Sway bar Kit

hiball3985 · 2014-02-19 19:35

Quote from: 57 Ford Kustom on 2014-02-19 19:13
Hiball,
When you removed your old frontend bushings how did you remove the old ones,
mine should be here soon so I want to get everything prepped and painted.
Thanks,
Tim

I wish I could give you step by step instructions but I recall very little of exactly how I did it. The lower ones I torched the center out and let the rubber burn until it fell out then collapsed the outer part a little and drove it out with something. I use such a combination of large sockets, pieced of pipe etc. The top ones are the hardest and I recall using a puller against something solid I put in the bolt hole.. Once you get one side out you can usually remove the pivot arm and then knock the other side out. I don't have a press so I just kind of engineer as I go along. Sorry, I know this isn't much help.

57 Ford Kustom · 2014-02-20 13:29

Hiball,
Thanks for the info, how about reinstallation of the bushings? I don't have a press either.
Thanks,
Tim

hiball3985 · 2014-02-20 14:48

Quote from: 57 Ford Kustom on 2014-02-20 13:29
Hiball,
Thanks for the info, how about reinstallation of the bushings? I don't have a press either.
Thanks,
Tim

Tim, I made a simple tool for installing the lower ones and had a picture but can't find it. Before you get to that point I'll dig it out of the garage and take another one.

RICH MUISE · 2014-02-20 16:13

Tim..It's been a long time, but removing the old bushings, I drilled out the rubber so I could knock the inner sleeve out easier. Then I just collapsed the outer with a hammer and cold chisel.
To install the new ones I used a length of 1/2 or 5/8 all thread, nuts, washers and some sockets from a 3/4" socket set on either side of each ear. By using the sockets and all thread, you can press the new ones in without chancing bending the control arm. When pressing the new ones in, the bushings are not pressed in all the way, but rather watch the 3 or 4 raised. For the top control arm, I'm trying to remember, but I think you can get one side bushing put in,put the control arm in, and used the threaded hole in the end of the control arm to pull the second bushing in. I think I wedged a wood block between the ears on the upper arms when pulling the 2nd bushing in to make sure I wasn't collapsing the ears inwards...hope that makes sense. I also should have pics somewhere.

hiball3985 · 2014-02-20 16:18

I did the same way as Rich with a tool made from allthread a few large washers and nuts and used a pipe coupling to back it up. You can pull the tops in like Rich said with the bolts, I used a few bolts that were longer then the originals until it pulled in far enough to use the originals.

hiball3985 · 2014-02-20 16:26

I dug out the tool and an old A arm so you can see it. Except the pipe coupling goes on the other side

but you'll get the idea

RICH MUISE · 2014-02-20 16:27

Found a pic...Tim, note you can see the stop tabs I was talking about...LOL..you're just too fast for me Jim.
This obviously is the lower arm, works the same on the top.
Tim..just a forwarning..your probably gonna need a sledge hammer to get your front lower control arm shafts off the frame. I can't remember if they have to come out to replace the bushings, or if I did it because I was putting new ones in. If your not replacing the lower shafts, posibly just the rear one needs to be removed to get the control arm off....sorry, I just don't remember.

57 Ford Kustom · 2014-02-20 16:32

Thanks Guys,
You've been great help! Any idea why they are not made in all the way? Is there a measurement for that spacing? Should I take a measure before removing? So many, many, many, questions! lol!
Thanks,
Tim

RICH MUISE · 2014-02-20 16:35

Just push them in until the stop tabs engage, that's what they're there for. read my edit on the above post.

hiball3985 · 2014-02-20 16:36

Just bring them in as far as the little nubs, if you were to go all the way in you couldn't get them back in the car, they would be too wide to fit between the frame cross members.

hiball3985 · 2014-02-20 16:37

Rich types faster then me

57 Ford Kustom · 2014-02-20 16:39

A picture is worth a thousand words, and many man hours! Lol!
Thanks again,
Tim

RICH MUISE · 2014-02-20 16:50

Quote from: hiball3985 on 2014-02-20 16:37
Rich types faster then me

Yeah, if I can remember the words I want to type.
Tim..the outer socket or pipe like Jim's has to be large enough to allow the bushing to go up inside a bit. My cheapy 3/4 socket set comes in handy..think I've only used it with a socket wrench once, but probably a dozen times for things like this and bending stuff aroud.

hiball3985 · 2014-02-20 17:02

Quote from: RICH MUISE on 2014-02-20 16:50
Yeah, if I can remember the words I want to type.
Tim..the outer socket or pipe like Jim's has to be large enough to allow the bushing to go up inside a bit. My cheapy 3/4 socket set comes in handy..think I've only used it with a socket wrench once, but probably a dozen times for things like this and bending stuff aroud.

I could never justify a 3/4 set for as little as you would actually use it so the pipe fitting worked fine and was cheap, I'm all about cheap

57 Ford Kustom · 2014-02-20 17:37

I have some axle nut sockets I bought for my wife's 2005 mountaineer that should work fine.
Thanks,
Tim

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Sway bar Kit