Hi,
upper control arm bushings ?
just grind off the spot welds, and press them out on a press. Easy to do.

I use the hammer method on upper ball joints.  It's a larger tapered part ,
than the tie rod is, so you'd need  a pretty wide/large pickle fork for the
upper ball joints , if you wanted to pickle fork them.  Hammer method for me
on those. Sometimes I have to back up what I'm whacking on with a sledge
hammer held behind it .

'careful' brute force, let's say.
Scott
----- Original Message -----
From: "Troy" <colorworks@gci.net>
To: "Scott Daniel - Turbovans" <scottdaniel@turbovans.com>
Cc: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Monday, June 08, 2009 11:16 PM
Subject: Re: Tie Rod end removal/Control arm bushings

> I'm replacing both, and own a pickle fork (don't you love these names?) so
> think I'll go that route. Works on upper ball joints too I suppose? I love
> the wisdom of an experienced mechanic-- be on the damn thing until it
> gives! Any wisdom on control arm bushings? One person simply said to
> hacksaw the thing into two, and then use a cold chisel to punch it out,
> apparently works great. Brute force wins again!
>
> Troy
>
>
>> hi.
>> I specialize in removing tie rod ends ......
>> that tapered thing.
>> 'the way' is to give the end of the steering arm that it sits in ( after
>> the nut is loosened but not removed ) ....
>> wahck the hell out of that mother , with a good medium size ball been
>> hammer ......
>> sharp whacks, not dull thuds . On the 5th to 20th sharp hard whack, the
>> tie rod will jump out of the steering arm.
>> Loosen the nut pretty well, but leave it on to protect the threads while
>> you hammer nearby.
>> check it once in a while to see if it hasn't jumped out.
>>
>> other methods -
>> if you know you're just going to toss the tie rod end ...........pickle
>> fork.  Wedged fork thing - it destroys the boot though.
>> Pullers - sure .....but pulling on a taperd thing ..........or pushing .I
>> mean ......
>> just isn't the same as the hammer method.  The few times I've tired it
>> .....well, ..the hammer method is fast and easy.
>> Huge affect - shocking that hole dimension in the steerying arm.  Makes
>> it just jump right out.
>>
>> Related - -   same for screws and bolts  ......a sharp whack on the end
>> of those  ( like CV joint screws ) (  with a hammer and drift )
>> ........makes them a lot easier to unscrew.  Major affect. I've had CV
>> screws that felt like they'd strip for sure after pulling hard on them,
>> after the first go around of whacking. So whack on that screw some more.
>> Try it again, Stil no, whack on it five more sharp hard times......and
>> eventually, it'll unscrew.
>> And so will a tie rod end pop out.  If it's an extreme case, and the nut
>> is downward, so the tie rod end goes out upward, I might jack on it with
>> a bottle jack ....but still ......sharp hard whacks with a nice medium
>> hammer.
>>
>> I shortened the handle of my favorite ball been hammer just a litle to
>> get better control of it.......of a medium ball been hammer ........about
>> 30 years ago.  I carved grip notches in it by holding it up to a grinder
>> ....in a grippy spiral pattern.  Your own custom tools are really nice
>> aren't they ! ?
>> That hammer has undone one helleva lot of tie rod ends.  ! :)
>>
>