LCA bushing replacement - bottle jack

[thezentree]

Anyone use this bottle jack to push the LCA bushings out? https://www.amazon.com/Torin-Hydrau...8&qid=1518610793&sr=8-1&keywords=TORIN+12+TON

Just want to make sure it will actually fit between the LCA bushing bores before I order it.

TIA.

 

[thecole1098]

Why not use the bottle jack that came with the truck? Plenty of folks have used that one with success.

 

[Schyzo]

Why not use the drill method?

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[JayRolla]

The bottle jack trick is not the best. I think i bent my control arm and others have also.

 

[sleepydad]

The bottle jack trick is not the best. I think i bent my control arm and others have also.

I posted this a little bit ago, you don't need to do a bottle jack, nor do you need to torch the paint off... this worked great for me... but yes you need the tools.
[MENTION=158195]thezentree[/MENTION]

uppers
https://youtu.be/OUdORJvTVVg

lowers
https://youtu.be/f9yXcRsSrj8

 

[Lamer]

one time purchase, has everything you will need from now till the end.
service tool kit

if you need to press UBJ, or any control arm bushings, then rent the press kit from autozone, once you return it, you get all of your money back.

 

[sleepydad]

one time purchase, has everything you will need from now till the end.
service tool kit

if you need to press UBJ, or any control arm bushings, then rent the press kit from autozone, once you return it, you get all of your money back.

I'm not trying to be condescending... honest question. how do you use that to get the bushings out?

I can think of a couple of ways but... the tie rod puller could be used to do and I have done it. however if the bushing is really rusted into place the tie rod puller tines will break right off. don't ask me how I know that.

 

[JohnOfTheJungle]

I used the factory bottle jack and it worked, I don’t think I bent my LCA.

What I found to be the key is use the jack to get some pressure built up, but don’t overly force it.

With the pressure built up torch the outer metal shell of where the bushing is. After about a minute it will peel away and pop loose, then you can push it the rest of the way out.


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[sleepydad]

one time purchase, has everything you will need from now till the end.
service tool kit

if you need to press UBJ, or any control arm bushings, then rent the press kit from autozone, once you return it, you get all of your money back.

Why not use the bottle jack that came with the truck? Plenty of folks have used that one with success.

[MENTION=158195]thezentree[/MENTION]

<a href="https://imgur.com/Kq3NrIJ"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/Kq3NrIJl.jpg" title="source: imgur.com" /></a>

 

[Link12]

I'm going to replace mine when I install my SPC upper contrl arms and Toytec Boss lift but my 96 has the bushings that are not so fun to change. From what I read they are the same once you get them out and cut the sleeve out.

 

[thezentree]

Why not use the bottle jack that came with the truck? Plenty of folks have used that one with success.

Because I hadn't thought about that jack. This is one of those times that I question whether or not I am functionally retarded, hah.

Why not use the drill method?

Sent from my G3223 using Tapatalk

I don't know that I've seen the drill method.

I posted this a little bit ago, you don't need to do a bottle jack, nor do you need to torch the paint off... this worked great for me... but yes you need the tools.
[MENTION=158195]thezentree[/MENTION]

uppers
https://youtu.be/OUdORJvTVVg

lowers
https://youtu.be/f9yXcRsSrj8

This looks like the right way, but I don't have a shop press or anywhere to keep one right now. I'm limited to what I can do in the driveway.

 

[Unner]

You could try taking the arms by a shop with a press and see how much they would charge to do it. Or buy a press if you have the space to store it, they aren't expensive from Harbor Freight. I just bought new OEM arms because I was in a rush when I replaced mine, I don't regret that decision.

I'm going to replace mine when I install my SPC upper contrl arms and Toytec Boss lift but my 96 has the bushings that are not so fun to change. From what I read they are the same once you get them out and cut the sleeve out.

I don't think there is a difference in front LCA bushings between the years. Rear LCA they did change though.

 

[Link12]

You could try taking the arms by a shop with a press and see how much they would charge to do it. Or buy a press if you have the space to store it, they aren't expensive from Harbor Freight. I just bought new OEM arms because I was in a rush when I replaced mine, I don't regret that decision.



I don't think there is a difference in front LCA bushings between the years. Rear LCA they did change though.

Maybe that's what it was then. I will research it. I knew something prevented the 96 from flexing as good.

 

[sleepydad]

Because I hadn't thought about that jack. This is one of those times that I question whether or not I am functionally retarded, hah.



I don't know that I've seen the drill method.



