A car nearly twenty years old is going to need some updates to give a decent ride, the rubber bushings deteriorate so it is time for Polyurethane Bushings. The ride improved and the cornering got a little more solid. The control arms had to have many of the bolts cut to remove the arm. Those bolts were fused to the steel sleeve inside the rubber bushings. The metal shells on the outside of the bushings have to be removed from the cast arms before installing the new pieces.
A bearing press makes the installation much easier, but removing the thin shells can be a challenge. My little trick is to cut and grind out most of the rubber, then using a recip saw cut two grooves about 1/4” apart in the inside of the shells. Using a nail set, this thin strip tears out and allows the shell to come loose.
I cleaned up the control arms and painted them with some engine enamel before installing the new bushings.
