Upper Control Arm Bushings

I am replacing all control arm bushings. My lowers are no problem as I have two-piece Skyjacker bushings in Skyjacker fixed lowers. So far, I've removed the driver's side upper control arm and have (with some difficulty) removed the bushing from the body mount end. The axle end stayed with the axle (on top of the differential housing). It doesn't want to come out...can't figure out how to get it out.

How do you get the bushing out of the axle? I was able to move it about half way towards the driver's side with a small sledge hammer...but not out far enough to get a grip on it.

Need help!

Thanks in advance!

Try using a pipe near the diameter of your bushing but a tad smaller. Hold it up to the bushing and hit it with your sledge. Hope that works. Good luck!!!

OK...maybe I need to be clearer. There's an inner sleeve that holds the through-bolt. Then there's rubber bushing. Then there's an outer steel sleeve. What do I remove..just the inner sleeve and rubber? The whole affair?

I know exactly what you meant. :viking: Try the pipe thing. Your not keeping that bushing so slam the heck out of it with a pipe and sledge. (Factory bushing?) After you get the bushing out try to get a pipe the size of that outter sleeve and drive it toward your coil spring. I think the outter sleeve is flanged on the drivers side. You want to reuse that outter piece. Common practice man. It's alright to bang on it. You will get it.

OK...yea, it's a factory bushing. Only been in for 265K, don't understand why it's stubborn! LOL

Anyway...I understand to beat/pound towards the driver's side, just didn't want to hurt it too bad trying to get it out. I'll beat on it more tomorrow, too tired now!

As I understand you...I should retain the outer sleeve. OK...I see, but, it's the one that's taking the pounding now. Guess I should refine my aim, huh? I understand the inner is to be replaced...

Anyway...I'll give you an update tomorrow. Thanks for your encouragement!

Be careful trying to beat it out. You can damage the mount(bend it) if you are not careful. The easy way is to use a ball joint press to push it out. If you do not have one most auto parts stores rent them.

If you are replacing with new oem upper bushings then the whole thing has to come out not just the inner stuff and a new one pressed back in. Again the ball joint press will make it a much easier job.

2X on the ball joint press. You can do it with a piece of 2 1/2" tubing, a couple of big washers the right sizes & some allthread, but if you don't have this stuff laying around just use the ball joint press. Use 2 1/4" socket on the non flanged end of the bushing to push it through. If you have access to a Porta-Power use the duckbill attachment to SLIGHTLY spread the control arms & the rt mount on the axle[non disco]. that will break the shell loose & make the whole process much easier. Sometimes after doing this the bushing will come out with a couple of taps with a hammer.

Inner and outer sleeves need to come out. If you've purchased new bushings yet, look at them. It will tell you all you need to know.

OK, got the driver's side inner bushing out with a ball joint press (went to three parts stores and a tool rental place with no luck, bought the harbor freight one) and pried the rubber bushing out. New bushings (poly) didn't come with sleeves, so old sleeves stayed in.

Does the flange end of the sleeve need to be flush with the control arm mount on the differential housing? I can't remember if it was flush to start with and if I need to try to somehow push it back in further.

Also, I need special grease for poly bushings, right? Looked in a couple of parts stores (O'Reiley and Car Quest) with no luck finding the right grease. Waiting on re-assembly to make sure I don't use the wrong grease. I know I've seen poly-compatible grease in Quadratec, but really don't want to wait for the mail-order delay.

Thanks for all the help!

No, the flange should be 1/2" from the surface of the control arm or mount. there is a bulge that goes down 1/2"[duh] from the flange. You seat it at this point. I used moly grease in the RC arms I recently installed, per their instructions & they really squeak. I've previously used clear silicone dialectric grease & I was much happier with the results.By the way poly bushings are noisey & I don't recomend them in stock control arms. I'm trying to find rubber oem type bushings to put in my Rancho lcas. I replaced the red poly with black Terraflex bushings and they still squeak. It's my dd & I'm tired of the noise. Make sure your control arms & rt uca mount on the front end aren't squished together from the ball joint tool. If they are, just bend them out to where they belong. When you get tired of the noise get oem bushings from Qtec. Now you have the tools & experience & it'll be quick and easy.