Tips on how to remove upper control arm pivot bar?

72Dodge

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On Aspen front suspension...

Yes, I have the Factory Service Manual. No, what it's saying doesn't make any sense to me. They reference 3 factory tool numbers but don't show them, so I can't even improvise replacements or exactly how they would be used.

What I'm referring to is how the pivot bar goes through the upper control arm (via the bushings of course).

I don't see a way to remove the pivot bar without removing the bushings... and I don't see a way to remove the bushings without removing the pivot bar! :smileinbox:

What am I missing here? I have new upper control arm bushings and want to install them while this thing is apart.

I'm leaving for awhile or I'd post a pic, but if you know the solution then you probably know what I'm talking about.

Thanks!
 

80mirada

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You have to remove one of the bushings to remove the shaft. The tool you will need looks like a modified ball-joint press. You need to remove the nut on the end you wish to remove the bushing from.

This is what the cheap Neiko one I bought looks like.
Picture.jpg


Picture.jpg
 

72Dodge

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Oh.... I think I get it. So, push out the one bushing, then the shaft will slide out that hole. That totally makes sense now. I knew there was something I was missing that was probably obvious!

I have a ball joint press very similar to your pictured coming... should be here in a few days, plus I got an assortment of other adapters in a separate set with it. I expect I'll have what I need early next week at latest.

THANK YOU for your help!
 

compubert

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Oh.... I think I get it. So, push out the one bushing, then the shaft will slide out that hole. That totally makes sense now. I knew there was something I was missing that was probably obvious!

I have a ball joint press very similar to your pictured coming... should be here in a few days, plus I got an assortment of other adapters in a separate set with it. I expect I'll have what I need early next week at latest.

THANK YOU for your help!

We never had fancy tools like those above, brass drift or big punch and a BFH with a large deep well socket under the end to keep the shaft from getting damaged. tool will undoubtedly work MUCH easier... :)
 

72Dodge

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Yeah, I just couldn't even see the obvious in front of my eyes. Now, it's sort of messing with me thinking about how to install the tool to push the bushing out, but once I get it, I'm sure I'll figure it out now. While I wait, I'm dying my interior panels black :) Waiting for the first coat to dry a bit right now. I'm impressed with this VHT spray can dye so far. A little touchy in the sense that if you don't get nice even coats, it can get splotchy, but that's not hard to manage.
 

72Dodge

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success!

OK, it's disconcerting to me that I see it took me a MONTH to get back to this, but it is what it is... pretty busy now. Got a LOT done this weekend. ANYWAY...

For anyone in the future that may want to know how to do this, the below pictures show what I ended up doing. Using a floor press... I know they both look a little janky, that's because both pics were taken after they popped.

First picture is the setup to remove the first one with the pivot bar still installed. Be sure to remove the nut on the top one first! What's funny about this, is I had the bottom nut off also, and BOTH bushings popped out at the same time. It was really weird because according to my admittedly limited knowledge of physics, that should not have happened... but it did. On the other side, that did not happen. Anyway... strange.

What you can barely see in the first pic is that there's another receiver cup underneath the upper control arm on the right to support it.

So, to remove the first one with the pivot arm still in place... those are 2x4's on the bottom to lift it up enough to get the other parts under there with the control arm in the way:

1 to remove the first one with the pivot bar still in.jpg


To remove the second one is straightforward after the pivot arm is removed:

2 to remove the second one (didn't really need the bottom piece).jpg


1 to remove the first one with the pivot bar still in.jpg


2 to remove the second one (didn't really need the bottom piece).jpg


2 to remove the second one (didn't really need the bottom piece).jpg
 
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