tricks to remove control arm bushings?

[lostforawhile]

as you know i've been busy being aggrevated by suspension repairs for weeks,I found a right lower control arm yeaterday at the junkyard, got it out in twenty minutes without destroying anything before they closed, my question has anyone found an easier way to get those %^$$#@$**&^ bushings out? last time I had to push the rubber part through the metal part,then take a hacksaw blade and cut each metal ring into pieces,before chiseling them out. they don't push out because after 20 years,the metal outer part of the bushing has rusted and coldwelded itself to the arm. if you try to press it out,it will just deform being so thin. any ideas? I did the left a couple of years ago,it's been in my spare parts,now I have to do the right,before i can rebuild the arms.

[Vanilla Sky]

most shops burn them out. that's what they do around here.

[88Accord-DX]

I went through the same thing in May of this year. I end up cutting the lower controm arm bolt with a torch. (one on the frame)

That damn bushing (center piece which is metal) ends up rusting onto the bolt. Good luck, either torch it out or use a hacksaw with lots of pateince.

Edit- I got a new bolt from Honda dealer, didn't cost nothing cause I was little aggrivated & they knew it. I beleive it is about 3 1/4" inches long & you only want threads on the last inch... I just about jacked the threads up trying to back the bolt out & the collar peice bent so far out, then I realized it was time to break out heavy artillary.

[lostforawhile]

I went through the same thing in May of this year. I end up cutting the lower controm arm bolt with a torch. (one on the frame)
That damn bushing (center piece which is metal) ends up rusting onto the bolt. Good luck, either torch it out or use a hacksaw with lots of pateince.
Edit- I got a new bolt from Honda dealer, didn't cost nothing cause I was little aggrivated & they knew it. I beleive it is about 3 1/4" inches long & you only want threads on the last inch... I just about jacked the threads up trying to back the bolt out & the collar peice bent so far out, then I realized it was time to break out heavy artillary.

OH I didn't have any trouble getting the arm out of the car,it's gettting the remainder of the bushing out of the arm after knocking the center of them out,the metal piece that presses into the arm. I didn't have to burn them out,I just used a press to knock the center of the bushing out. it's getting the rest of it to let go of the arm is the problem.

[Fuzy Navel]

Here is my lower strut bushings... I just heated the rubber with MAP GAS chipped all of that rubber out till i could get the center part free then just bent a corner with a chisel and a hammer and when i got it bent down just took a air chisel and chiseled the stupid thing out


http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2006-...4/Bushing1.JPG

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2006-...4/Bushing2.JPG

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2006-...4/Bushing4.JPG

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2006-...4/Bushing5.JPG

[lostforawhile]

I was going to take a picture of the remainder of this bushing,but it looks exactly like the one you already took. I did score up the inside of the arm a bit with the chisel,but what can you do? I was up at the plant and had to do it the old fashiond way, with a manual powered hammer and chisel.

[lostforawhile]

ok what did you use to put the new ones back in? I can probably make something but if there is something that already works let me know, I still can't find the source of the clunk,was just under the car,everything is tight,I checked the stering rack mounting bolts,pulled the rack cover,checked the hidden mounting bolts, checked the inner tie rod ends,everything is tight. can't find anything loose at all. the only thing left is these lower control arms,just getting ready to put in the bushings.

[dreilly]

Hi, I'm new to this forum. (87 accord lxi hatch) My lower control arm inner bolt head snapped off. Any advice other than cutting it off flush to get the arm out of the way and drilling the bolt out? By the way, the outer one froze too and the bushing just spun with the bolt so I cut it off with a sawzall with a carbide impregnated blade. Worked good. Regular metal blade just dulled; must be hardened steel. Do 89-91 civics use same arms as accords? I'm parting out my 91 and it looks similar, thought i'd ask. Thanks,David

[Oldblueaccord]

I'm not sure but I think the civic lower arm are the same. I have contacted many companies but I could never confirm it.They make aluminium lower arms for civics and sperical bearings Im interested in.

Its pretty common for the front long bolt to get stuck but the rear not so much. Keep soaking it with some penetrating oil,i like PB Blaster and if you have heat use it as well. That bolt goess into the frame and is enclosed I believe so messing up the threads might cause you a big headache.

As far as the bushing I took the arm out and just burned the bushing out. I never was able to press out the metal sleeve.

wp

[88LXi68]

Why not just take it to a machine shop and have them press or burn them out? That is what I do with all my hard to remove bushings. It is cheap and doesn't was your time nor cause you to get frustrated.

[dreilly]

I'm not sure but I think the civic lower arm are the same. I have contacted many companies but I could never confirm it.They make aluminium lower arms for civics and sperical bearings Im interested in.
Its pretty common for the front long bolt to get stuck but the rear not so much. Keep soaking it with some penetrating oil,i like PB Blaster and if you have heat use it as well. That bolt goess into the frame and is enclosed I believe so messing up the threads might cause you a big headache.
As far as the bushing I took the arm out and just burned the bushing out. I never was able to press out the metal sleeve.
wp

[dreilly]

Yeah, I haven't been able to confirm it either. As I mentioned, the rear bolt head is broken off now so I'm thinking of cutting through the control arm to eliminate about half of the rear "hub" to give me some clearance and trying to beat the rest of it off the bolt, then use wd40 ( or whatever ), heat and visegrips on the remaining part of the bolt. I'll let you know if it works. Regards, David

[cygnus x-1]

Since the bolt head is already snapped off I think the least destructive thing to do now is to cut the bolt on the tail side as close to the control arm as possible. That will get the control arm out without damage and might leave enough of a stub on the bolt to get some vise grips on it. But you'll probably end up having to drill the bolt out of the weld nut. Depending on how much the threads get damaged in the process (on the weld nut) you can: retap, drill out larger and put in a helicoil, drill out larger and use a longer bolt with another nut behind the weld nut, or just grind the weld nut off and use a regular nut and washer.

C|

[2drSE-i]

just to be clear, the LCA bushings and shock bushings that go into the LCA's have to be pressed in right?

[MessyHonda]

just to be clear, the LCA bushings and shock bushings that go into the LCA's have to be pressed in right?

sure does....i think we have poly replacements for thoes parts

[2drSE-i]

we do thats why i was asking