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View Full Version : Rear upper control arm bushing install



BigBlockOlds
03-04-2009, 07:07 PM
How in the world do you get these back in properly????

I took them out originally to have my rear end powder coated. Got it back a few weeks ago and then had a tool made up to reinstall them.

My install tool is essentially steel cup on one side and a large flat washer on the other. I run a 7/16" bolt through everything and start to tighten things down. Everything seems to go fine and then everything just stops moving.
I ended up putting my impact gun on it and it could budge the bushing. Ended up breaking the bolt in half trying to get the nut back off.

I had put the bushings in the freezer and put a bit of chassis lube in the ears hoping it would help them just slide right in. No luck.

I'm at a loss now as to how to get these back in. Do you usually have to take it to a machine shop and have them press them back in?

This is all on the Ford 9" going in my '87.

Thanks,

oestek
03-04-2009, 09:28 PM
They can really suck, but you've got to get the pressure on the outer steel sleeve and pound 'em in. Don't try anything on the rubber or the inner steel tube, the rubber will just bounce your energy back at you and it won't budge. I've used a section of pipe that matches the outer sleeve and a big hammer. They usually go right in, provided there's no powder / paint in the holes! Be careful!

BigBlockOlds
03-05-2009, 08:19 PM
Thanks for the help. Finally managed to pop them in tonight. I went back over the holes and polished them a bit more and noticed there were a couple of burrs from where I must have nicked the edges when removing the other bushings. Took my die grinder to those and knocked them down, greased everything up and used my fancy new tool with a 2lb sledge and they just slid into place. https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif

oestek
03-05-2009, 09:31 PM
No problem, glad I could help.