Type and quality tie-rod puller needed for upper control arm removal?

[MBXB]

I had this in my bookmarks from way back. I'm surprised it's still live:

E34 Front strut and bushing replacement

There's only one way that I'd go about removing an arm from your car--especially if you're trying to save the boots. More specifically, I'd remove the steering knuckle (and the tie rod from it using a non-destructive tie-rod puller) and do it off the car in a vice. Everything you need to do this is available for rental at autozone. Jon K had a post about this with the pics that outline what I'm trying to describe more clearly, but the pic is dead. You put the knuckle in a vice, put a chevy balljoint press over the joint you are trying to get out, and use another puller to pull the works apart. I can't imagine doing it another way without breaking tools and being a bigger PITA than it needs to be. Put the whole works in a vice, give a long-ish ratchet or wrench some average to moderate force and the joint pops out without much drama. All of the tools of appropriate quality are available at AZ; you give them close to 100$ to rent them and you get all of your money back if they get them back in working order.

[632 Regal]

I had this in my bookmarks from way back. I'm surprised it's still live:

E34 Front strut and bushing replacement

Great save man! When I redo mine I just request I want the 850 bushings on the Lemforder arms. got about 98K now on them and it doesn't look like I need to do anything. Had bad luck with the 750 bushings several times which are archived here somewhere. 1st set popped the bushing from the round housing on a brake test. Second one busted on a hard stop. (forget the stock ones, for me they popped right after installing) Did I mention I give no mercy to any aftermarket parts? I would never do less than the 850 bushings now, they might be noisier but I failed to notice it.

[ryan roopnarine]

I had this in my bookmarks from way back. I'm surprised it's still live:

E34 Front strut and bushing replacement

That's remarkably similar to what Jon suggested in intent.
Here's his post--sans picture:

http://www.bimmernut.com/forum/5-ser...all-joint.html

To follow his procedure, you'd rent this kit for 99.99

OEM/Pitman arm and ball joint kit (27181) | Pitman Arm Tool | AutoZone.com

and this one for 139.99

OEM/Ball joint/U-Joint press set with 4WD service set (27089) | Ball Joint Press | AutoZone.com_

You would use the small tie rod puller in the first kit to detach the tie rods. After that, you'd unbolt the 3 bolts from the bottom of the steering knuckle (pictured in Ramon's link) which the tie rod and both control arms are mounted to. You'd then do the easy work of taking the 2 big bolts (one for each arm) out of the upper and lower arms.

The (easy) procedure for the arms is difficult to explain without the pic. The steering knuckle goes into a vice. You'd put one of the pullers from the second kit onto the joint you are trying to get out. THEN you put the big press over the joint and snug it up. Turn the smaller puller with a breaker bar and POP! you get the sound of joy for the E34 owner--a ball joint that comes out with the absolute minimum of effort.


As I said before, Autozone gives you your money back if you return the tool within 90 days, so you're only out the 200$+ for as long as it takes you to complete the repair.

I'll try the internet wayback machine to see if I can get a pic of Jon's idea.

Good luck.

[Rustam]

I use this puller. It is VERY effective. I do not know the material type. But this one looks exactly same, perhaps you can use google image search to find it: