Front suspension question, How do I separate the control arms from the crossmember? Options

[jrblackbox]

I want to freshen up the suspension in my 71. I figured I would change the bushings. How do I get the control arms off the cross member? Don't want to screw it up.

[BillC]

I want to freshen up the suspension in my 71. I figured I would change the bushings. How do I get the control arms off the cross member? Don't want to screw it up.

The way I did mine:

1. Disconnect the ball joint and sway bar link (if present) from the control arm.
2. Remove the height adjusting screw from the height adjuster.
3. Remove the height adjuster from the back of the cross beam. It should just pull off, but may require wiggling, pulling, swearing, etc.
4. Remove the torsion bar -- it should pull out of the back of the control arm and cross beam. Might come out with the adjuster.
5. Remove the body clamp parts from the front of the control arm.
6. Loosen but do not remove the large bolts on the ends of cross beam.
7. Remove one of the large bolts (unless you want to drop the whole cross beam, in which case you need to unbolt the cross beam from the steering rack). The large bolt retains the control arm.
8. You should now be able to wiggle the control arm off toward the front of the car. I needed to use a pry bar to get it started moving, and then it wiggled off.

Of course, the usual safety precautions apply: use jack stands, be safe, etc.