pressing in control arm bushings

here's my problem... trying to press in bushings in control arms for my truck project... control arms and cross arms are all powder coated and pretty and I don't want to destroy this $$$ finish... I used a black pipe push sleeve over the bushing and the control arm sat on a padded block... worked good on open ended control arms (with no cross arm)

pics are below of my little H.F. pusher and a pic of the control arm with the cross arm in... because of the way the press is made I can't get the control arm centered in the press because the cross arm is in the way...

the anvil on the press is two pieces of channel iron welded together and pinned in place ... since the cross arm has to be in the control arm before I press the top bushing in... the anvil won't let me get the control arm in place to press...

the only solution I can see is to cannibalize the anvil... cut it apart ... put on the back channel then insert the control arm with the crossarm... then put on the front channel and use bolts/nuts instead of removable pins to hold it all in place...lot of trouble but doable.

also in this situation I can't press flat against a block but only have the edge of the bore (about 1/8") to press against to seat the bushing... I envision making a collar from another section of black pipe to put under the control arm with a section removed to get the cross arm in place AND with padding... all this will be held up by two press blocks that sit on the anvil.... then put the top press sleeve on top and push the bushing in...

so its the control arm sitting on a split sleeve (for the cross arm to go into) sitting on two press blocks sitting on the cannabilized anvil... and the top press sleeve pushing on the bushing...

dang ... sounds complicated but I think it will work... now give me your easy way using what I got to work with... remembering it has to stay pretty...

thanks
John

can't get my pics to post

maybe this will work

http:\\jniolon.classicpickup\press.jpg
http:\\jniolon.classicpickup\upper.jpg
http:\\jniolon.classicpickup\pushing.jpg

this is harder than pressing in the bushings !!!

http:\\jniolon.classicpickup.com\press.jpg
http:\\jniolon.classicpickup.com\upper.jpg
http:\\jniolon.classicpickup.com\pushing.jpg

heres two

It looks like the channel iron will fit through the A-arm/cross arm triangle so I think you've got the right solution. No more force than what it will take to do the bushings I would try four bolts: First bolt the back piece of channel on and for the front side have the two bolts already in place with jam nuts. Wrap arms with heavy rags for protection, thread channel through the triangle, then approach press and hang channel on bolts and thread on the outer nuts. This may require that third hand and arm that we somehow never evolved.

I think it will be enough to put a thick piece of steel on each side of the bore to press against. Some HDPE cut into protector strips should be strong enough yet still protect the paint. Oil jugs and 5 gallon buckets are HDPE. Thin masonite might also work.

Tack two parallels on a large C-clamp far enough apart to clear the inside shaft,use another clamp on the other side of the parallels that stick out
and a socket and flat plate on top,turn each clamp evenly to press in,cut tacks and grind clamps.

Do you have access or know somebody with a C frame arbor press? That would be easier, faster, and probably safer than modifying what you have.

Do you have a bearing splitter? If you did you put it around the cross arm and put two bars across the hydraulic press under the bearing splitter and press it in over the threaded end. You could put something between the bearing splitter and the control arm to protect the coating.

If you don't have a bearing splitter you could cut two large flat washers in half. Put the cuts 90? from each other and use two vise grips to hold them together using like a bearing splitter to put over the two bars.

Thanks guys for all the ideas... I went on with my plan... butchered up the press ( which is an easy fix later... made the split press ring... that was a fail... spread out on me...

so I took two pieces of 1.5x1.5x1.8" angle iron and ground a sharp 90 degree edge on the then I rested the control arm the edge of the angle iron... one on each side... with some padding.. I put a spacer in between the angle iron pieces that gave me the correct gap and clamped them together ... the rest was just pressing... lots easier than my original plan

I appreciate all the advice... this group can always find several good ways to tackle a chore... lots of smarts here

john

Fantastic! I would sure love to follow your progress thru pictures as you find time to post them.

(quoted from post at 06:40:52 10/20/15) Fantastic! I would sure love to follow your progress thru pictures as you find time to post them.

Click to expand...

thanks Dick

most of my stuff is on my website

http://jniolon.classicpickup.com

john

I checked it out some. Nice work. I liked the drawers under the seats. I will check more when time allows. thanks for the link.