Bushing and ball joint job comming up. Any hints?

[whiterabbit]

Yep, there shot! Need new tires but they'll just be eaten up like the others.
Done ball joints before on other cars but not bushings. Pull arms,press shaft and bushings out kind'a deal? Think the last ones I helped with we had to drill out the rubber around the shaft to beat it out. I now have a 60 ton press!
TRW lowers and BA uppers joints and the bushings will be here Monday. RATS! So much for doing them on the long weekend.

[CajunMike]

You need to have a way to compress and bind the coil springs. You can't compress them with the reassembled a arms. The press will make the bushing job much easier.

[Sunracer]

doing this myself right now-a few tips, loosen the ball joint nuts just to the point where the nylon part of the nyloc is disenguaged. It takes a 22mm wrench use a pickle fork or the hammer method to pop them loose. You will need an internal spring compressor to compress the springs. Do one side at a time so you don't have to put the spring compressor in twice. If you have a late model spider cutting 1.5 coils off will give a lower ride height without dropping it too low. Disconnect the tie rod ends before you undo the ball joints. IF a BJ or tie rod end spins while loosening it put a jack under it to stop it from spinning. Air chisel makes quick work of removing bushings. PB : )

One other little thing-the spring seat in a rubber and metal seat that slides onto the body of the car. You need to line up the spring ends in the cups, I pull the cups out and use a couple pieces of electrical tape to tape them to the spring so I know they are properly aligned at the top, might be hard to do though if you are putting back full length late model springs. PB