2003 Lower control arm bushings - What tool did you use to remove them?

[MD_Envoy_Driver]

Forgive me Father Mooseman, but I have sinned mightily.

Despite your sage advice (buy the entire lower control arm) I went ahead and decided to replace all three of the lower control arm bushings and have spent most of the day hating life itself - as you said I would.

I got the strut and both lower bushings out, but reinstalling the hydraulic one is defeating me. I have the 23-piece Powerbuilt U-Joint, Ball Joint rental kit from Advance Auto but nothing seem to fit the lower bushing at all and I almost damaged the non-hydraulic one during the installation. What tool kit from what store did anyone use to get the hydraulic one installed? The cups are just not thick enough to make a clean press downward. I think there is a much bigger C-Clamp in a set I used a few year back.

 

[Mooseman]

Not sure what you mean by "hydraulic" bushings. AFAIK, they're all rubber encased in a metal can. If you mean the one for the strut, I can't help you there as I never even attempted to replace that one but it is apparently a bitch to replace.

I think I wound up pressing the regular rubber bushings with my 12 ton hydraulic press because the BJ press I had a hard time getting the C-clamp to stay in place. On my 06 Saab and the 07 TB, I only replaced the brackets with the bushings rather than the whole control arm assembly since the ball joints had already been replaced and the bushings for the strut were still good. I also replaced the upper arms.

 

[Mooseman]

To remove them, I had used a torch and then the air hammer to punch out the empty cans.

 

[Sqrly]

I just did the lower bushings on one side. I removed the bracket only and used a press to get the old bushings out. I already did all the upper bushings, they were easy. I took the arms out and knocked out the old bushings with a hammer and punch.

That bushing that the bottom of the strut hooks to, I just look at it with a blank stare and nothing comes to mind. It doesn't have any effect on the alignment so unless I can find a shop that has the tools to do it cheaply, I'll probably never change it.