PST Front suspension rebuild ...HELP!

[sanders7981]

Ok, so I have my front suspension entirely apart.  I have access to all the tools needed to put it all back together, most importantly a press!  I have a few questions though...

How the hell do I press this bushing out to replace it?  


What are the larger bushings on the right used for, where do they go?  Do I just press the smaller ones in already assembled?  The directions supplied, pic below, appears that they are completely dissasembled before pressing them in.  Or do I need to disassemble them and apply the supplied grease/lube?  



Do I save and reuse the metal insert inside the bushing on the UCA?  I can't tell if the new ones have one in them or not.


Does it matter which end of this faces outward?  One has a smaller indented circumference on one side...

[hemi71x]

http://www.moparmusclemagazine.com/tipstricks/155_0306_control_arms/viewall.html

Read this tech article.
It will teach you how to do LCA's, but you don't have to remove the "shell" that's left in the LCA, if your gonna be running the poly bushings.

[hemi71x]

http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/showthread.php?t=180315

Also, read thru this posting from over at forabodiesonly.com about the rebuilding of LCA's on the Mopar automobiles.

[Hard Charger]

the shaft comes out easy but the bushing shell can be difficult, try the washer /weld method it works well if you can weld.

the large busing in the picture is a poly bushing that gets installed in the old LCA bushing shell. using this bushing can cause issues latter when the car is together with noises and slippage. I decided not to use mine from that kit and bought the rubber ones.

[hemi71x]

Replacing the bushings in the upper control arms can be done with the tools that are made to remove and replace the bushings in the UCA's.
Or guys get them out with an air chisel, or the use of a hydraulic press.
This picture is an official Miller Special Tool for the Removal & Installation of bushings.
It's really the larger one for C Body's, trucks, and vans, but you get the idea of what the one that's used on the A, B, E, line of cars looks like.

[sanders7981]

Thanks for the replies.  I took one of them up to the base hobby shop and managed to get the bushing out.  Took a bit of elbow grease with a hammer and chisel, but I got it out.  Those larger poly bushings are not what I am putting in, PST included OEM rubber bushings in the kit because they said they don't have poly bushings for the LCAs if I recall correctly.  My only other issue now is to figure out how to get the ones out of the UCAs.  The press at the shop doesn't have capability to do the UCAs.  I was told that I could get propane torch and heat it up then knock it out with a hammer.  ... The build continues! 

[hemi71x]

Here's a picture of a tool a guy "invented" with Home Depot pipe.

[HPP]

Here's a picture of a tool a guy "invented" with Home Depot pipe.

I made a similar one with a short section of 2.5" exhaust pipe and a very large body washer. Works better than hammers and chisels.]

[Rolling_Thunder]

You could use a torch and heat the old rubber - pull the LCA pin out - leave the "inner sleeve" on the pin and the "outer shell" in the LCA. Then push the new poly bushing on the arm then push in the pin.... 

[sanders7981]

You could use a torch and heat the old rubber - pull the LCA pin out - leave the "inner sleeve" on the pin and the "outer shell" in the LCA. Then push the new poly bushing on the arm then push in the pin.... 

I was told that the kit did not have Poly bushing for 69 Chargers, so PST includes rubber bushings with it.  I know that there are some poly bushings there in the larger pic, but I don't want to use something that was not supposed to be in teh kit, especially if others had problems with them.

[charger Downunder]

I just put in the original style rubber lowers. I will never use urathane ones again on the lower. I was chasing a clunking noise for years when braking and stopping, when i pulled off the lower control arms thinking it was the strut rod bushes i found the problem. The lower pivot shaft was able to be pulled out by hand on both sides, the shaft could slide in and out. The original style is a much better design the rubber looks to be fused to the bush plus the rubber is more flexable and reforms to original shape better, the rubber isn't really that thick in the bush so is polly really needed. I have polly in the top bushes.

[HPP]

I've used poly lowers for years without fit issues, squeaks, and other problems. But the issue with poly lowers is that there are actually several different designs and none of them are as simple a replacement as the rubber bushings. Some need shells, some don't. Some need trimmed, some don't Some need strut work for proper seating, some don't. It isn't easy. and the approached needed varies from differing manufacturers. You need to be cognizant of how it all fits together to determine which mods are required to make them work best.

[b5blue]

Mancini sells the tools to change the UCA bushings. I got one and it works like a charm. Your UCAs' appear to have the "extra" HD collar also. That is a bushing on the shell of the UCAs' bushing. (A pain in the butt to remove and reinstall.) They can be bought new so you can destroy the old one removing it, much easier. 

[sanders7981]

Mancini sells the tools to change the UCA bushings. I got one and it works like a charm. Your UCAs' appear to have the "extra" HD collar also. That is a bushing on the shell of the UCAs' bushing. (A pain in the butt to remove and reinstall.) They can be bought new so you can destroy the old one removing it, much easier. 

That HD Collar... yea, I found that out today.  Funny thing is that there were only three of them on the UCA's.     Leads me to believe someone was not paying attention at the factory that day lol.  Where can I find a new one?  I managed to get the old ones off without destroying them.

[Dodgerdallas]

DO NOT put poly bushings in your LCA,they will squeak,pop,you name it,plus when you get ready o replace them,the large locknut on the pivot wont come off because the shaft just spins inside the poly bushing-it has no"grab" like the rubber oem type,thats probably why they dont offer the poly on the LCA,they got tired of the complaints.

[b5blue]

Mancini sells the tools to change the UCA bushings. I got one and it works like a charm. Your UCAs' appear to have the "extra" HD collar also. That is a bushing on the shell of the UCAs' bushing. (A pain in the butt to remove and reinstall.) They can be bought new so you can destroy the old one removing it, much easier. 

That HD Collar... yea, I found that out today.  Funny thing is that there were only three of them on the UCA's.     Leads me to believe someone was not paying attention at the factory that day lol.  Where can I find a new one?  I managed to get the old ones off without destroying them.

Call Mancini Racing they had them last I checked. The rep. talked me out of adding them to my order saying they were mostly used on taxi and police cars for dealing with pot holes and curb strikes. Apparently some cars had them just on the rear bushing as that position "feels" heavy inward push if you hit an obstruction while moving forward.
  After getting my car aligned I found to get optimum settings I'll need to use Moogs' off-set bushings and index them 180* to move the ball joint slightly forward. I bought a set of reproduction UCAs that came with ball joint and bushings installed for 135.00. I will remove the new bushings and and install the off set ones then swap out the old UCAs when I change to 11 3/4 factory disk brakes.