Right tools for the job! Rebuilt my front upper and lower control arms.

[edbods]

7.) custom made upper control arm mount to vise if not installing ball joints on the car.

Would this really be necessary? I just clamped the control arm in a vise on the longest side, then tightened up the ball joint with a long breaker bar. Or at least, I initially did that before just using a high torque impact while still in the vise, since it was a lot faster. First threaded it in by hand as far as it could go to prevent cross threading though. Recommend repainting the arm if you clamped it in a vise as it'll likely leave marks. Clamping the arm down like this at least saves the new bushings from being subject to the amount of force that tightening the ball joint with a breaker bar will generate, and it saves having to fab up a custom tool.

 

[Aquaman]

So now I’m ready to press in my pivot shafts into the lower control arms, was recommended in this order, press pivot shaft into bushing first, then pivot shafts with bushing already in it pressed into lower control arm. A 1 1/4x8 pipe with connector did the trick for me. On this step you need to press the lip of the outer bushing so it all goes in evenly together. I’ll let the pics do the talking. View attachment 507452View attachment 507453 View attachment 507454View attachment 507455 View attachment 507456View attachment 507457

I know this is an older post but I am doing this right now. Why put the pivot shaft into the bushing BEFORE installing the bushing into the lower control arm?

 

[73Coupe]

I know this is an older post but I am doing this right now. Why put the pivot shaft into the bushing BEFORE installing the bushing into the lower control arm?

This is just a guess....but....Perhaps so that you don't damage the bushing by pressing out the inner sleeve while the shaft is pressing in. If you're pressing the shaft into the bushing first, the bushing has backing on the other end so it remains intact.

Very pretty work, but I'm concerned a bit for the new upper control arm bushings when you torque that upper ball joint into the control arm! I recall reading somewhere that one shouldn't subject the upper bushings to this, as it may damage them.

I would think that forces applied on the bench from a torque wrench wouldn't be any greater than what the bushings experience from the car in motion. The wrench applies force only in one plane, while the suspension applies forces in all directions depending on what maneuvers the car is doing.

 

[Big_John]

I know this is an older post but I am doing this right now. Why put the pivot shaft into the bushing BEFORE installing the bushing into the lower control arm?

It can be done either way, but you have to back up the center bushing so it doesn't push out of the rubber. So it's way easier to push it in out of the LCA.

 

[edbods]

Why put the pivot shaft into the bushing BEFORE installing the bushing into the lower control arm?

I think the center sleeve that the pivot shaft sits in doesn't bottom out in the LCA, so you don't really know if you're pressing it in too far and thus damaging the rubber. I can only assume that the rubber is designed to withstand twisting forces and not so much axial forces.

 

[68 bee]

6.) angle grinder with cutoff wheel and some cold steel chisels ( for pivot pin inner bushing sleeve removal)

This step can be avoided by smacking the pivot pin inner bushing sleeve with a sledge hammer to deform the sleeve and use a vice grip
to pull it off. Don't be afraid to give it some really hard smacks all around the sleeve
Sometimes it just slips right off after hitting it with the hammer

 

[edbods]

Sometimes it just slips right off after hitting it with the hammer

Can confirm. The pivot shaft is incredibly hard/dense. I smacked it hard and good all around until the sleeve just slipped right off by hand. Absolutely no marring on the shaft. Wear hearing protection when you do this...

 

[73Coupe]

Can confirm. The pivot shaft is incredibly hard/dense. I smacked it hard and good all around until the sleeve just slipped right off by hand. Absolutely no marring on the shaft. Wear hearing protection when you do this...

That makes sense too. Smacking = stretching = no more press fit.

 

[Gerald Morris]

Can confirm. The pivot shaft is incredibly hard/dense. I smacked it hard and good all around until the sleeve just slipped right off by hand. Absolutely no marring on the shaft. Wear hearing protection when you do this...

Yes, the U.S. forged SUPERB steel from 1930-1970. Listen to that pin RING when struck right. I wonder what it would cost to forge something as good now....