Old bushing removal hints

[jp02ti]

I've been hacking away with a box cutter, but it seems slow and ineffective. I'm replacing the front end bushings (control arms, sway bar) and I'm hoping to not remove the ball joint to get the bushing out of the control arms. And hints or tips?

Next of course is the trailing arms and diff hanger. Another weekend me thinks...

Jon

[wess02]

sumtimes the search isnt very helpful, but when it comes to questions posted multiple times it proves successful.

http://www.bmw2002faq.com/component/option,com_forum/Itemid,57/page,search/mode,results/?search_keywords=bushing+AND+removal&search_author=&search_forum=3&search_time=0&search_fields=all&search_cat=2&sort_by=0&sort_dir=DESC&show_results=topics&return_chars=200

[c.d.iesel]

well - if it's the front lower control arms?

you should just remove them and replace with new

arms with the new rubber bushings already installed,

from BMW of course. Very inexpensive those arms,

and urethane is not needed at that part.

20+ year old arms are usually bent one way or teutter

by hamfisted shops/tow drivers so yer alignment suffers.

[jdm1602]

Jon,

I'm with CD on this. New control arms with bushings already pressed in is the way to go. Do the ball joint at the same time.

[jp02ti]

I'm going urethane, this is the beat up '70 not the ti.

Believe it or not, I did actually try the search and failed to get the same set of results. Poor search form. I figured the MUST be lots of info out there, I just couldn't get it to show up!

[Guest Anonymous]

Get a socket that will push the old bushing through (just big enough to push on the metal sleeve part), and also have a socket that will "receive" the old bushing on the other side (the whole messy thing).

Heat the metal around the bushing a little with propane or similar and use a big vise to push the old bushing through. DONE.... now install the new urethane bushings and be happier than ever. Don't but new arms and go back to the crummy stock bushings please.

[dlhoovler]

I used the heat method: Turn a propane torch on the metal sleeve inside the bushing (not the bushing itself!) until the rubber around the sleeve melts a little. Once it does, grab the sleeve with pliers and yank it out. Then the rest of the bushing can be pushed out fairly easily with a big screwdriver. This takes all of a minute per bushing. Just be ready to snuff out any burning rubber--if you're like me, you will catch at least one bushing on fire, so you probably don't want to do this under the car.

-Dave