Trying to install new upper control arm bushings. But! Having a devil of a time trying to remove old ones.

Have gotten the ball joint end free, and removed the big nut. Before starting, I soaked everything well with penetrating oil, so all parts move relatively freely. Unable, though, to get the big swivel bolt to come free. Watched Rev. Sam's excellent video a few times, and have done a similar job on other British cars so the issue seems rather straight forward. Have successfully driven the big bolt into the bushing, but it has stopped moving forward. After pounding for more than two hours with a series of drifts and hammers, I'm approaching being lost.

Anyone have a suggestion? Or two?

 

Well, have made a bit of progress, but not enough to think the end is near. Using a ball joint separator as a jury rigged press - small socket pushed into the open end of the bushing, and using the separator to drive the swivel bolt forward. Can only progress about 1/8th inch at a time but it is slowly slowly working. IF I don't run out of sockets that will fit into the opening!

Surely Jaguar mechanics take a different approach, don't they?

 

More than likely the sleeves in the center of the bushings have corroded to the bolt making a fun job. PBlaster an air hammer and choice words are what pros normally use. One has to take care to not damage the aluminum crossmember by applying too much pressure. Not having looked at mine in some time I'm thinking a reciprocal saw might be able to be used to cut the bolt in four places, at each end of each bushing. That's providing there's enough room to do so and, once again, not damaging the crossmember. You'll still have to apply the choice words and phrases...

 

Jim, I feel your pain. Is the washer free and up against the bracket. I had a bit of a problem with it. As info, you are doing what we all would do, painful.

Wayne

 

Thanks for the words of commiseration guys. Actually, I'm fairly sure the bolt is not frozen to the steel bushing inserts - can rotate the bolt within the bush fairly easily. Am a bit surprised to hear that my crude approach is similar to that applied by Jag professionals. Sort of blacksmithy rather than technology.

Anyway, will probably have to take tomorrow off the project but back to it Wednesday.

Beav - don't think there is enough room to cut much of the bolt off - not more than the ends, anyway. And, have not interfered with the aluminum crossmember, but thanks for reminding me. Am out of PB Blaster right now, but using lots of Liquid Wrench.

 

My worst experience with this was four days of alternate Penetrating Oil / Heat / Hammering on a 2001 XK8. The usual problem is the inner sleeves on the two bushes seize onto the Fulcrum Shaft. The Shaft will rotate but it's very hard work to get it to 'slide' out.

Here in the UK, we can get a used Upper Wishbone complete with Fulcrum Bolt from a specialised Jaguar breaker for around £40 ($66) so the last one I had sticking on my 2005 XK8, I just cut the Upper Wishbone off. With this out of the way, the bush sleeves can be chiseled off and the Fulcrum Shaft removed in minutes.

A drastic approach but it avoided any risk of damage to the aluminium Crossbeam and saved a lot of time.

Graham

 

I agree with Graham, it is by far the best approach if the job is taking more than an hour, I picked up a replacement bolt for £20 from a breaker.


I just wish I had done it sooner!

 

As you can now see old torsilastic bushings will easily give up their grip on the inner sleeves allowing them to spin in the rubber. However when they're corroded to the bolt it becomes a true PITA.

Now you can see why I sometimes roll my eyes when peeps complain about getting one price for an estimate and later hearing back from the shop that will repair will actually cost much more. There is no way to account for all the things that can go wrong with a job. If a shop were to forewarn someone of all the things that could happen they might lose the job. And who could foretell that the job they scared away might have gone swimmingly? I've seen the results of that, the customer takes the job to another shop, the job goes well and the customer goes about telling friends how the first shop was trying to bend him over. Sometimes, now matter what you do, you just can't win.

 

Well, followed suggestions, and cut the fulcrum bolt into three pieces. Actually had to remove the inner fender liner to get the middle part of the bolt out, but that wasn't a big deal. Now just waiting for fulcrum bolt to arrive via USPS.

Thanks everyone for the comments and suggestions, they WERE helpful.

 

I have to ask, if the bolt being seized in the crossmember is the issue how does cutting it help, you still have to get it out of the crossmember. Maybe I'm missing something, please enlighten me. I'm doing this in two weeks and want to be prepared.

 

The sized section isn't inside the crossmember, rather the steel part of the bushing binds on the fulcrum bolt. Cutting the bolt allows the steel bushings to be punched out either end. See the photos (above).

 

So in the photo's above the cut bolt in the cross member is just to show the cut bolt. The actual issue is in the Upper control arm bushing insert. I got it now, thanks for the enlightenment!