Upper & lower rear control arm

[Poorboy64]

Part of my suspension redo will be the rear upper & lower control arm bushings, I have the front end apart up on jack stands waiting on parts, My question is with the front end up in the air rear tires on the ground could I remove the upper control arms without having to manipulate the axle to reinstall them, I know the lowers need to be but the uppers?

Thanks,

 

[Twisted Sid]

Just do one side of the uppers at a time and the axle should not move much at all

 

[RandyBobandy]

Just do one rear link at a time, they are pretty easy to do bushings on. You may need to use the jack to apply a little force on the rear axle to get everything lined up but it shouldn’t be much of an issue. The rears are super easy compared to the front

 

[Devbot]

Doing one link at a time will minimize the amount your axle will want to travel, but it's very typical of 4-link for it to shift slightly even then. Just have a ratchet strap handy and you'll be fine. I just replaced all my rear trailing arm bushings a couple months ago and I believe 2/4 of the links went back in as easy as they came out. The other two needed just tinniest bit of help getting a bolt through - maybe 1/4in off at most, but still too much.
I assume you're aware the lower trailing arms have sleeved bushings that are a little tricky to get out; if not keep a hacksaw nearby. Loop it through the socket and slowly cut your way through the sleeve (you'll probably cut into the socket a little bit but it won't hurt anything). Two cuts are better but one will do just fine. Once you're certain you're through, take a punch or sturdy bolt and try to pound it through. It might help to try and pry it away from the trailing arm to help break the bond between the two. If you've cut all the way through it should come out with a couple smacks, so if it's fighting you try going back to the saw.

 

[Poorboy64]

Thanks for the help,
So the lower rears are a little more difficult then the front upper and lower bushings? Removed them with a Harbor Freight C-clamp ball joint press along with the upper ball joint, those were the toughest yet!
Just thinking with my rear tires still on the ground (only 2 jack stands) I wouldn’t be able to manipulate the axle if need be.

 

[Devbot]

Thanks for the help,
So the lower rears are a little more difficult then the front upper and lower bushings? Removed them with a Harbor Freight C-clamp ball joint press along with the upper ball joint, those were the toughest yet!
Just thinking with my rear tires still on the ground (only 2 jack stands) I wouldn’t be able to manipulate the axle if need be.

If I'm not mistaken the UCA/LCA bushings are a similar style; having a sleeve pressed in. If you have something that can fit it can absolutely be pressed out, though I'm not sure if a C clamp will be big enough. A hydraulic press would obviously work though and a press sleeve kit from your local hardware store will probably help greatly - if you have a press, that is. But to answer your question no, they're much easier since you don't have to deal with that wishbone shape
In regards to your jack stand dilemma, I think you might be left with buying a couple more jacks. I initially tried doing the job without them, thinking that would actually help keep things more in place, but all it did was prevent the axle from moving when I needed it to - the drag of the tires was too much. Using just a floor jack might suffice for the job but I have a feeling it won't want to support the axle evenly given the shape of the rear diff. It might be possible to just keep one tire on at a time this way, but idk if it would be any easier.

 

[HiluxSurf SSR-G]

for MY 1996-1998, the rear lower control arms have captive bushings. One can purchase PU bushings to replace the bushings.
For MY 1999-2002, the rear lower control arms have replaceable bushings. because of their design, these bushings allow for more articulation compared to the bushings from the MY 1996-1998. One can use the rear lower control arms from the MY 1999-2002 to replace those from MY 1996-1998.


The upper control arms for MY 1996-2002 have captive bushings but can be replaced with PU bushings.

 

[theesotericone]

Just thinking with my rear tires still on the ground (only 2 jack stands) I wouldn’t be able to manipulate the axle if need be.

You want the rear tires on and weight on them when you manipulate the axle. Chock both tires well and you shouldn't have to manipulate it at all. If you do just ratchet strap from the axle to move it where you need it. The panhard will prevent left to right so you only need to worry about forward or back if it shifts at all.