So, I thought I would post this for anyone that is replacing their control arm bushings. I was replacing mine on my 94 4runner, with Energy Suspension bushings and I needed to save the metal sleeves for the front control arms. It seems like there is a variety of methods people use to get the old bushings out and I've tried three so far this week.
First, I tried pressing them out with a home-made press (large vice), socket, and a piece of pipe to catch the bushing. That was a total failure. I snapped the turn bar off the vice and wasn't able to get enough force to get the bushing out. Next, out of frustration, I started lighting the bushings on fire. I wouldn't recommend it, even though a lot of people seem to take this route. It makes a mess, smells terrible, and I can't get the stuff off my hands. I was only able to get two bushings out of the UCAs this way. Finally, I went with the hole saw method. Get a hole saw that is bigger diameter than the sleeve in the middle, but smaller than the outer sleeve and cut right through the bushing. It takes a while but you will get it. Then, I took a wire brush wheel that was about the size of the out sleeve and ground all the left over rubber out leaving a nice clean hole for the new bushings. Same thing for the rubber left on the inner sleeve, just take the wheel with the sleeve in a vice (or held tight some way) and clean it up. What I learned was the last method produces the least frustration and mess and that rubber is way easier to work with if it hasn't been melted. It just leaves you a nice little pile of rubber dust that can easily be swept up.
Just thought maybe some others would like to try this way of doing it. I researched a lot on the web and mostly only saw people pressing them out or lighting them on fire. This is a good way to get them out if you don't have a nice press and I wish I would have had this info myself, so doing the front arms hadn't turned into a two day ordeal.
First, I tried pressing them out with a home-made press (large vice), socket, and a piece of pipe to catch the bushing. That was a total failure. I snapped the turn bar off the vice and wasn't able to get enough force to get the bushing out. Next, out of frustration, I started lighting the bushings on fire. I wouldn't recommend it, even though a lot of people seem to take this route. It makes a mess, smells terrible, and I can't get the stuff off my hands. I was only able to get two bushings out of the UCAs this way. Finally, I went with the hole saw method. Get a hole saw that is bigger diameter than the sleeve in the middle, but smaller than the outer sleeve and cut right through the bushing. It takes a while but you will get it. Then, I took a wire brush wheel that was about the size of the out sleeve and ground all the left over rubber out leaving a nice clean hole for the new bushings. Same thing for the rubber left on the inner sleeve, just take the wheel with the sleeve in a vice (or held tight some way) and clean it up. What I learned was the last method produces the least frustration and mess and that rubber is way easier to work with if it hasn't been melted. It just leaves you a nice little pile of rubber dust that can easily be swept up.
Just thought maybe some others would like to try this way of doing it. I researched a lot on the web and mostly only saw people pressing them out or lighting them on fire. This is a good way to get them out if you don't have a nice press and I wish I would have had this info myself, so doing the front arms hadn't turned into a two day ordeal.
