Most know that I am a big advocate of jumping in there and doing it yourself even if we have to talk you through it. In this case I'm going to change that. If you do not consider your self a very experienced home wrench/fabricator with good tools, a good well equipped shop, preferably with a lift, and have lots of experience coming up with creative problem solving ways to fix things please do not try to replace control arm bushing on anything. There is a reason that shops charge $1000 or more to do this job! I consider myself all the above and this job is kicking my butt/hand LOL. Partially because of a couple of decisions that I MADE at specific stages that locked me into a certain course of action. 1st let me say that unlike most frames mine is not rusty. The hardware is in good shape. So it could be much worse!!!!!!!
I broke several tools today and probably my left thumb/hand in a couple of places AGAIN! If not broken then much soft tissue has been turned to hamburger. This has been done a few times before in the same spot in the same way. I don't really enjoy it much anymore.
BFH!!!!!!!! Linemans hammer also known as a long handled 3lb sledge. It hurts real good when a big mug like me swings it as hard a space allows and it hits flesh several times.
This is a small old high quality craftsman cold chisel that had a run in with that hammer today in the course of duty. It was made for hitting with a hammer. Just one of several tools that were broken.
1st a couple of pics of the patient/trooper parts.
The bushings look like this. front new on right, old inner sleeve in the middle, What's left of the old outer sleeve on the left.
Rear same deal. It's bigger and the outer sleeve is a bit thicker(important detail).
The idea here is to take a drill bit or 2 (or many in my case today) and drill through the rubber bushing in many places tearing it up. Once this is done if necessary use a jig saw and cut all the way around the inner sleeve through the rubber so the sleeve can be removed. This just leaves the outer sleeve in the frame. Then you take a Hacksaw and put the blade through the bushing and reassemble the saw. Now cut the outer sleeve most of the way through so you don't cut or damage the frame part. Then it should be a simple matter of driving a small punch or chisel between the sleeve and frame at the cut folding the sleeve inwards drawing it away from the frame and breaking the tight fit. Often a bigger chisel can be used to open this cut all the way from end to end and the sleeve comes right out. I've done this many times on leaf spring bushing and some frame bushing such as these. See the above pics.
The front bushing on the drivers side went well. Too well. Which coaxed me into short cutting the longer rear bushing on that side. The front ones have a small outside flange. I didn't even need to cut it with a saw just bent it inwards and cut it with a big cold chisel. I then cleaned up the frame mount and greased it and the bushing and slid the new bushing 1/2 way in by hand. A home made jig of 1/2" all thread some big washers and a couple of sockets finished the job.
Sorry dark pic.
Now the rear bushing on the drivers side. Here after known as the unholy mother of hell! When I started drilling the rubber my drill bit slid to the inner sleeve in went in right against it. It's hard to start the bit in this springy rubber. You can't exactly center punch it. Anyway once the drill went through it just zinged all the way around the inner sleeve pulling itself along. It only took a minute and completely cut all the way around that sleeve. I drilled a couple more holes and the sleeve came out fine. Unfortunately most of the rubber was left. That ended up being a big problem. I just kinda gouged out a couple of places and went for the chisel just like on the front one.
There is not much room for a hacksaw there because of the front axle/diff housing. My support blocks were under the transmission cross member which made the sawzall too long.
What the heck the front one was easy wheres my hammer. It started all right but the bigger bushing has a thicker sleeve and it was bonded to the frame after 22 years. By the time I realized the rubber was keeping the sleeve from folding in very well I had a mess of folded metal and no way to get the saw in there even after I moved my frame support blocks. So I just decided to chisel the hell out of it.
'm used to swinging that big hammer and it still didn't take long for my arm to get tired. Which doesn't help accuracy in tight spots laying on your side on the hammer arm. I beat on that thing with a couple of different hammers and several different chisels. Small chisels to lift the sleeve from the wall. Big chisel to cut and spread. I beat on that thing for over an hour. So long my BIL/neighbor who is also a gear head (heeper) came over to see what I was beating on. I even put a big drill bit in the drill and chewed away some rubber.
Anyway I beat that thing with the BFH and missed or glanced into my hand several times. That's why big cold chisels now have hand guards. I was wearing gloves which help a little. I finally got it out as the pic above shows but I paid for it. I'm going to have a bit of cleanup in the frame hole with the die grinder to smooth it back out. Then still have to press in the bushing and I still have the other side to do.
We'll see how the hand works tomorrow. Tonight it's useless. Can't bend the thumb and forefinger or hold anything. I'll add a couple of new air tools to my arsenal before I do any more. An air saw and a air hammer with a chisel set. The rest of these will get cut through on 2 sides before I get out the chisel. Might have to just mow grass instead tomorrow. The tractor has power steering!
I used to brag about the fact that in 300k miles and 11 years I never once cussed my 1st Trooper while working on it. Because I didn't. It was a dream to work on after the Ford Ranger it replaced. Sure can't say that about Red Beans. Not even close. This truck has fought me more than just about anything I've ever owned.