Pressing new bushes - technique?

[GTVeloce]

I am rebuilding my front suspension and am in the process of pressing the bush in for the upper control arm but she is proving to be difficult. I don't have a press but am making do with either the vice or a home-made device that uses a large bolt, nut, washers, sockets and distance pieces. It worked fine getting the old bush out but the new ones are being belligerent. I am concerned if I keep going I am just going to cut into and damage the new bush.

So far I have cleaned up the inside of the arm and lubricated with oil and can get the bush in just over half way but it is mushrooming and the socket I am using to push it with starts to dig into the bush. How have people managed to do this?

I know I have done this job before (many years ago) and I don't recall having any problems but this time...

[Paul Gulliver]

If all else fails , Bush in the freezer for 30 mins & control arm in the barbeque at a low heat for 20 mins. Just don't tell the wife what's going on.

[bazzbazz]

If all else fails , Bush in the freezer for 30 mins & control arm in the barbeque at a low heat for 20 mins. Just don't tell the wife what's going on.

I'm SURE she would completely understand, after all, it IS for the Alfa. 

[rowan_bris]

I would get one of the club sponsors with the special tool to press them in for you

[Colin Edwards]

+1 for going to a Club Sponsor.

Tried EP grease instead of oil?
Add 30deg chamfer to the leading edge of the bush?
Did "cleaning up" the inside surface on the arm involve an abrasive?
"Honing" marks need to be 100% in direction of bush insertion

[GTVeloce]

If I didn't manage to get it in tonight I planned on taking it to a club sponsor but I try to accomplish as many things by myself as I can.

I had success thanks to a couple of tips. Firstly I used hose clamps to stop it mushrooming which worked really well and was probably the main difference. Secondly I used the BBQ technique (eh, the wife will never know...) and got it warm. She slid in easily enough until the last bit (once the last hose clamp was off and it had cooled down) but it was far enough on I could just flex the biceps (!?!) and crank in the rest of the way. Long shank BJ's on now too and its ready to install!

Thanks for the help!