RTH: Split UCA Bushing Housing?

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

awesomeissquid

SILVER Star
Joined
Jul 1, 2020
Threads
37
Messages
1,555
Location
Bay Area, CA
Working on pressing out my front end bushings/ball joints and all went well until the upper control arms. Working on the first one and I was pressing it in a not so great way and it didn't work. So I release the pressure and started looking at how I could make it better and I noticed a gap in the metal cup that houses the bushing where it looks like the two halves are welded together from the factory. I don't recall if it was there before I got started so it kind of freaked me out. I cleaned the area up a bit to see if I could see any cracks propagating from the gap, but I don't see any and it looks like the weld is still intact. Looking at the other arm It looks like the two pieces butt up against each other without a gap. What's the general consensus about this? Could it have come from the factory like this or did I bugger it up and a replacement is due?

Side question, anyone have any tips for getting the bushings out of the upper control arms? They are really giving me a run for my money.

UCA Possible Crack.jpg
UCA Good Side.jpg
 
That’s how mine was from the factory. However, you will bend the UCAs trying to press those bushings out without heat and cutting the outer sleeve of the bushing. Torch ‘em.
 
Small update. Finally got one out. Drilled out the inner bushing material. Cut around it. Pressed out the inner stuff. Then cut the outer sleeve and worked on it with a hammer and chisel and the rest popped out. It sucks. Now on to the other three.
 
Cut away outer cap. 1-5/8" holesaw will take out most of the rubber bushing. Then score the metal sleeve, press/tap out.

Bushings4.jpg


Bushings1.jpg

Bushings6.jpg


Bushings8.jpg
Bushings9.jpg
 
Last edited:
@flintknapper Your description and pictures is exactly what did it for me. Should add your comment and pictures to the FAQ for others to find quickly.
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top Bottom