URGENT: Lower Control Arm Bent??

[frodiesel]

Just to close my thoughts...if I took it to a shop with a press, it is unlikely they could return it back to its original shape, correct?

I wonder if it is no-oem with lower quality steel ?

Every aftermarket control arm i have seen for any vehicle IS manufactured from lower grade steel. It has to be cheaper somehow, right.

Once metal is bent it loses so much strength that bending it back will weaken it or break it, not worth any trouble. Its junk, heat would likely not do that to an oem arm. It may have been replaced by previous owner.

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[stever1000]

so let me see if I have this right. you guys are using a bottle jack between the bushings to push them out?

honestly, I would be surprised it they didn't bend. that's a serious NO NO way of doing things. especially with that design of arm.

each side of the arm/bushing needs supported against whatever is being used to press the bushing out. that way all the pressure is on that one end, and not trying to force the ends away from each other.

Yes I guess you could say I followed advice that I wouldn't recommend. Others have had good luck with this method, but not me.

I picked up a used OEM arm and took it to a shop to press out the bushings. I tried to go the cheap route, now its costing me more. Story of my life :rofl:

 

[kolelt]

I saw a poster where someone used a heavy duty strap so it doesn't bend. But I guess some people got lucky.

 

[AssBurns]

I recently bought a non OEM lower control arm and eventually cracked it. I'd stick with OEM wether it's new or used. Unfortunately new ones are a bit pricey so a pick-a-part might be a better option if you are in an area that doesn't get much rust. Sometimes the sleeves on the alignment cams are seized and you'll need a sawsall to cut the LCA's out.

 

[frodiesel]

I pushed mine out with the stock jack. They came out pretty easy....but after reviewing this thread i am going to get a set of used arms and used my press to install new bushings... crap. I have 65k on my current bushings.

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[stever1000]

I recently bought a non OEM lower control arm and eventually cracked it. I'd stick with OEM wether it's new or used. Unfortunately new ones are a bit pricey so a pick-a-part might be a better option if you are in an area that doesn't get much rust. Sometimes the sleeves on the alignment cams are seized and you'll need a sawsall to cut the LCA's out.

Where did you crack it?

 

[MStudt]

I've done several sets of LCA bushings with the bottle jack method. The issue that I've seen from others doing this is NOT heating enough. There's about a 1/4" hole on each bushing, and that's where you need to focus the heat. I would heat each bushing for a good 4-5 minutes with MAP gas before trying to press them out. If those are heated enough you won't need much pressure at all to pop them out.

I've successfully removed all of mine with 5 minutes of heat, and one pump of pressure on the bushing. Take a ball peen hammer, and start tapping around the LCA. Once the bushing pops free, use the jack to push it out. If you're having to apply more than 1 pump from the jack you're doing it wrong.

 

[I_bRAD]

I saw a poster where someone used a heavy duty strap so it doesn't bend. But I guess some people got lucky.

I'll say. If the bushing doesn't come out before the strap breaks it could get exciting!

 

[AssBurns]

In addition to what [MENTION=98153]MStudt[/MENTION] does, I also spray some PB Blaster on the bushings before I do anything else. It helps loosen things up. Last time I did the bushings, I sprayed PB Blaster on them the day before I pressed them out. Doing this plus lots of heat eliminates the need for a lot of force.

 

[stever1000]

I've been several set of LCA bushings with the bottle jack method. The issue that I've seen from others doing this is NOT heating enough. There's about a 1/4" hole on each bushing, and that's where you need to focus the heat. I would heat each bushing for a good 4-5 minutes with MAP gas before trying to press them out. If those are heated enough you won't need much pressure at all to pop them out.

I've successfully removed all of mine with 5 minutes of heat, and one pump of pressure on the bushing. Take a ball peen hammer, and start tapping around the LCA. Once the bushing pops free, use the jack to push it out. If you're having to apply more than 1 pump from the jack you're doing it wrong.

Thanks, I definitely didn't heat it that long. Lesson learned.

 

[JohnOfTheJungle]

On the first LCA I was trying to press mine out with the bottle jack and it got really hard, I was really cranking. Then I realized that the washer was probably too tight to fit through the hole.

Once I cut the washer off (and used heat on the outside to melt the rubber) they came out with little pressure.

I checked them against each other and I don't think I bent that first one, or if I did it was minimal, but I definitely felt like I would have if I pushed it further.

 

[Rock_Rat]

Sawzall, Diablo blade, and a press if you have the room in your garage for one. I'm preparing a set for [MENTION=7105]Scramble[/MENTION] now. I'll try and post up a video instead of pics this time. Here's the link of the ones I did for my rig. Lower Control Arm Bushings

So far the Whiteline bushings are doing fine.