From Datsun

[edit] Summary

The factory control arm bushings on a 510 are rubber surrounded in a pressed in steel shell. It is often times desirable to replace these bushings as they tend to wear quite drastically over the 30+ years they have been on the car. There are aftermarket polyurethane as well as OEM rubber bushing available as replacement.

[edit] Installation and Removal

There are a few methods for removing the bushing and sleeve from the control arm in order to install the new bushings:

• Take a hacksaw, run the blade thru the hole and reassemble the saw. Cut through the sleeve and be careful not to cut into the arm. Once cut, simply tap it out with a cold chisel.
  • Using a hacksaw is a bit easier if you first remove all the rubber from the bushing leaving only the pressed in shell. Simply use a welding torch to burn it out.
  • Alternativly, you can use a press to rip the rubber out. However, some have reported accidentally bending the control arm with this method.
• I was also able to remove a control arm bushing with a big bolt and nut that fit through the bushing. I searched and found a spacer big
  

  

  Homemade Bushing Press
  socket) to apply presure to the outer bearing shell and used a short piece of pipe with a cap on the other side to give the shell somewhere to go. With the big nut and bolt through the bushing, I used a big lever arm to tighten and force the bushing shell out into the pipe. Several tonnes of force required to press these things out, a hydraulic shop press could also be used.

Once the stock metal bushing shell is out, the replacement after market bushing will easily go in by hand. Some replacements include a silicone based lubricant which should be applied to the bushings. OEM bushings must be pressed in, which can be easily accomplished with some C clamps and a few pieces of wood.

[edit] After Market Bushings

• The Energy Suspension control arm bushings that have been recieved by some people have been found to be slightly too long, but can be easily trimmed with a hacksaw.