Well my S15 Jimmy has over 380K miles on it and a few years ago I rebuilt the whole front suspenstion. In Dec 07 i decided to tackle the rear leaf spring bushings. I bought an inexpensive shop press from Harbor Freight and I was able to press out the old bushings and install the new bushings on both ends of the spring. But then I got to looking at the rear shackle bushings and trying to figure out how to get at them and press them out. I got a quote from the Service Mangaer at the local Chevy dealer for a about1 hour labor. I dropped the car off and the mechanics did not want any part of the job. I took it to my local independent shop and they agreed to tackle the job. They had to drop the fuel tank, and a combinatiion of ball joint press and chiseling they managed to get the old ones out and the new ones in. I gladly paid them $70 an hour for 3 hours labor. What makes getting the old bushings out is that the factory flared the backside of the bushings. When I did the leaf springs I hacksawed the flared part of the bushing off in order tomake it easier to press through the leaf spring eye.

 

I used the blue wrench and a hammer to get my old ones out. Took all of 30 minutes.

 

What is a blue wrench? I am thinking cutting Torch.

 

correct

 

Hot wrench always ftw. When I did the bushings on my control arms it took 4 hours @ 750 degrees to turn the rubber to dust. That was using the burn off oven at work =)

 

I have a cutting/welding outfit but I am gun shy about using it on the body. I afraid of damaging wiring, Paint, or worse igniting something flamable especially fuel. I have used the torch on the vehical but very cautiously.