Lower control arm bushing replacement

Easter Bunny

Easter Bunny

Professional Engineer
Motorhead
So I have the street bushind for the front control arms that I am trying to install and for the life of me I cannot get the rear bushing into the big collar that bolts to the car. Anyone have a trick? I'm using a hydraulic press though it's not in the picture. Eventually as I get the pressure loaded up it will just pop out to the side
 

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May sound stupid, but have you tried some soapy water? Thinner and slippery as grease, and it evaporates.

Are those OEM shells, or aftermarket?
 
So I have been using soap

I tried putting the bushing in the freezer and warmed up the metal but not super hot and the busing good so rock hard it was worse. And froze the soap.

The shells are oem

Previously I had both parts in my 40 degree garage and that didn't work. I currently have them both inside my hope is that the busing will be a little more flexible, and I will hot the case with a propane torch to try and expand it.

The issue is that because of the way the control are is constructed there needs to be that far lip that gets pushed all the way through to hold the bushing in. I have already replaced the front busing without any issueIMG_20221203_081339545.jpg

Also I'm using a 12 ton press so don't think I'm some animal trying to use my hands
 
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There is no bolt sleeve. The busing goes in that casing then a solid shaft from the control arm is pushed in. The control arm kinda is the sleeve

see the stock assembled arm

IMG_20221203_094446895.jpg IMG_20221203_094452607.jpg
 
Not sure where you got the idea to freeze the bushing, but I would probably try it too if I were in your shoes.

Warm up the bushing.

You need that thing just soft enough to flex, but not enough to tear. Use a hair dryer or heat gun and have a lot of patience. Then hit everything with soapy water.

Your bottle jack isn't going out on you is it?
 
Maybe rig up a bolt to pass thru the bushing while pressing to hopefully keep it from popping out to the side? I'm thinking a bolt thru a flat plate to keep it aligned with the press axis. Effectively making it act like the pin on your press could pass thru the bushing.
 
I've done about a dozen of these now. They can be a bit difficult. The trick is a lot of force very quickly.

Room temp everything. Lube that boi up and pound him in, hard and fast. I've been able to do all of them on a HF press, just gotta pump that sucker as quick as you can.

If you're still #struggle you can ship them here and I'll do them. You'd just have to pay for the shipping.

TLDR, I've highlighted key words.
 
I unfortunately haven't been able to try again warm. Based on the pliability at room temp I think if I warm them up a bit more they should go right in. My first attempts were at 40 degrees and it just wasn't happening
 
Easter Bunny said:
View attachment 23970

Got it in. Took the advice of @Mauro_Penguin and put it in the toaster oven on low for a minute or so. Then I took some of @Matt@DM 's advice and when it started to pop sideways went to town pumping it fast and it went in.

Though I ignored both of you and used no lube and jammed it in dry like your moms like it

Thanks everyone
Click to expand...

Are you going to drill the sleeve and bushing to add a grease fitting? Or do those bushings not require periodic lubrication?

Glad you got it sorted out
 
No point in drilling the sleeve, the friction point is on the inner part of the bushing.

We shall see. I can take it apart and lube it pretty easily if I need to without any of the difficult pieces needing to be disassembled
 
Success! You might get a little squeak action without lube on the outside of the bushing, but yeah the friction point is on the inside of the bushings, so lube TF out of that.
 
I used a propane torch to burn the old one out of the cage and then popped the cage out before pressing the new one in.
 
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