Source for new OBS 4X4 lower control arms?

[93-2dr-on20s]

I apologize for the long read/rant! So I'm balls deep into rebuilding my front end. I have both sides completely torn down. The last step was removing the lower control arms so I can replace balljoints and bushings. The drivers side came apart with no problem. Released tension on the t-bars, removed bolts, lowered control arm and hit it with a hammer a couple times to get it off the T-bar. The passengers side was nowhere near as easy. Hitting the control arm with a hammer for like 2 hrs. and a half a can of PB Blaster later, all I managed to do was pull the t-bar out of the key and crossmember. I lugged the arm with the bar still attatched to work wher I heated the arm around the bar, put a large piece of stock on the end of the bar and whacked the crap out of it till it broke free. What a PITA!!! While I had the arm there, I decided to see how hard the rivets on the old BJ's were to remove. Holy crap, it's like they're welded in there!!!! And to think I was gonna try to do the lower BJ's on the truck!! Now that I've beaten the crap out of my control arm and I see how much work removing the BJ's is gonna be, I'm contemplating just getting new lower control arms. One problem, I can't find them anywhere! Been scouring ebay and the rest of the net for them to no avail. None of the parts stores around here know where to get them either. Do any of you guys know where I can get 'em? If they're cheap enough, it may be worth it to just swap out the whole damned thing.

 

[Loss4wrds]

I replaced both uppers and lower BJ's on my truck. I averaged about 2 hours a BJ. Best way I found for uppers was to drill a hole in the center of the rivits from the bottom side about halfway thru the control arm then I ground off the head of the rivits on the bottom side where I just drilled. Then I put the nut back on the ball joint and beat the **** out of it. The 2nd was much easier than the first that I ground off on the top side.
As for the lowers if I was to do it again I would just take them to a machine shop and pay the $25 or so each to have them press out the old ones and press in the new. We almost ruined a 12 ton hydraulic press doing mine. Complete pain the the ass. The C-clamp style BJ tool I bought for the job didn't do **** even in a vice and we tried an inpact and a 4 ft breaker bar on a wrench and didn't budge it. Good Luck. I thought it was going to be 3-4hr thing to do all 4 but it took more like 8-10hrs
I do not think you can do the lowers without a serious press and a selection of die

 

[Swims350]

http://www.lmctruck.com/icatalog/cd/full.aspx?Page=128

not too cheap. I think I'd take them off and take em to a machine shop to have them pressed out and new ones put in.

 

[93-2dr-on20s]

The replacement balljoints I got need to be bolted in where the rivets are now, can't just press out the lowers. I guess I'll just take my time and get the rivets out 'cause I ain't spending that much on new arms just to save myself some work. I can only imagine what a shop around here would have charged me for this job. I'm already past $600 just in parts.

 

[Loss4wrds]

Your lower balljoints are rivited? Uppers on mine were rivited but the lowers were pressed in.

 

[93-2dr-on20s]

Yup riveted. I wish they were pressed in. I think they changed to press in balljoints in like '95 or '96.

 

[Swims350]

good chance I think my 88 has press in style. yours should be alot easier then. Air chisel the heads off, grind off, cut an x in them then knock em off, drill em out, something, then you should be good to go.

 

[93-2dr-on20s]

I tried a few things on one of the lower arms so far. I cut the head off of one rivet and tried a hammer and a punch. Yeah, right! Then I tried with an air chisel. Still nothing. Then I tried drilling halfway through it and back to the air chisel. Still nothing. I'm gonna go into work on saturday and take my time with them. Gonna drill all the way through the rivets and lop off the heads. If I take the jaw inserts off the vice on the Bridgeport at the shop, I should be able to fit the arms in there snug and straight. I'm just wondering what I should do about the cosmetic damage I did to the pass. side control arm with the BFH. I know it doesn't affect anything and no one is ever really gonna see it, it just irks me that it's dented up like that.

 

[Swims350]

I would try to take off the heads and drill down enough to get past the ball joint flange itself, then drive a chisel or air chisel, screwdriver or something between the flange and control arm to seperate them. You could drill all the way thru too. I was just thinking from what you already did maybe getting something between them will seperate them.

They are a PITA, I say if you can't beat the dent out, bondo it LOL. Sand and paint and it'll be fine, might not last very long though.

 

[93-2dr-on20s]

Looks like it's gonna have to wait 'till next week sometime. 12:30 appointment with the **** surgeon 2moro. Maybe I'll just stay after work a few nights untill I have them all changed.