4kq control arm bushing removal

[John Karasaki <johkar@teleport.com>]

A few months ago someone posted the procedure for removing the control arm
bushings from a 4kq using Home Depot hardware.  Armed with their
instructons, I went and bought the required hardware over the weekend.

Needless to say, I was very disappointed.  The setup failed miserably.  It
looks like the setup may work to pull the new bushings in, but there is no
way (at least in my experience) that Home Depot grade threaded rod can take
the force of pulling the old ones out.

This was on a West Coast car with no/minimal rust, too!

Has anyone removed 4kq a arm bushings successfully AND easily?  Everyone
that I know that has actually done this job has used the cutting method.

I sent the following message to the original poster, but his address is no
longer valid.



>To: MRUKIR <MRUKIR@aol.com>
>From: John Karasaki <johkar@teleport.com>
>Subject: Re: Brake  bleeding/control arm bushings
>In-Reply-To: <c00d13e3.34fae925@aol.com>
>Mime-Version: 1.0
>Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>
>Hi,
>
>Did you really have sucess pulling the old control arm bushings out using
>the Home Depot parts?  I stripped a couple of threaded rods without even
>budging the bushing!  I used lots of lubricant, so that is not the problem.
> Truthfully, I don't see any way this can be done with standard threaded
>rod.  Pulling the new ones in maybe, but not getting the old ones out.
>
>BTW, this is on an Oregon car with zero rust and 120k miles...
>
>
>
>
>At 12:15 PM 3/2/98 EST, you wrote:
>>Hello:
>>  I'm new to the list and have been browsing it for a few weeks.  I've
seen a
>>couple of topics I think I can contribute to.
>>  1) Successful use of mightyvac pump to bleed brakes.- If bleeder valves
are
>>removed entirely at start and the threads coated with antiseize compound,
>this
>>will stop air from leaking into the hose when you are drawing a vacuum.
When
>>the air leakage is stopped you can pump 10 or 20 times to draw a vacuum, and
>>while the fluid is slowly being drawn out(a minute or two to fill the
>>collection bottle),  observe and refill the reservoir while the bleeding is
>>taking place.  Its the same action as a pressure bleeder except you have
>>gotten your pressure differential by lowering the pressure at the back of
the
>>system instead of increasing it at the front.
>>   2) I saw some very heavy handed techniques mentioned for removing and
>>installing control arm bushings.  About $10 spent at home depot will get you
>>the hardware necessary to make a puller and do the job with a lot less
>risk to
>>your body and your precious car.  Bring your replacement bushing with you
>when
>>you go shopping.  Get a 3 foot piece of threaded rod (max size that will fit
>>thru centre hole in bushing); Half a dozen flat washers and nuts to fit on
>>rod; a few pipe nipples to act as cups to fit over bushing and allow bushing
>>to be pulled out; 20 or so large flat washers that will allow you to select
>>and get a good fit with metal OD of bushing and not interfere with control
>arm
>>when pulling bushing out.
>>      Putting new bushings in with this hardware is very easy. Coat OD of
>>busings with antiseize compound, use flat washers to protect the bushing
>>surface you are pulling against, and a pipe nipple and flat washers on the
>>inside side surface of the control arm.  Insert threaded rod thru center of
>>your hardware and tighten down on nuts on each side to pull bushing into
>>position.  Use anti seize on the threaded rod since it isn't really made for
>>this kind of use.  Removing bushings the same way requires a little more
>brute
>>force and a very select fit at OD of bushing with flat washers, but I've
>>replaced 8 of them this way and its economical and effective.  NO cutting,
>>pounding, torches or freezing of hardware is required.
>>        I have also scaled up the size of this puller and removed wheel
>>bearings on a 4000 quattro with it.
>>                                              Regards
>>                                               Paul Balko
>>
>>
>Best Regards,
>
>John Karasaki
>
>
Best Regards,

John Karasaki
Portland, OR