Replacing bushings in tubular control arms?

So I'm refreshing the suspension on the 1990 Rotus 7 I got last month.

I got everything apart, now I'm trying to figure out how to replace the bushings. The tube is 1.5" OD x .125" wall, the bushing OD is 1.28-ish" OD w/.625" ID. I don't have a press, and even if I did I'm not sure how I would support the A-arm since the bushing flange OD is also ~1.5". 

Additionally the upper arm has bushings pressed in both ends and what appears to be a third bushing in between the outers. 

It looks like this pusher-puller set may work...

Open to suggestions!

I've burned the rubber out, then chiseled out the outer sleeve.

I've run a drill bit between the inner and outer sleeve - if it goes well, it either removes the rubber, or "walks" the rubber out of the outer sleeve, then chisel the sleeve. If it goes wrong, you break bits.

There's probably a better way, but none of them are usually fun.

I've cut the flange off one end of bushings and then used a similar sized piece of tube and a series of bolts to draw the old bushings out and the new bushings in. This was to replace bushing on a Miata suspension. The homemade tube/tool has a slot cut down one side so I can easily get the old bushing out of the tube.

Edit: Sorry, if your bushings are metal sheathed my gizmo won't work. Miata bushings are rubber.

That looks like it's gonna suck. Can you maybe get something like a 3 jaw pulley puller to 'push' the bushing out? You'd need to get the hooks of the puller in between the bushing lip and the tube, and you'd need a washer system to spread the center screw load out as close as possible to the ID of the tube.

The pusher puller set you linked might work if you cut the bushing lip off first.

And in general I've had good luck with sets similar to that one. The method I mentioned would basically do the same thing but You might be able to get the jaws to hook into the tube under the bushing lip.

Final thought , maybe with heat on the tube you can use a chisel/punch and hammer on the lip to get them out. They don't look rusted or anything so you may get enough force that way.

For the A-arm I might try running a length of threaded rod through both bushings and have nuts and washers on it to push both bushings outward. It's going to depend on how locked in those things are. The rocker arm is still a puzzle on how to do it.

Robbie (Forum Supporter) said:

Final thought , maybe with heat on the tube you can use a chisel/punch and hammer on the lip to get them out. They don't look rusted or anything so you may get enough force that way.

I've heated rubber bushings before. A cheap heat gun from Harbor Freight will get it plenty hot.

OK, well I feel a little better since y'all don't see a dead simple way either 

I appreciate the ideas! Hoping to avoid fire, but the heat gun might get enough to expand the tube a bit.

Also thinking about trying a 5/8" concrete anchor bolt to try to hold onto the ID, then coming up with a puller of  some sort. 

Hayduke said:

Also thinking about trying a 5/8" concrete anchor bolt to try to hold onto the ID, then coming up with a puller of  some sort. 

 

Oh, that's clever.

fastest way Ive found for like 95% of bushings Ive done is a hammer or air hammer. If you are using a sledge, make some kind of support so you arent deforming the arm. If the sleeves have lips a little penetrating oil and a good air hammer has pretty much always worked.

Ive never had to resort to burning them, or using the drill to remove the rubber. I have serviced a few on the car where I used a specialty installer or a ball joint press.

Don't cut the lip off!  
 

drill and cut  out the rubber, then use air hammer/chisel to push on the lip on both ends ( but pushing same direction)   Deforming the outer sleeve and collapsing it in helps too

Yeah, this kinda sucks. The up-side is what I thought was a third bushing in the rocker arm is actually a  thick wall steel tube, just perfect for pressing the bushings out... if only I had a press...

I managed to drill out the rubber on all 8 and got one shell out using a hacksaw to cut a slot axially, then beat/chiseled the shell out, took about an hour... 7 more to go. 

I tried making a puller for the rocker but the shell wouldn't budge with the force I was able to give it. 

Heading to Harbor Freight in the morning...

Just thought I'd update the thread, it took a while (like 2+ days) and it was a PITA, but the new bushings are in place... woot!

I had everything cleaned up and ready for an initial re-assembly with the "last" step replacing the steering rack with a reman unit, only to discover the original steering rack has been narrowed ~3", so I've got a new inner rod end on the way, hope that's about all that's wrong with the old one...