Thats crazy, Im going to sock up knowing this. Ill get a few sets and stash them away for future projects.
So, I couldnt edit my original post, so heres where im at now.
This is before I dropped the lower control arm. Man I wish I would have pressure washed everything before I started, would have made working on it so much nicer!
Using an impact I was able to easily take out the new bushings. With the new cross shaft and bushings centered and threaded evenly finger tight, I could start with the impact. Make sure to put grease in the bushing threads before tightening to ensure lubrication throughout.
I hit each end with the impact a little at a time until fully seated. I was able to barely move the cross shaft by hand. Still not sure how much play there should be.
Now on the the lowers...
I was once again able to easily remove the original bushings with an impact.
With the new lower cross shafts in place (making sure the divet is forward, will explain later), I made sure the place grease in the bushings before threading them to ensure lubrication throughout.
Bottom installed. This replacement control arm shaft kit had indentations on both sides as seen on the top of the cross shaft. On the lower control arm bracket theres a rivet on the front bracket that aligns with the indentation on the cross shaft to prevent rotation. If your replacement control arm shafts have only one indentation, ensure they are forward (away from the shock mount). This would be pretty frustrating to complete this and try to mount them only to find out you had them backwards!
While I was at it I went ahead and did upper and lower ball joints, heres a bottom one, probably original, and the empty spot after being pressed out. Whatever you do, rent the tool or borrow it, made it pretty easy to remove and press them in. I couldnt imagine trying to do this with a BFH and a block of wood! Heres a bottom removed.
Bottoms had a little play, not bad, but replacing them anyway.
Once again, very thankful to have access to the right tools!
Pressed in and ready for grease.
Now for the uppers. Original, so I cross cut the top of the rivets and pounded them out with an air hammer.
I bolted them in with the nuts on top, greased them, and that was it. Everything got topped off with grease before I loaded them up and took them home.
Now, all im waiting on is for these to come in to my local NAPA, and my front end will be almost like new.
I will post some pictures when its all together. Some things I would do over again if I could.
Clean everything with a pressure washer BEFORE starting. I was getting grime on new new bushing threads while installing that I had to remove and wipe clean several times.
Get all the right sized sockets together before starting. Wasted a lot of time hunting down the right sized tools.
Inspect everything and know what your getting. Most of you probably noticed the two different lower control arm shafts. Same part number, one is made in Turkey, the other the U.S.A. I shouldnt have accepted them (I kicked back inner and outer tie rod ends because they were different) but I was in a time crunch because of work, and the parts were the same dimensionally except in two spots that had no effect on the function of the part. One bushing moves a little easier than the other, not sure if its because of the design or the way I installed. Im sure it will be fine.
Order the parts you need in advance! Take note of what you will be replacing and order them a few days in advance. I would have had this together today if I had the U Bolts ordered.
Once again ill post an update when together. I hope this helps someone, if anyone has any questions feel free to ask, and sorry for the slight highjack. I know it was a U bolt thread until I took it over, my bad!