Control Arm Bushing Tool???

Hey guys, does anybody have any goods/bads of using a control arm bushing press like this??

http://www.toolplanet.com/product/N...040&gpla=pla&gclid=CMa44Lrz6bsCFa9aMgodlkgAbQ

I'm having an epic battle with installing all new energy suspension bushings and guess I'm going to have to break down and buy the right tool for the job (funny how that works). Anyway, let me know of any yays/nays of this thing because my shade tree ingenuity isnt cutting it, these dudes are TIGHT to get in.

Also, Ive heard these presses work for installing ball joints, is that true?? Ive got to install those as well, it'd be a nice added bonus if this tool would work for that application also.

I know about bracing the arm so it doesnt collapse, but any install tips/tricks are obviously more than welcome!!

 

We have used a similar tool on my 70 for the front control arms. Will have to do it again for the rears. We also use it in our shop on ball joints depending on the vehicle. Our kit is slightly larger than that but all in the same.

 

Thanks for the input Louie. I was going to wait around and see what the cumulative input was on here, but frankly I'm getting a little impatient/aggravated at the fight those stupid bushings put up, so I said screw it and ordered the tool. I needs me a rolling chassis soon!!!ray:

 

Post up your results! It made everything easier for us.

 

I definitely will. If I've got any glimmer of hope to get this car roadworthy by this year Ive got to get the move on, so I hope it takes care of the issue. Getting the old ones out was an absolute piece of cake once I got the procedure down, hopefully this will be the same (and if it'll do my ball joints that'll be icing on the cake!)

 

It will do ball joints, you can use it for u-joints, too. Usually they only come with so many adaptors. Like if you want to do a Ford truck ball joint, you would have to buy an add-on kit. It's a killer tool, very useful.

 

Funny you say that Jason, My last attempt (using a half-baked rig of multiple pieces of aluminum tubing, wood blocks, and a bench vise....don't ask...) I put the bushings in the freezer and the arms in front of the torpedo heater (to the point my mechanix gloves started smoking when I picked them up) and STILL couldn't get them in. I'm hoping this tool can hold up long enough to complete the job (front and rear upper and lower bushings, as in ALL of them). If it does, I'll consider it a win. I can borrow a ball joint press if need be, but Im really hoping it'll take care of these stubborn bushings.

 

Actually, yeah...an OTC ball joint press is what I have, too. After Jason said that I looked, and that tool is much smaller. I have seen people rig stuff up to do that, like pipe fittings, and threaded rods, and stuff. It's always nice to have the right tool.

 

Hmm, unfortunately I don't have my nasty old stockers handy. Wonder if I could find somebody here that has some stock ones to measure and compare against. For the record, I'm installing the energy suspension black poly kit. Double checked the part number and it looks correct. I'd hope there isn't some known production issue I missed....

 

If you are doing the bushings on the rear end HRPartsnStuff makes a tool & it works great.

 

I'm doing them all, front rear upper and lower. Literally every bushing on the car. I'll see how the one I ordered works out and look into the hr one if this one doesn't fly. Thanks for the tip!

 

I used the loaner tool from AutoZone when I did my front suspension. It looked similar to the one you show, maybe a little bigger though. It handled all the bushings fine, but wouldn't press the ball joints in.

 

Funny, I called every auto zone, Oreilly, and advance in the area and none of them had a bushing install tool. They all had ball joint tools which may have worked for the lowers and rear trailing arms, but that wouldn't help my issue with the uppers since they have the cross shaft so I was pretty much up a creek on that one.

 

Now that I think about it more, seems AutoZone called their tool a ball joint tool, but it worked great for the bushings. The upper shaft on my '64 uses a thread in style, so I didn't have to press those in. Sorry, didn't mean to mislead you. ou:Best of luck on your project!

 

No biggie Mike, didn't feel mislead at all. I wish I had the same situation as you, it would've saved me a hundred bucks!!ou:

My plan is to take some measurements and see what kind of interference fit I really do have between the new bushing cups and the bores, and if it is acceptable do the uppers first. If the tool survives that ok, I may proceed with the rest, or may get a heavier duty ball joint tool if this one struggles to avoid breakage. We shall see I suppose...

 

Actually, the upper shafts like my car has are a lot more expensive than the later years. So are the upper bushings for the rear end. I like the way the 64 uppers are designed though, with greasable fittings.

 

I'm not familiar with the earlier suspensions setups, so that interesting. The funny thing about this entire ordeal is after buying the energy suspension kit well over a year ago and just now having the facilities to restart construction, I had made the decision to go to all tubular arms. But after many discussions with my car-guy friends, they talked me into installing the bushings I already had laying around in order to get the car back on the road and as one put it, "start doing upgrades like that when you get bored with washing and waxing it", which I found to be a good theory since Im really jonesing to get it on the road after a 5 year hiatus. I guess as Woody Hayes put it, "Anything that comes easy aint worth a d#mn"...

Tools supposed to be in saturday according to the fedex tracking number. I'll report back with the results.