· Chris Hammond
Last Updated
OEM Bushing Update
Explore a DIY method of pressing out the bushings from OEM upper control arms, from burning the rubber part to using a hacksaw and a chisel.
Today I went to a machine shop (twice as he wasn’t open the first time) to try to have the bushings pressed out of the OEM upper control arms. Unfortunately the didn’t think he was going to be able to press them out due to the way the oem bushings are shaped.
I ended up coming home and going back to the approach that John from BetaMotorsports suggested earlier in the day on a forum.
- Burn out the rubber part of the stock bushings and push the center out.
- Take the blade of your hacksaw and thread it through the bushing opening.
- Reassemble the hacksaw and cut one or two slits in the steel outer bushing shell.
- Using a chisel, carefully curl the cut corners of the steel outer shell into the center.
- At some point you should be able to push the shell out.
So tonight I came home and completed step 1 on all 4 of the bushings (I had one done yesterday). Unfortunately I don’t have a hack saw! Tried to stop by Ace Hardware on the way home, but they were closed. So I’ll head somewhere tomorrow and grab one and hopefully get through steps 2-5. I doubt I’ll have the car back on the road tomorrow night, but hopefully I can get it done Wednesday.
I also got the Longacre Alignment tools from SoloPerformance today so I can align the car after all these changes.