Urgent question about lower control arm bush removal

[B4 Dave]

Hi Guys this is urgent,

I think the heading says it all, this afternoon i pulled my front end appart with the half ambitious task of, replacing front struts to newer ones with STI pink springs on them, instaling whiteline sway bar, installing whiteline anti lift kit and whilst i was at it i decided i should do the front bush on the lower control arms as well. I mean it was already pulled appart and all the stuff i had ordered came in today, including those nylothane bushings, so why not?

Ok anti lift kit in, springs will not go in tonight as i need a spring compressor to reseat my gen 3 strut tops onto the gen 4 struts, slight difference in the size of the stud pattern! But the thing that is killing me is the bushing on the front end of the lower control arm.
I initially gave it a few decent hits with a hammer, resulting in no movement at all. then i thought the clever thing to do would be to get a short length of pipe the same diameter as the end of the control arm and using a clamp squeeze the original bushing out into the waiting section of pipe. Result absolutely nothing except a bent clamp! Now that is no peice of cheap chinees shit, thats a very decent british made clamp, I have used two just like it to bend a 250mm steel chanel section about 30mm over a 6m length, about its strong axis!

Any ideas on how to get these things out?

The only other thing i can think of is getting the gas axe in there and burning the cetre of the bushing out, but that type of solution will probably cause me all sorts of issues such as melting or anealing the alloy of the lower control arm which will probably have very negative impacts on the structural soundness of that element.

I have most of my front suspension in peices right now and i want to finish!!! Please any decent suggestions?????????

Thanks dave

[jimbo]

I just had phat replace mine and his press went up to 2500 psi pushing them out. He said sometimes it can go up to 4000 so unless you can swing a hammer at 2500 psi your gonna struggle. Take them to a suspension shop and get to do it. Shouldn't be much in labour cause you've done the hard part

[swingn]

You really need a press to remove it... Like a 3 tonne press.

Highly recommend not trying to do it yourself.

[B4 Dave]

Thanks Jim,

not really what i wanted to hear but thanks all the same.

Dave

You know that gives me an idea, if i get a small bottle jack in there, between the front and rear mounting points on the lowre control arm, i might be able to creat my own personal press. wonder if it would tear the lower control arm open?

[jimbo]

Also if they want to cut them out walk away. It's not needed as a good press works fine without damaging the control arm.

[B4 Dave]

A press, i need to get to my welder, personal press powered by bottle jack here i come!

thanks guys!

[cruisn]

When I took my lower control arms out to do the bushes, I just took them into Pedders to get the old pressed out and the new pressed in. Cost $50 cash.