86 Camaro IROC Z28 lower control arm bushings

ORVietVet

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If I had an air compressor, I would not even be asking. My neighbor knows a guy that bought his "mid-life crisis" car. The white 1986 IROC Z28 Camaro is straight and nice looking but someone has lowered it in the front, or at least he thinks so and he bought a 12 piece kit for center link, inner and outer tie rods and sleeves and idler arm with bracket and lower ball joints. It has struts instead of upper control arms. It is a 5.0 MFI engine. I told him to get a free front end inspection because I was not going to inspect for free. Ask to go in the alignment rack area and be shown what is wrong and take pics if can. I told him if the springs are original, they may just be sagged. I am curious about the lower control arm bushings. I can remove the lower arms, no problem. Ball joints, no problem. Replace coil springs, no problem. Control arm bushings....problem. I used to just air hammer them out but I have no compressor. I have heated and melted the rubber out before and removed the bolt sleeves. The outer metal housing is the problem. Best ways to remove. I do not have a sawzall to cut them and fold them in on themselves. So....I ask....any recommendations? I guess I could take to a shop and wait for however long for them to do them but I would prefer to do them myself, if it is feasible. Thanks for any help.
 

stutaeng

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Maybe with one those c-clamp type ball joint press they rent at the local parts stores?

I replaced the upper/lower control arm bushings on my 99 Silverado last year and the LCA are also stamped steel similar to that photo. I can't remember if I used the ball joint c clamp press or my shop press to install the new ones? I want to say it was the c clamp press...
 

someotherguy

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When I did control arm bushings on my '92 C1500 forever and a decade ago, I borrowed my buddy's Snap-on u-joint service kit, the big heavy duty C-clamp style. With a good variety of u-joint adapters and some various sizes of scrap pipe he'd included in the kit over the years, I was able to mount the clamp in the bench vise and drive the old bushings out. It wasn't fun but it got the job done. Then it was relatively easy driving the new polyurethane bushings in.

Richard
 

ORVietVet

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I have already told the guy that I will not do the control arm bushings and if he is gonna buy new arms, he can get them with the ball joints in them too. If I had the use of air and a big work bench and a big vise, all good and would have at it but at 72, I am just not gonna work that hard at it. It will be a big enough PITA to swap out the coils springs.
 

ORVietVet

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Talked to the guy tonight. He is gonna get some new lower control arms with poly urethane bushings and may reuse the springs that are in there now. He is gonna pay me to inspect the front end steering and suspension. It has KYB struts on it and a bigger sway bar with poly frame bushings and link bushings.

I am at least doing tie rods, center link and idler arm and bracket. Will deal with whatever I find during inspection. I want to make sure the steering gear sector shaft is ok and check the strut bearing plates.
 
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someotherguy

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Talked to the guy tonight. He is gonna get some new lower control arms with poly urethane bushings and may reuse the springs that are in there now. He is gonna pay me to inspect the front end steering and suspension. It has KYB struts on it and a bigger sway bar with poly frame bushings and link bushings.

I am at least doing tie rods, center link and idler arm and bracket. Will deal with whatever I find during inspection. I want to make sure the steering gear sector shaft is ok and check the strut bearing plates.
Will he be going poly on the uppers, too? It would be wise to not mix them, as the rubber and poly are very likely different durometers. The poly is gonna be stiffer.

Richard
 

ORVietVet

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The plan of action will be determined after I do my inspection on the steering and suspension.
 

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