Hey guys I’ve got a ‘63 impala that needs the suspension to be rebuilt. I have replaced body mount bushings and shocks. I’ve never done A-arms,tie rods or bushings. I have basic tools for D I Y classic car guy but don’t have a press. How hard is it to rebuild the front and rear suspension especially the bushings? Any tips or recommendations would be great. Thanks
Without a press I don't see how it could be done. At minimum I think you'd need a hydraulic punch press that could be rigged to push the new ones in. I've done that before. But this isn't a "I have a craftsman 100 piece tool kit" type job. At least for the 63 Impala you can get new tubular control arms and forego pressing new bushings in.
Snap-on etc. make what they call bushing knockers for installing them with a hammer. I wouldn't be surprised if harbor freight doesn't sell knock offs. I've used them 100 times or more, they do work but just make sure to support the edge of the arm by the bushing hole. In other words put the edge of the arm on something like the edge of a sturdy work table right up against the bushing hole. Works best with 2 people, one to hold the arm and one to use the bushing knockers.... Press is best but for the last 60+ years people have been replacing bushings, including some of the old shops not everybody had a press so bushing knockers have been used for decades. Seen one old mechanic back in the mid 70's that used big old sockets as knockers. Said he liked them because he had numerous sizes to choose from the fit the bushing nice and tight, but remember tools were built a lot better back then, even the cheaper ones... ...
Use a 1/8" drill bit between the inner and outer steel sleeves multiple times on the to release the rubber from the outer steel sleeve on the A-arms. Carefully put a relief cut in the outer steel sleeve with a sawzall ( go slow and don't go too deep ), you can then pop out the outer steel sleeve. You can use a vise to install the new bushings but make sure to support the two walls that the bushing goes into ( a chunk of wood the right size works ) as to no bend things. A press or arbor press does make this part of the operation way easier though. Have quite literally done 100's this way, it's a time consuming way to do it but it works.
I just did the upper arms on my Belair, went with an air chisel with the arm held in a big bench vise. Knocked out the upper ball joints the same way.
Do your basic tools include a BFH? No really, a standard ball peen hammer and propane torch to burn out the rubber of the a-frame bushings goes a long way.
Air chisel to get under the lip and drive tge old bushing out. Then swap to a flat faced bit and drive the new ones in. Ive also used a steel pipe fitting from the hardware store and a BFH to drive em in. Looks almost exactly like those red ones Lostone posted above.
I'd go to my local repair shop, the guy who repairs all the out of warranty cars in our town. He has a hydraulic press and would be glad to do the job for a small fee.
I have an old beat up socket that I use to knock the new ones in... and a 3 lb BFH. I use never-seize as a lubricant.
If you go with Energy Suspension poly ones, the front A arm bushings needs to come out completely and the rear the outer shells stay in (just the rubber comes out). It can be done without a press, but it*****s. It would be easier to take the control arms out and that involves removing the coil springs....be careful and rent a spring compressor.
Well this brought out the bull***** artists. Some obviously not knowing the least thing about 58/64 Chevy front suspension. The ball joints are easy except you need a good hammer and chisel to cut the rivets if they still have the original ball joints with rivets. Upper control arms. take the bolts out or nuts off the end. set the control arm on a vise or piece of pipe so the bushing slips down between the jaws or into the pipe and drive that bushing out with the wedged end of a machinist hammer. I have done hundreds like that, take the shaft out (remember how it goes back) flip the control arm over and knock the other bushing out. Drive one bushing in using a piece of pipe or a socket that fits around the rubber but buts up against the metal, put the shaft back and drive the other bushing in. just slightly tighten the bolts as you want to do the final tightening when the car is sitting on it's tires. The lower control arm bushings are a bit harder and to the truth I haven't done a set since the mid 70's so I can't walk you through that. Don't take it apart without the engine in the car as you will never get the springs back in. I suggest looping a log/tow chain through the coil and laying it on the floor when you pop the springs out so they don't take off and bounce into something, I have had them take off across the shop before. Putting them back I use two crow bars one in the coils at about the third coil and one under the coil to slide the spring into the pocket on the control arm with a floor jack under the control arm out as close to the ball joint as you can get it and not block putting the spindle back on. Truck tire irons work best though. I've done a lot of springs that way since the early 70's. e
The lower bushings, you should use a press and take it somewhere if you have doubts. Take all the washer too. I have a good spring compressor that goes in the lower arm shock hole. I'd fire anyone that put a chain through a coil spring on the name of "safety". If the spring is compressed, it gets shorter and is a breeze to put in. Just make sure it is in the upper pocket squarely. Then bring the lower arm up and release the spring compressor slowly.
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