Control Arm Bushing install..How to, as I do it... lol

Ha Ha.. I'm going to make this an interactive How to post.

1) Step numero uno'... Order these ...

http://img202.imageshack.us/img202/336/20060417image00056qh.jpg

Polyurethane Control Arm bushings.. I bought mine from Karo @carcustoms.net $35 shipped (http://www.carcustoms.net/product_info.php?cPath=265_22_33_114&products_id=124)

2) Remove these.. Control Arms..

http://img126.imageshack.us/img126/6231/20060522image00016ne.jpg

* Loosen lug nuts and raise vechile and support with jackstands in appropriate places.
* Remove both wheels
* I opted to remove Caliper and rotors since i am replacing mine with BAER DECALA rotors, and to give me more breathing room.
* Start on driver side since its the side that requires less crap to remove.
* Spary some penitrating oil on the nut of the lower ball joint.
* Remove cotter pin from lower ball joint.
* I used a box wrench ( err forgot size) to remove the nut along with a large mallet to strike the wrench. Your going to need it if your car is older. Your going to have to have access to a wide range size of tools for this jobber.
* Strike the ball joint with a hammer to loosen the seal from the ball joint to the steering knuckel. You should be able to push down on the control arm and feel the threaded part of the ball joint slide up and down, it takes a little bit of force. Just be careful not to damage the boot, or you'll have to replace the whole ball joint. I am replacing mine so i didn't give a rats ass..
* Remove stiffening brace on the driver side, its bowed and you just have to loosen the top bolt near bumper, and fully remove the lower one.
* Behind the lower bolt you removed from the brace, there is a single bolt connecting to the Control arm. Remove that sucker.
* Then remove the reamaining bolt holding the control arm in place.
* This step may not be needed, but i removed the 2 bolts connecting the strut to the steering kuckel so i could pop the ball joint completely out from the knuckel.
* Wiggle the smaller front bushing out its home, and then finally twist and wiggle the large last bushing out..
* I opted to use a wire brush and try to get rid of all the peeling paint and rust crap, i will be repainting mine with a black enamel.

Passenger side...

* Follow all the same steps, but instead of removing the bowed support brace, you have get a jack and support your engine and Completely remove your lower engine mount. 2 bolts there...Don't jack up the engine, just support it.


... I will add the rest to this when I get out to the RDFABS shop later this week either weds or thursday night. I will be replacing the lower ball joints, and installing the bushings. I will snap some photos of that escapade.

... Stay tuned..

damn bro that sure is alot of info on there. keep that in mind if i ever change mine.

What exactly are the poly bushings for? What kind of difference are you going to feel? Is there a difference? I know nothing about control arms and the bushings used for that, etc.

What exactly are the poly bushings for? What kind of difference are you going to feel? Is there a difference? I know nothing about control arms and the bushings used for that, etc.

Reduces wheel hop. Thats about all I noticed with mine.

are they worth the money?

Makes everything stiffer up front. From what I've heard, they are worth the 35 bucks for em...

Well, if they're only $35, and if the job is easy..it's one more thing you can say you have so, why not.

It's on of those jobs that can be easy or if there's alot of rust, this job can be hell

I wouldn't call it exactly easy... more than less time consuming trying to figure out how to get the bushings out.. Which i am ready to have fun with that thursday night when i tackel the rest of this. I may even try tomorrow night to remove the old bushings. Just so i will have enough time to install the new lower ball joints and bushings.

I take it you don't have a bushing remover?

Try a sea clamp and a socket.

well i just blew my engine so after i replace that i mite as well throw them in.

I wouldn't call it exactly easy... more than less time consuming trying to figure out how to get the bushings out.. Which i am ready to have fun with that thursday night when i tackel the rest of this. I may even try tomorrow night to remove the old bushings. Just so i will have enough time to install the new lower ball joints and bushings.

Good luck with it!

Took my shop over four hours to get mine out.

Well this is being more of a pain in the ass than i was expecting. So far i got the 2 larger ones out, 1 came out with a hammer in like 4 swings, while the other i had to drill the rubber out and now i have to figure out how to get the remains off the walls... prolly going to torch them out. The smaller of the 2 bushings is proving out to be a real pain in the ass. I've tried a mallet and punch, but i just cannot get enough leverage without a vice, so i am hemmin and hawin on whether to go pay the 30 bucks i got quoted to have them punched out at Firestone and end the removal nightmare. Putting the new ones in will be a snap, I'm going to monkey around a little more first before giving in.

They make a special tool to do it. Just add some greese and use the tool or a simplier version of the tool is to take a sea clamp and a sockect on either side. then just turn, make sure the socket it just small enough to fit throuhg the hole and it will help out a lot. the the socket on teh other side will catch most of the rubber and the center. Your lucky try changing them on a 70's Scout

Well i broke down and took them to the shop.. I got sick of the fucking things and i didn't want to mess up the arms.... sorry guys... However getting them in, i will throw up some pics, that will be a piece of cake. I guess getting the old ones out is up to everyone in their unique way, but honestly the 32 i paid after tax for someone else to have hell for an hr, its money well spent.. lol.

Money well spent trust me.

Could spend $180 more and get new bushings with new arms from New England! based SMG Motoring lol http://www.smgmotoring.com/products/1

Well here are some pics fellas..

http://img63.imageshack.us/img63/8153/20060525image00067aa.jpg

I cut the hell out of the big bushing to get it out...smaller one i had to give in and take it somewhere to get pressed out.

This is what the control arms look like with everything pushed out and ready to rock n roll..

http://img63.imageshack.us/img63/7766/20060525image00072yd.jpg

Well after i took the control arms to get pushed out, i got bored and painted my caliper reds, It looks like corvette red in real life, the colors is messed up in my camera or something..

http://img132.imageshack.us/img132/6720/20060525image00107zp.jpg

Here is the final product, new lower ball joints which have to be drilled out, just work your way up from smaller to larger.. eventually the rivot will give way, then you'll need to resize the hole in the control arm a little bigger since the new bolts are a tad larger.


http://img99.imageshack.us/img99/9857/20060525image00159yc.jpg

Anyone spot the press... Ha ha.. that thing worked wonders, pressed the new bushings in litterly in under a minute per side..
http://img240.imageshack.us/img240/6785/20060525image00163ib.jpg

I'm going to paint the arms before i reinstall them, so yea this project was a pain in the ass..

I thought you were painting the arms?

I'm going to paint the arms before i reinstall them, so yea this project was a pain in the ass..
:bigthumb:

yea thats what i thought as well just though he would of painted them before putting in the new bushings.

Where the old ones came out of, they look still like brand new, So i am just painting the arms where they are exposed.