1971 Eldorado upper control arm bushings seem impossibly big

[mummyjohn]

Been replacing front end bits on this car the last couple days, and tonight I encountered a serious mystery when I got to the bushings on the front upper control arm.

As pictured below, the smaller end of the bushing appears as large or even larger around than the hole in the control arm that it necessarily must have gone through to get there.  In the other picture you can see me holding up the new bushing which looks identically sized.


I ground down one of them until it was clearly smaller than the hole and pressed it out with an Autozone rental tool, and it seems as though the new one can not be put even partway in to the control arm (compare to the lower ctrl. arm, where the bushing can be put in most of the way by hand, then pressed the last little way home.

But searching for info about this has turned up nothing; I figured someone else may've been curious about this.  I'm familiar with interference fits, but this is a whole 'nother deal.  Anybody able to explain (or, more pertinently, give advice about the removal/installation procedures on these?
--
1971 Eldorado coupe, upper front left control arm

[Scot Minesinger]

A picture is worth a thousand words.  They are pressed from the inside of the arm out with a tool you make or buy.  This was described in the 1970 Cadillac shop manual when I first did this job.  Then the same tool I made did not work on a 1972 Eldorado that I restored the front end suspension.  I had to do the lower arms too, and had to make a real special jig for that to press them out too.  The Kent Moore tool described in 1972 shop manual was too flimsy to remove the bushings on lower arms, but it worked on the upper arm bushings OK.  The tool is way different than this one pictured, it just gives an example of pressing inside out.  The Kent Moore Tool is more of a threaded rod with a series of special bushings and washers.

I should have started with a recommendation to read the 1972 Cadillac shop manual (Eldorado section, not RWD) carefully on this subject, it is very well done.  That Kent Moore tool is still sold on e-bay, but you can easily make your own.  If you do a search, you probably will find this discussed when I had questions about it about two years ago.  If I had to do it over again, would make me own tool.

Now I can do a suspension restore on just about any Cadillac from 1965 thru 1976 (probably newer than 1976), but that is as new as I have done.  Have not tackled leaf springs on a FWD 1967-70 Eldorado yet either.

[mummyjohn]

I am a patent moron: I thought that was part of the arm, turns out it's the outside of the bushing.  's been a long week.

[The Tassie Devil(le)]

I know how you feel.

Sometimes it is a good time to take a rest, and then come back to things.

Bruce.

[Jeff Rosansky CLC #28373]

I am a patent moron: I thought that was part of the arm, turns out it's the outside of the bushing.  's been a long week.

Don't worry about it. I've admitted more stupid things on this forum than I have to my wife.
Jeff

[chrisntam]

I'm the one who posted a question about why no air was coming out of one side of my a/c vent.  When I posted the picture, I could see that side of the vent closed.  Just had to open it.



It's all good, let's have some fun, sometimes, it's not always fun.

[bcroe]

This ancient tool has served me well.  The stepped disc on the right has
several different dia cylinders to press with.  Note a piece of steel I inserted
into the work, to keep it from collapsing under pressure.  The big disc on
the left is just a big flat spacer I had handy. 

This is the 79 Eldo getting new rubber bushings, so it would handle better. 
The low mileage ball joints were left alone, even to this day.  Bruce Roe

[Scot Minesinger]

Bruce,

That looks like a much sturdier tool then the Kent Moore one.  The K M tool handled the upper bushing removal OK, but was worthless on the lower control arm bushings.  I need to find a C clamp like that which looks like it can take major stress.  Check out the jig used to fit the lower control arm, just barely fits in my press.  However this should work on all 67-76 Eldorados and all 66-76 Toranados, so even though it took an hour or two to make it may come in handy in the future. 

[bcroe]

Bruce,
That looks like a much sturdier tool then the Kent Moore one.  The K M tool handled the upper bushing removal OK, but was worthless on the lower control arm bushings.  I need to find a C clamp like that which looks like it can take major stress.  Check out the jig used to fit the lower control arm, just barely fits in my press.  However this should work on all 67-76 Eldorados and all 66-76 Toranados, so even though it took an hour or two to make it may come in handy in the future.

Scot, That is a lot of work.  Of course mine works "on the car" so to speak.  Bruce

[Scot Minesinger]

Yes, your way is less work for sure.  This job was a total suspension restore, replacing all rubber parts and all wear items including ball joints.  Plus since the suspension was removed everything was repainted and restored to look as new.  To see how nice this car is take a look at that control arm in the jig, that black paint is factory, an amazingly well preserved lower control arm for a 1972 Eldorado from PA.  The work I do people generally want more of a combo repair/restore.

[Coupe Deville]

This ancient tool has served me well.

This is the 79 Eldo getting new rubber bushings, so it would handle better. 

Hello Bruce.

I'm going to be pulling the control arms off of my 1972 CDV sometime soon, and am looking into buying a tool like yours. Does the Eldorado still have the center shaft that sits in the middle of the upper control arms? I've read through the shop manual and I think the bottom ones would have no problem coming out, but the top ones would not come out with the hand tool because the center shaft would be in the way correct? Or is there some trick you did to get the shaft out first before pressing the bushing's out. I don't have access to an arbor or hydraulic press. So if I could use the hand tool that would be even better.

-Gavin

[bcroe]

Hello Bruce.
I'm going to be pulling the control arms off of my 1972 CDV sometime soon, and am looking into buying a tool like yours. Does the Eldorado still have the center shaft that sits in the middle of the upper control arms? I've read through the shop manual and I think the bottom ones would have no problem coming out, but the top ones would not come out with the hand tool because the center shaft would be in the way correct? Or is there some trick you did to get the shaft out first before pressing the bushing's out. I don't have access to an arbor or hydraulic press. So if I could use the hand tool that would be even better.   -Gavin 

The 67-85 Eldos didn't have a shaft across the top; used cams for alignment. 
About everything else had the shaft. 

I got my tool from an estate sale a very long time ago, but they can be found. 
I much prefer working on my Eldo to others, because its easier to unload the
torsion bar springs. 

I forget just how I did my RWD cars; been quite a while.  Better read the manual;
keep in mind front ends can be dangerous to work on, and expect to need to buy
some more tools.  My rule, tools pay for themselves the first time you use them. 
good luck, Bruce Roe