lower control arm/a frame

[FISH96]

good afternoon,

i am doing some research on the above and came across the statement;
'the horizontal bushing must be serviced with the lower control arm. the bushing cannot be serviced separately'. is this your experience?

i am not interested in buying the entire assembly as i have a place to obtain parts individually for next to nothing i.e. bushings, ball joints, etc.

i have noticed that moog(federal mogul) offers these horizontal bushings as a part number for the model and year involved.

2000 pontiac se 3.8l n.a.
170k miles
regards,
fish96

[maxwedge]

Where did this statement come from, possible oem manual? The aftermarket may have come up with replacements after a couple of years and now they can be replaced. See this link. http://www.autozone.com/addVehicleId...096171#hd1-1-3

[FISH96]

DEAR M,
thank you for your reply, i am afraid it is not of any value.

The lower control arm uses two types of bushings. The horizontally mounted (rear) bushing is not serviced separately. Service this bushing by replacing the entire lower control arm.

this is verbatim from the site you asked me to view. it is the same statement from the fsm i have in my possession.

if you review my post. i stated that i found the horizontal bushings at the moog(federal mogul) website.

i am asking are these bushings serviceable or are they not. if they are serviceable has anyone out there have experience with the procedure for the aforementioned bushing.

regards to all,
fish96

[maxwedge]

I see what you mean here, I have asked another moderator, BNaylor, to look into this for any addt'l info.

[BNaylor]

PM received Shep. I recall it is some disclaimer by GM. But obviously both the horizontal and vertical bushings on the control arm are available in the aftermarket and DIY replaceable. As you mentioned special tools should be used like a hydraulic press especially on the horizontal bushing. However some DIY types would rather do it on their own with basic hand tools and using elbow grease. I was able to use a press at a friend's shop when I did mine which kept the repair cost and time down.

Some just replace the complete control arm which you can get for around $105.00 depending on the source. They come with both bushings and a new ball joint. I would replace the ball joint too with anything over 100K miles while the control arm is removed since it has to be removed to replace the bushings. Plus the total cost of the bushings and ball joint alone will come out to around $100 so replacing the complete control arm is a cost effective option considering.

Note: The same disclaimer is contained in the GM FSM (factory service manual). None on various models that I reviewed show the horizontal being replaced but does show the vertical and using a special GM J Tool.

[FISH96]

THANK YOU, GENTLEMEN. i shall now do the task having the proper guidance. i have acess and full use of presses and other special tools required to complete the job properly.
regards,
fish96