Steering: Control Arm Bush Removal?

[AidXC90]

Hello Forum,

I'm replacing all four front lower control arm (wishbone arm) bushes on my '55 reg D5. Removing the arms yesteday wasn't too bad and today I managed to use my 10 ton press to pop out the rear bushes quite easily - came out with a nice couple of satisfying BANGS
But the front bushes are different as they are at right angle to the rears, so they don't fit in the press. Unlike the rear bushes, the fronts have a metal shaft running through them, so the sort of "thread-bar and washers" option doesn't even work. I've wire-brushed the outer shell to arm joint with Plus Gas to make it easier in anticipation, but I'm not sure how to actually press them out in the first place
Does anyone on here have any tips on how to remove the old front ones and press in the new ones?

[Tannaton]

I usually chop off the metal inserts and then press them out as normal. If they're really bad you can sometimes get the rubber out and use a hacksaw blade to cut the metal outer of the bush.

[AidXC90]

Originally Posted by Tannaton

I usually chop off the metal inserts and then press them out as normal. If they're really bad you can sometimes get the rubber out and use a hacksaw blade to cut the metal outer of the bush.

Good tip about chopping off the inserts, Tannaton, thanks. But how do you "press them out as normal?" Do you use a store-bought bearing puller or a press with some sort of adapter or a diy affair?

[luggsey]

I know the arms are alloy otherwise some burn out the rubber with a torch.
Brutal!

[ts72]

You could try making one of these or similar :

http://forums.swedespeed.com/showthread.php?144113

[jgjones095]

How similar are the wishbones to v70/ xc70 ones?
I have just finished polybush in a spare set and drilled / burned /hacksawed the old bushes out.
Used a big vice to put the new ones back in.

[AidXC90]

I don't know how similar or different these ones are to the V70/ XC70s.
But so far I've managed to press out the rubber and metal insert in the centre of the front bushing - they came out easily although holding the whole arm stable and vertical in the press while operating the press wasn't great fun - and then resorted to the old fashioned hacksaw and metal chisel method to get the shells out without damaging the arms. They came out okay after about ten minutes or so of cutting two grooves in the shell with the hacksaw and belting the piece of shell between the grooves with a lump hammer and chisel to collapse the shell and drive it out.
Now I need to source just the right sizes of metal pipe to use in the press: one large enough to support the control arm's front "doughnut" off the press arbor plate so that the arm's geometry doesn't foul the press ram, and another one small enough to press the front bushing in.

I'll let you know how it goes, and if I can figure out why I suddenly can't post pictures, I'll post a few as a talking point.