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Stuck halfway through my front end rebuild

Started by DFXXX, September 16, 2005, 04:52:56 PM

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DFXXX

Boy, I though I was going to jump right in there and push out some old bushings and use my ball joint puller to do the rest.   Looks like it ain't going to be that easy though. :rotz:

I bought the complete PST urethane kit for my 69.   The car has been up on jacks for the past 5 years and only now do I find myself able to finish the project.

I removed both the upper and lower arms.   I didn't need a torsion bar puller to get the bar off thankfully.   But now I have two assembly's.  

1.   The upper arm with the "steering knuckle" (pg. 2-11 fig.17) still attached to it.  
2.   The lower arm with the "knuckle arm"   and "shaft" (pg. 2-8 fig. 12) still attached to it.

So that's where I stand.  

According to the service manual I need some special tools to get this all apart.   I don't have an arbor press for the shaft, just a large vice.   Don't know if that will work alright.   And I believe (?) I'll need tools C-3711, C-3714, and C-3560 to get this all done?

Is there anything else I need?   Does anyone near me (Huntington Beach) have these tools?   Would you be willing to exchange helping me get this done for some ice cold, tasty, refreshing beverages? :P

Any advice on how to proceed would be apprechated.

Chryco Psycho

you cxan Press out the upper control arm bushings with a vice & sockets although I have broken 2 vices doing it this way
if you are using poly bushings for the lower control arms you can heat the pin with a propane torch & use a pickle fork to pry the pin out of the rubber bushing then just pry the rubber bushing out & leave the steel outer shell in place  & slide in the poly bushing [greased] , if you are using the stock rubber lower control arm bushings you will need to get the shell pressed or cut out also

Ghoste

You might also want to consider befriending someone at a local and quality front end shop where they still know the older cars.  Offer somebody a little cash on the side to press them on and off during their lunch or something.

MTPOCKET

Burnt out my lower bushing left the metal cases on for the poly bushing.  Bought some items at Home Depot to remove uppers and installed them with the same tool here is a pic.

DFXXX

Hey, I like that custom bushing remover! :scratchchin:  Getting the torch out doesn't sound like a bad idea either.

As far as removing the steering knuckle from the tapered ball joints, I friend said I should just sparply strike the knuckle with a hammer and the resulting shock would release the ball joint from the knuckle.  Anyone have experience with that?

Chryco Psycho

I tried to separate ball joints with just a hammer for years , couldn`t do it , then 1 day it worked & now I always do it that way..... freakin weird  :eyes:

Shakey

Quote from: Chryco Psycho on September 19, 2005, 12:27:52 AM
I tried to separate ball joints with just a hammer for years , couldn`t do it , then 1 day it worked & now I always do it that way..... freakin weird   :eyes:

You must be getting stronger!

got milk?

Chryco Psycho

or mind over matter & I finally actually Believed it could be done  :-\