'88 upper control arm cross shaft removal

[Series8217]

How do I remove the cross shaft from an '88 upper control arm?

[The Dark Side of Will]

You have to pull the bushings. That's why I think it should have been a block with bolts in from the ends instead of the silly shaft that GM used.

For rubber bushings, the torch method works well.

[Series8217]

I really hate the mess that burnt rubber makes... Can the bushings be pressed out in such a way that's non-destructive to the shaft?

[The Dark Side of Will]

You've seen bushing removal with a torch, right? It's not what I would call messy.

Just heat the bushing outer shell from the outside and the rubber will squeeze itself out intact without melting (assuming that the inner sleeve isn't seized to the cross shaft).

Your press setup would have to hold the shaft and push on the control arm.

[Series8217]

You've seen bushing removal with a torch, right? It's not what I would call messy.

I've done it many many many times. The little bits of rubber that come out when it starts to smoke have the consistency of tar and stay that way for awhile.

Maybe I'll just cut the control arm apart with a bandsaw to extract the cross shaft.. It just would have been nice to save the arm as a backup.

[The Dark Side of Will]

Ever tried burning a bushing out? *THAT* is messy

[Series8217]

Ever tried burning a bushing out? *THAT* is messy

Yep, done that too! I try to avoid it though, since the tapered rubber bushings tend to become flaming projectiles...

[fieroguru]

I think you have to press one of the bushing sleeves out of the control arm to remove the cross shaft. When I installed poly back in 2005, I couldn't remove the cross shaft with the sleeves in place.

[Starlite528]

I just chopped it in the middle with a dremel ( because I don't have a grinder or anything ) and the new shaft from the fiero store fits through the sleeves without having to remove them.

[Series8217]

I need the cross shaft, not the control arm.

[The Dark Side of Will]

Then cut the control arm.

[Series8217]

You have to pull the bushings. That's why I think it should have been a block with bolts in from the ends instead of the silly shaft that GM used.

For rubber bushings, the torch method works well.

I removed the rubber using the torch method but the cross shaft still doesn't come out. The bushing sleeves actually have to be removed. Lame. I think I'm just going to cut the arm apart.