Stupid"
Necoa #: 364
Location: 9(IN,KY,MI)
Joined: Jan 09, 2003
Posts: 1274
Year: 1978
Model: El Camino
Posted: Thu Feb 12, 2004 12:05 pm Post subject:
77sprint wrote:
That shop forman I was talking about said someone else used a torch to burn out the old rubber and then a hack saw to cut the outter sleeve. Even so, pressing in the new ones could calapse the arm too wouldn't it? and I am not up on the use of an air hammer to get bushings out and then back in..
Heat the rubber with a torch, if the bushing doesn't pop out on it's own, it can be pushed out by hand leaving the bushing sleave still in the arm. Using an air hammer, hammer the bushing sleave from the outside in. Doing this will make the sleave fall right out, by colapsing the wall of the bushing sleave, it realeases pressure all around it. Like others have said, find a stong piece of metal to use as a spacer to put in the arm to prevent it from shashing. I used a couple 3/4" grade 8 bolts. Putting them back in, lube the new ones, and they should slide right in with the use of a press. _________________ 1978 El Camino Conquista/SS, F-41 suspension, 350/T5/3:73
(More pics on pg 6 of 5th gen members rides)
Well, I got the rear lower arms and busings in and went ahead and installed the new sway bar without too much hastle. I am still trying to figure out how to get to the upper mounting bolts (really cramped area around the front end of the upper attachements) I am not too worried about that, but I am still fretting how to get those carrier mounted bushings out of the Diff housing. not much room up there. I am wondering if I am going to have to drop the whole rear end on the ground to get access to them. Actually what I am doing is procrastinating!!! I think I'm going to get the control arms out and find I can only change out the arm mounted busings,.... So I am just sitting on my can and hypothesizing the days away.... "This Old Timers" disease is a pain!! _________________ Alabama Sprintman
"77 GMC Sprint (currently)
"73 Elky SS
"71 Elky
Necoa #: 14
Location: 5(NC,SC)
Joined: Dec 07, 2001
Posts: 1761
Year: 1978
Model: El Camino
Posted: Thu Feb 26, 2004 10:18 am Post subject:
Just do it! Gee, Where have I heard that before. _________________ 78 Camino SS, 355,built 700r4,3.23
Gallery78 Camino SS, 355,700r4,3.23
MSGT 145 AW
NECOA #14
Necoa #: 31
Location: 8(OH,WV)
Joined: Jan 01, 2003
Posts: 270
Year: 1978
Model: El Camino
Posted: Thu Feb 26, 2004 12:22 pm Post subject:
I used a ball joint (C clamp type) press to remove and replace mine. It was quite cumbersome but effective. I did not remove the rearend to do it. There are some other style removing tools out there but I can't say whether they work or not. Jon _________________ Z15 EL
NECOA Member#31
ECC Member#13
14.027 @ 99.80
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