I'm getting ready to replace the infamous lower control arm bushings on my car, and I'm hoping to use the method where you just remove the lower control arm, and then use a special too to press the old bushing out, and press the new bushing in. The part I'm most uncertain about is separating the inner ball joint. I replaced both the outer ball joints a couple of years ago, and reassembled them with antiseize, so I think they'll come apart fairly easily, I've never had the inners apart and I always destroy the boots when I use a pickle fork. Is there a screw type of separator that people have used to get the inner ball joints apart?

Side note, if you're going to replace the LCA bushings, for the love of all things holy, replace them with powerflex. The PO of my car had the bushings replaced at 50,000 miles, but put oem bushings back on...

 

Go ahead and drop the subframe. Most the time you will damage the boots or the joint itself when you try to beat it apart to the arm off.
Plus we always recommend replacing the front sway bar bushings, and powerflex steering rack bushing at the same time.

 

Ugh, I'm really trying to avoid dropping the sub frame. I could be persuaded to lower the back of it, but I really would like to avoid removing it entirely if I can, but that is the back up plan if I damage one of the ball joints.

 

I do the sazall method. All I did was loosen the inner ball joint not. Shot a bunch of PB blaster on it an loosened the nut to the end of the thread. Then smacked it with a sledge hammer. Poped loose. Then I used sazall an cut out bushing. I made a cheap press tool for 15 dollars from home depot . Now replacing the inner ball can be a little hard because the location on the bolts next to the steering rack. After I got my joint out I cleaned the threads on the screws an clean out the holes with a tap. Made installation of screws very smooth. Good luck.

 

You can do all that oooooor ... drop the subframe. Makes it way easier.

Dropping the subframe itself isn't really all that difficult either. You'll probably spend more time trying to figure out how to get around it than just doing it.

 

You can get the wishbone off without dropping the subframe BUT the inner joint it is a hard one to crack, you'll need a fairly large fork with a long handle to hammer it, it will not be salvageable when you are done either as you cannot avoid damaging the boot. Been there!

 

I lowered the sub-frame, removed the lower control arms, then used a LCA Bushing Press to remove the bushings. I originally tried the Sawsall method, was a complete waste of time if you can't get the inner ball-joint to break. Once you have the Control Arm off, you can replace the inner ball-joints. I started trying to remove the sub-frame, but got stuck with trying to remove the steering knuckle pin, so I settled on just lowering it. If you do decide to drop the whole sub-frame, makes tons of sense to replace all that you can get to while you're in there ..

 

There are 3 bolts holding the inner ball-joint in place, lowering the sub-frame and pushing the axles out of the way will allow you to get to the bolts. I tried popping the inner ball-joints with a folk, the tip hits the frame before the joint pops.

 

My subframe is currently on the garage floor while I do the same. The trick to the steering connector was to turn the wheel a little to the left, then come at it from the drivers wheel well. Really not hard, just a lot of steps. also makes it easier to replace the steering fluid hoses if they’re showing the common signs of trouble.

 

I was trying to get to it from under the car, Wasn't enough room for my big azz hands....lol

 

Did you pop the axles out of the transmission? or pull them out of the front hubs and angle them? I'm comfortable with the hubs, but the transmission makes me nervous.

 

I pulled mine out, only because I wanted to replace them, but once you have the axle nut off the slide right out of the hubs. The passenger axle slides out too once you unbolt the support bracket. The drivers side is a little trickier. You can just bungee them out of the way if you don’t plan on replacing axles.