Powerbuilt Upper Control Arm Bushing Service Tool Set for Ford, GM and Chrysler, Remove and Install Car Bushings, 648604

Amazing value. Costs a fraction of similar sets but is still great quality and works well.

I used this tool successfully to change the 22-year old upper (and lower) control arm bushings on my 1998 Toyota Tacoma 2wd 5-lug. The tool is designed for older American cars with the "A-arm" style upper control arm with a shaft through the bushings. I took a chance and got lucky one size of the included adaptors fit perfectly for my truck. The quality of the tool is good, better than expected. I torqued on the C-frame pretty hard (with hand tools, no impact) to remove the old factory bushings and it never flexed or deformed. I considered a few cheaper no-name versions but am glad I spent the extra $20 for the Powerbuilt. The C-shaped adaptor that goes around the shaft to push out the bushing was too short to fully remove the Toyota bushing so I cut a section out of an old bushing to stack inside and extend the reach. (See photos.) Note the Toyota design requires removal of the the outside end of the bushing to allow this or any removal tool to fit against the end of the control-arm tube. The factory service manual just says cut. I used an air hammer and chisel to bend up the lip for clearance then cut with a reciprocating saw. That was the most difficult part of the job. Installation was easy. Used the same c-adaptor with the push cup to get the new bushing started. Replaced it with a flat bar to seat the last few millimeters. Bonus - I did not get pictures but I was able to use the adaptors in various combinations to remove and install the lower control arm and strut bar bushings as well, no burning or drilling the bushings. The C-frame was not helpful for the lowers so I used some all-thread and grade-8 hardware to press the bushings out and in, but the included cups and adaptors made this easy with a little head scratching and a couple sockets to get the setups just right. If I had had access to a standard Ball Joint removal kit with a larger collection of adaptors and cups it would have been faster to set up but I was able to make it go right with the included parts. I removed one bushing from the UCA via the caveman method (drilling the rubber, heating with a torch, hammer and punches, lots of swearing) before I found this tool. A couple of hours caveman versus under 10 minutes and no swearing using the tool... I am happy with this purchase even if I don't use it again for years.

I needed the tool set for replacing my power steering gear box. I have a 1979 Chevrolet C20. The large Pittman arm puller worked flawlessly to remove the Pitman arm from the old gearbox and the small Pitman arm puller worked well removing the Pitman arm from the steering linkage. The kit appears to be very sturdy and I would not hesitate to use it replacing any tool in the kit.

Ok I used it toady. You do disturb alignment. You have to take 22mm nuts off bolts holding upper control arm on and swing arm out to remove 24mm nuts/washers/press bushings out. You can mark frame and try to mount control back on frame close to original location. Bushings press out from inside out arm. A receiving adapter goes on outside of control arm. It's supposed to sit over/around bushing on control arm(not bushing-it straddles bushing) but bushing was a little bit too big in diameter so it sat a little off center. A adapter goes on the inside to push bushing out. A c clamp w/ a treaded rod pulls the receiver and adaper together via a threaded rod tightened by a 22mm socket. I had to use a 17 inch long gearwrench flex head 1/2 inch ratchet to get enough torque to pop bushings. To press in new bushing,it is the opposite. The bushing is pressed in from the outside using a insert that matches bushing diameter. The other end of c clamp goes inside of arm w/o any attachements.Plenty of krano kroil was used to press out and press in bushings. I discovered that you really have to line insert up w/ bushing during press in and pay attention that it stays centered and doesn't slip to outside. This happened on first bushing and it slipped off bushing bent the metal lip of bushing and put a dent in outside corner of rubber. This was minor and since bushing was half pressed in I recentered insert and pushed it in the rest of the way. It looks ok in. Just a slightly bent lip on one side. The bushing on other side pressed in fine. Removal ,however ,involved the bushing being pressed out of arm but it remained seized on shaft. I removed shaft and put it in a vise. I removed w/ knipex pliers. Tommorow or wednesday i'll do the passenger side of my '99 dakota club cab R/T. Please note that this truck was garage kept w/ 50,000 orignal miles. Tool works well but I wish it would straddle outside of bushing better. I don't like pressing bushing out at a slight angle. I'm having trouble getting the upper control arm remounted. I think I will have to loosen bottom shock mounts so upper arm can be pulled back over the bolts on frame. I got arm back on frame. Brake line wouldn't mount. It was off by a 1/2 inch from the holes in arm.I inadvertently bent brake line swing arm back into position to remount on frame. Brake line got caught. After carefully rebending brake line,it went into place.

Works like a charm! Well designed tool. Easy to use. I purchased for control arm bushing installation on a 77 Vette. Wish I had purchased the tool sooner because I would love to have used it for the bushing removal.

This item will replace all the rigged up fixtures to put these bushings in. My home press is not big enough to fit a control arm in, inside or outside. After spending a day to make a jig pipe to fit inside control arm, to use it long ways on the press. Then it binding and flying out. After buying this and 10 minutes later it was going back in car. This is good

Very effective tool

This is the last Powerbuilt tool I'll buy. If you have a small car, this may work for you. The "C" press isn't compatible with the other Powerbuilt tools (their ball joint press kit). The press is smaller but the tip is larger (why?) and it is supposed to stay on with an o-ring, which they already know doesn't work (the o-ring is destroyed) because they give you several replacements in the kit. Only 1 of the press adapter cups just barely worked for the full sized pickup I needed this for, so instead I mixed and matched with other ball-joint press kit parts to make something that worked for my need. Save money if you want and buy this in a cheaper knock-off brand. It's not worth the extra. --kh;