This looks like the right way, but I don't have a shop press or anywhere to keep one right now. I'm limited to what I can do in the driveway.

the LCA are much beefier than the uppers. If you watch the vid I actually bent my UCA with the bottle jack... I should have just used my press.

it would be much harder to bend the LCA with a bottle jack. there is a hole in the tubing that holds the bushing, spray some penetrating oil in there for a day or so before you press the bushing out, I found it helps. plus if you use fire to heat it up it adds to the burning rubber, paint + oil bonus.

the FSM is really a great source of information and I always forget to look at it. if you lived in MN I would say stop over and we can extract the LCA bushing in about 15 mins on my press.

 

[kolelt]

Why not use the drill method?

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I saw a video of it. Pretty crafty if you ask me. Worth a try.

 

[mtbtim]

The bottle jack trick is not the best. I think i bent my control arm and others have also.

I've used the bottle jack technique 4 times now to replace LCA bushings and it's worked great every time. Like [MENTION=164146]JohnOfTheJungle[/MENTION] said above, you don't need to use a ton of force with the bottle jack. I load up the bushing with a moderate amount of force and then let the torch do the majority of the work after that. If I've applied a decent amount of heat and I still haven't seen any movement with the bushing sleeve yet, I apply a little more force with the bottle jack and that usually does it.

This is just one of those techniques you have to finesse and err on not applying enough force at first rather than too much. Without the right amount of heat, I could easily see somebody bending the control arms to force the bushings out.

It has been shown that you can do this successfully with a press. But, what makes the bottle jack technique so awesome is everybody has a bottle jack in their rig and you can pick up a butane torch from a hardware store for a very small investment. The bottle jack technique allows people with limited tools to do this repair and save themselves a ton of money.

 

[thezentree]

I saw a video of it. Pretty crafty if you ask me. Worth a try.

Do you have a link? The only video I could find looked like it would be great for a bushing without a sleeve, but won't work for these LCA bushings with the pressed in sleeve.

 

[Schyzo]

Because I hadn't thought about that jack. This is one of those times that I question whether or not I am functionally retarded, hah.



I don't know that I've seen the drill method.



This looks like the right way, but I don't have a shop press or anywhere to keep one right now. I'm limited to what I can do in the driveway.

https://youtu.be/t3JfM_gbzkA


That's the drill method. Won't work if you need to remove the sleeves also but if you replace with ES bushing you should be good to go.

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[JayRolla]

I've used the bottle jack technique 4 times now to replace LCA bushings and it's worked great every time. Like [MENTION=164146]JohnOfTheJungle[/MENTION] said above, you don't need to use a ton of force with the bottle jack. I load up the bushing with a moderate amount of force and then let the torch do the majority of the work after that. If I've applied a decent amount of heat and I still haven't seen any movement with the bushing sleeve yet, I apply a little more force with the bottle jack and that usually does it.

This is just one of those techniques you have to finesse and err on not applying enough force at first rather than too much. Without the right amount of heat, I could easily see somebody bending the control arms to force the bushings out.

It has been shown that you can do this successfully with a press. But, what makes the bottle jack technique so awesome is everybody has a bottle jack in their rig and you can pick up a butane torch from a hardware store for a very small investment. The bottle jack technique allows people with limited tools to do this repair and save themselves a ton of money.

Either way you look at it the bottle jack trick has potential risk to cause damage. Press not so much. I have used the bottle jack successfully also twice now. But if possible using a press or have a shop so the press work is best option.

 

[mtbtim]

Either way you look at it the bottle jack trick has potential risk to cause damage. Press not so much. I have used the bottle jack successfully also twice now. But if possible using a press or have a shop so the press work is best option.

I'm going to politely disagree with you. I have a 20 ton Harbor Freight press but I'd honestly still use the bottle jack technique. The press technique obviously works because I've seen a video of it but I don't like the fact that you can't get the LCA perfectly centered on the press. When you press the bushing out, the application of force is off center which I don't particularly like.

Sure you could farm out the press work to a shop but why give up some of your hard earned money when you can do the job yourself with a bottle jack and torch?

Like I said above, if you're careful with the application of force with the bottle jack and you use sufficient heat, you won't damage your LCA. Now, if somebody is careless and just cranks away with the bottle jack and uses little or no heat, sure, they're going to potentially destroy their LCA. Put a 20 ton press into the wrong hands and I'm sure they could mangle their LCA as well.

If I thought the bottle jack technique had a good potential to destroy the LCA, I wouldn't have made a video of it and shared it on YouTube.