1955 Ford Station wagon Upper Control arm removal

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poolplayer1

Senior Member
Hello friends.
How much trouble is it to remove the upper control arms on this wagon?
I have a friend that says he can press the bushings in if I can bring the arms in to his shop.He is really busy and would take a long time to get to my car.
I have never done this job before so need some advice or help.
I have the parts here already to be installed.
Maybe someone here has instructions on how to remove the arms or have done this repair before and can give me some idea on how to do it.
Thank you very much for your help.
Mando
 
To remove the upper arm, I think you’ve got to do the whole deal. Maybe not. But you’ll have to compress or lock the spring, separate the ball joints, etc. I’ve only done the whole front end all at one time. Springs are really dangerous, so you need the right tools. At this point, the lower arm bushings should probably be looked at too.
 
No the top can come out without messing with the springs as long as you have something firmly supporting the lower arms. I think you can even remove them without separating the upper ball joints since they're just bolted to the upper arm with three bolts.
 
It is probably NOT possible to just remove the top control arms without separating the top ball-joints from the spindles, because the center fastener that holds the ball joint to the control arm is integral with the rubber bumper. There is not enough room to pull the center fastener/bumper down to completely remove it without hitting the frame. If it were not for that, it could be done.
 
Thanks Guys for all your suggestions with this project.I am going to get in there and see how bad it is to do the job. If I don't have the right tools,I might just take it to a local front end repair shop here in town. I'll have him check the bottom bushings too while he is doing the upper ones.
Mando
 
I forgot to mention that after I do the control arm bushings,my next project is a universal air Conditioner unit to fit this wagon.about 10yrs ago,I removed the 272 v8 engine and installed a completely rebuilt 302 v8 motor on this baby. I have heard of Vintage Air but does anyone here know of any other company that sells this ac units for vintage cars? Just wanted to compare pricing. Have any of you guys installed one of this universal units in a 55 ford car or wagon.
Thanks again,
Mando
 
Do you have any type of service information?

I would post the manual pages but FIREFOX keeps mugging my printer.

IMO ... :rolleyes:

Working on the car like this with just trying to trap the spring on a floor or jack is dangerous. If she needs upper control arm bushings, it is going to most likely need a complete overhaul. That would necessitate ... :confused: ... (college word) removing the spring which would make the process much safer. At the least, safety chain the spring.
 
Yes, you are correct KultuLz. Its a major repair and I don't want to take a chance on injuring myself by trying to do this job. I talked the front end expert and he said for me to bring it in next Monday and he will take care of the repair for me.
Thanks for your advice and help.Also,thanks to the other guys here for helping out with suggestions and opinions.
Mando
 
poolplayer1 said:
my next project is a universal air Conditioner unit to fit this wagon.about 10yrs ago,I removed the 272 v8 engine and installed a completely rebuilt 302 v8 motor. Have any of you guys installed one of this universal units in a 55 ford car or wagon.Mando
Click to expand...


Seems like you need to be careful what you are ordering here. The A/C compressor will need to fit a 302 V8 (not a Y-block), but the rest of the kit needs to fit a '55 Ford full size car/wagon.
 
poolplayer1 said:
Yes, you are correct KultuLz. Its a major repair and I don't want to take a chance on injuring myself by trying to do this job. I talked the front end expert and he said for me to bring it in next Monday and he will take care of the repair for me
.
Thanks for your advice and help.Also,thanks to the other guys here for helping out with suggestions and opinions.

Mando
Click to expand...

I didn't mean to scare you off from the repair. It is not all that difficult but you have to be aware of what may happen. You need a good service manual first and special service tools which can sometimes be borrowed from a box store.

Hope all turns out well with it... ;)
 
Thanks again Guys for your great advice. As for the upper control bushings,I am taking the wagon in on Monday to have it done. In the mean time,I am checking around to see who has what I need for this 55 wagon. So far,it looks like the one that will fit in this vehicle is the universal slim type Gen 4 Magnum sold by Vintage Auto Air Conditioning.com. It puts out enough air to supply the station wagon.
The website says that I can call one of the techs there and tell them the vehicle model and engine type and they will tell me all the parts that I will need for my wagon.
By the way,how do I post a picture of my 55 wagon here on this site?
Mando
 
poolplayer, You can put a small picture, in your Avatar, by going to
the left side of the black band above, click on User CP, and then
on Settings and Options, then click on Edit Avatar


Someone else, hopefully, will give you some picture posting tips.












.
 
Since you asked about a/c systems. I’ve got a classic air system on my 12 volt 55 bird. It pretty much went is as advertised, but there was some adjustment and trouble shooting that wasn’t addressed. I’ve got a Vintage Air in an OT car, and it works like a modern car. I’ve got at least 6 friends with them, and they are all first rate. So Vintage is the way to go in my opinion.

These mid 50’s fords had pretty nice heater/defrost/air vent systems using outside air. All the aftermarket systems seem to only run on recirculated air. On the ‘bird there wasn’t much choice because putting an under dash a/c only unit is a real space and legroom problem. But in a wagon, sedan or truck I’d be doing a/c only. Up here in Seattle you have to run the a/c and the heat to get the defrosters to work. Heat alone won’t clear the windshield with recirculated air (probably because you’re usually wet when you get in the car). But the original system worked with heat only on outside air. You don’t list a location, so I don’t know what kind of weather you deal with. But just food for thought from someone who’s been there.

The other thing is to get the biggest electric fan you can fit for the condenser. I think Vintage Air is probably ok in that area, but if you get to the other guys they’re almost always too small in my experience.
 
Thanks Miker for your great info on this subject. I have a 302 v8 in this wagon. I found what I think will work on this vehicle.Its the universal Gen IV Magnum AC Kit.
Its the slim type.I need a slim type cause I have a floor shifter and therefore,limited to space. So, you think Vintage Air is the way to go,right? One more thing, I was told that when I install the unit in the dash,I will have to do away with the glove box because that space is needed for the new unit that's going to be installed.Is this right?
Thanks again for your help.
 
Your glove box will depend on you’re installation. The classic air unit in my bird came with a new shallow glove box insert, so you can probably work something out. Vintage Air would be my first choice.
 
The bushings are tricky if they are the screw in type. Even the press in types are tough for most to do at home. I've been doing them for years.


I usually do 1 side at a time, leave the car on a floor jack under the lower arm. The upper ball joint has to be disconnected.
 
If one has a shop or does these frequently-

The control arm does not have to be removed.

s-l300.jpg
 
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