upper and lower control arm bushings?

[ghitch75]

anyone ever change them?...hit a big chuck hole the other day in the Burb and one of the uppers blew out....now when i hit the brakes or turn the right wheel jumps back and forth...not to fun to drive!!!....it looks pretty straight for forward on changin' them...question is do you have to release the torsion bars all the way?...and what tools do you need to release them?

thanks Gary

btw i know it's the wrong place to post,,,but the d-max gang won't give it a look..

 

[Fysh Guide]

I changed out the uppers earlier this year when I replaced the upper ball joints. I am not a mechanic by any stretch of the imagination, but I got the job done. I took about 4 hours for the whole job. I took the control arms off and had to hack saw, grind and basically pulverize them out taking care not to damage the arms. They were original with over 300,000 kms' on them and the steel sleeving was distorted so they wouldn't press out. Moog makes a improved version although I actually put in their standard version.
When I R&R'd the rest of the front end I ordered both the "performance enhancers" as well as the lower bushings. As I am Canadian and ordered from RockAuto in the US, the cost savings (including shipping) made it cheaper to order pitman, idler assembly, all tie rods, all bushings and lower ball joints (all Moog) than ball joints, pitman and idler arms alone from the retailers up here.
I had the lower ball joints, pitman and idler assembly done at the shop as I was too busy at the time. They did not think it was worth doing the R&R on the bushings as it was going to knock the price up from $400 to $1100. They made it sound as if the lower bushings were like rebuiding the engine! I keep looking at them and thinking there must be an easier way to do it so I'm curious if anyone else can help....
I still have a full set of new tie rods as well as the upgraded upper bushings that I want to put in but will wait until they are needed or I have a spare day....!
Good luck!