Has anyone changed their front lower control arm bushings/ball joints themselves?

[slavrenz]

We tried last night. The bushing with the steel collar around it. What a PITA. Ended up pressing the rubber part out with a socket and then used a hacksaw to cut the collar out by hand. We're still trying to figure out how or what to use to press the Pedder bushing in.

I take it you didn't have a slightly bigger socket to get the collar out too? A press would also be my suggestion for the new bushing, just put the pushing in the freezer the night before so it shrinks slightly and goes in easier. Good luck.

Btw, for those who don't wanna pay $200+ for a new OEM control arm but don't want to replace individual bushings, Mevotech makes a direct fit control arm for our cars. It's less than $100 shipped on RockAuto.com, and I've been using one on my driver's side (torn ball joint boot) for several months with no issues.

 

[Reffoxel]

I have a press...we were using a press....but a press isn't all that you need to press something out or in. You have to have adapter tools for the job. We were using large sockets but they weren't doing the job very well the old bushings don't seem to be designed to come out easily and the new ones protrude from the sleave enough to not work with the socket we had. But we got the old one out by pressing the old rubber out and then using a hacksaw blade and carefully cutting the old collar out and then stuck the new bushings in a deep freezer for an hour and warmed the control arms up a bit and everything went in well.

maybe a press?

 

[aMaff]

I got 1 of these:
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=38335

I've also got a 12 ton press and used a dremel to modify those little 'cups' (cylinders, whatever) to hold the control arm better. The nice thing about cheap chinese tools is you don't ever mind taking a cutting wheel to them to make them work the way you need them to

 

[Dimitrios]

http://www.fordprobestore.co.uk/store/product_info.php?cPath=106_115_128&products_id=3024

Thoughts?

Also waiting for this to get moving: http://www.mazdas247.com/forum/showthread.php?t=123773572

 

[Dimitrios]

Ended up buying these: http://www.fordprobestore.co.uk/store/product_info.php?cPath=106_115_128&products_id=3024

Will post when I get around to pulling out old and pressing these in.

 

[Protege5 Driver]

i bought the japanese made replacemente for $62 each. no way in hell im gonna pay $200 each

 

[sobigsofly]

I installed 1998 mazda 626 lower ball joints into my losers and they are treatable.. Ftw!!