Control Arm Bushings
Yes you can burn the rubber out. When heated, the rubber will start to expand big time, then melt away and will drop out. The rubber drops can still be actively burning while on the floor by your feet!!!! It will give off a nasty thick black smoke. Don't breathe the crap. It makes a big mess too. If you can, I would recommend doing it outside and away from anything flammable.
This will leave the outer shell still in the control arm. The inner sleeve part will remain on the pivot shaft.
Then you can take a chisel and knock the inner / outer shells out / off. A cut off wheel on a die grinder will take care of the inner sleeve on the pivot shaft. Just be careful and wear eye protection, gloves, and above all, how you use the torch.......
For removal of the inner sleeve on the pivot:
Be careful not to cut too deep and score the pivot shaft, (when you cut the inner sleeve off).
Go slow with the grinding / cutting with the wheel. Watch for the metal to turn blue. When it does you are getting very close because the metal is getting very thin when this happens. Sometimes at this point you can actually pull the sleeve off with a pair of ordinary pliers, without actually having to cut all the way through.
For removal of the out sleeve inside the lower control arm:
Use a chisel and carefully peel the metal away from the edge. When enough is peeled away, you can pull the old sleeve out with needle nosed pliers. Sometimes the end will get mushroomed over. When this happens, turn the control arm over and start hitting the sleeve from the other side.
It can be done. Just take your time and be careful.
I have seen the thin plastic hex shaped part before that you are talking about. It can be removed from the hole with a pick and reused after it's cleaned. It acted as a anti rattle / squeak eliminator for the front end of the torsion bar where it slides into the control arm pivot.
Most of the time when the lower bushings have been previously replaced, these thin plastic hex parts were tossed away. They are the same size and shape as the hex end of the torsion bar.
Hope this helps.
