Control Arm Bushings
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 120
Likes: 0
From: Satellite Beach FL
Control Arm Bushings
Got some poly bushings from Ecklers/ Upper went in ok (with a little persuasion) but lowers aren't even close! .02 too big!!
5.00 rubber from Auto zone are the right size. Put these in and forget it or wait to find poly? - poly is everywhere else on the front now.
what do you guys think?
5.00 rubber from Auto zone are the right size. Put these in and forget it or wait to find poly? - poly is everywhere else on the front now.
what do you guys think?
Race Director
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 11,872
Likes: 12
From: Waterloo ontario Canada
Originally Posted by 8DVETNUT
Got some poly bushings from Ecklers/ Upper went in ok (with a little persuasion) but lowers aren't even close! .02 too big!!
5.00 rubber from Auto zone are the right size. Put these in and forget it or wait to find poly? - poly is everywhere else on the front now.
what do you guys think?
5.00 rubber from Auto zone are the right size. Put these in and forget it or wait to find poly? - poly is everywhere else on the front now.
what do you guys think?
What is a 5.00 rubber bushing???
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 120
Likes: 0
From: Satellite Beach FL
Originally Posted by norvalwilhelm
I don't follow the .02 and the 5.00???? Is the poly bushings .020 or twenty thousands too big?? If so a flapper wheel on a drill will polish out the control arms. Rubber are usually alot harder to install then poly.
What is a 5.00 rubber bushing???
What is a 5.00 rubber bushing???
.020 isn't too much to take off the arm? I have already brushed the arms clean, removed burrs, where the bushing goes.
Sorry for the newb questions, this is my first front suspension rebuild.
I just question why the rubber cheapo's would fit without the mod but not the poly - figured I got the wrong ones. (seems like I saw an archive post to that effect(Ecklers))
I really appreciate your help.
Bill
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 3,363
Likes: 303
From: Lansdale 19446 PA
2024 C3 of the Year Finalist- Unmodified
St. Jude Donor '10-'11, '15, '19
I have never had to do this on 3 front suspension rebuilds but an old trick is to put the bushings in the freezer for a couple days. When you are ready to install one, grab it from the freezer. I put white lithium grease on the bushing and control arm then slide the bushing in as far as it will go. Then I place a large socket over the rubber to catch the flange and hammer away.
Safety Car
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 4,071
Likes: 0
From: San Diego CA
*takes notes* I'm in the middle of doing my front suspension rebuild right now. Yesterday I just cleaned out the area and put the new sway bar links in so I could put it back together and drive it home. Next weekend is the ball joints.
By the way, I found out a black widow is living around my right front wheel. I figured she woulda gotten blown out of there from me driving 100+ mph but there she was! I hope she crawled on to the block when I started it up so it cooked her... I can hope, right? hah
By the way, I found out a black widow is living around my right front wheel. I figured she woulda gotten blown out of there from me driving 100+ mph but there she was! I hope she crawled on to the block when I started it up so it cooked her... I can hope, right? hah
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 1999
Posts: 3,030
Likes: 17
From: White Pine / Dandridge TN
Originally Posted by Kalway
*takes notes* I'm in the middle of doing my front suspension rebuild right now. Yesterday I just cleaned out the area and put the new sway bar links in so I could put it back together and drive it home. Next weekend is the ball joints.
By the way, I found out a black widow is living around my right front wheel. I figured she woulda gotten blown out of there from me driving 100+ mph but there she was! I hope she crawled on to the block when I started it up so it cooked her... I can hope, right? hah
By the way, I found out a black widow is living around my right front wheel. I figured she woulda gotten blown out of there from me driving 100+ mph but there she was! I hope she crawled on to the block when I started it up so it cooked her... I can hope, right? hah
How close where you to the spider when you noticed it? I would not touch the car again before nuking it with about 3 cans of bug spray. I hate spriders... especially black widows.
I too need to install new bushings. I'm planning on using energy suspension poly bushings. Used them everywhere else. I hope they fit properly and are not to difficult to install. I'm moving soon and don't have a lot of time to waste.
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Burning Brakes
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 1,143
Likes: 0
From: Leander Texas
I used a 60 ton shop press to press the old bushings out, and the new ones in. I had to fabricate a brace from a piece of pipe to go in the arms to keep from distorting them under pressure. I want to say it took less than 1 hour from start to finish not including fab time for the brace.
The others here have some great ways to do the bushing swap that I wish I had tried. (Ihadn't found this forum yet. These guys are great!!!)
DR. Jay
The others here have some great ways to do the bushing swap that I wish I had tried. (Ihadn't found this forum yet. These guys are great!!!)
DR. Jay
Race Director
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 11,872
Likes: 12
From: Waterloo ontario Canada
I am really against force. I burn or drill the old ones out and polish the bores so the new ones go in very easy. Pressing runs the risk of bending something.
I feel bushings should move freely. I put the cross shaft in the vise and move the A arm up and down looking for a bind.
If you have to have the car on the ground and the suspension settled and then tighten the end bolts what are you doing??
You are putting the suspension in bind. I have shocks to dampen the ride. I don't want to use my bushing and their binding to control movement.
Bushings should be well greased and move up and down without binding.
For the life of the bushing it shouldn't be too tightly pressed in.
I feel bushings should move freely. I put the cross shaft in the vise and move the A arm up and down looking for a bind.
If you have to have the car on the ground and the suspension settled and then tighten the end bolts what are you doing??
You are putting the suspension in bind. I have shocks to dampen the ride. I don't want to use my bushing and their binding to control movement.
Bushings should be well greased and move up and down without binding.
For the life of the bushing it shouldn't be too tightly pressed in.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 120
Likes: 0
From: Satellite Beach FL
I burned mine out too. Probably a result of too much cutting torch use at a younger age! 
Thanks for your advice Norval - I've never done one before and prefer to err on the side of caution. I guess I'm just curious why the rubber bushings are the right size but the poly are not.
Here I go a-flappin
Thanks for your advice Norval - I've never done one before and prefer to err on the side of caution. I guess I'm just curious why the rubber bushings are the right size but the poly are not.
Here I go a-flappin
Thanks again Norval.