Yet another control arm/bushing Q ... and a tip.
Thread Starter
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 23,831
Likes: 10
From: Springfield MO
St. Jude Donor '07
Yet another control arm/bushing Q ... and a tip.
First, the tip: I found an easy way to hang on to the big bolt on the driver's side lower control arm which is blocked by the power steering pump. I took a 6-point socket that would fit into the gap and onto the bolt head, then clamped HARD onto the socket with a Vice-Grip. The first two attempts I didn't have the Vice-Grips tight enough, and the socket spun. After that, the electric impact wrench made short work of removing the nut. Huzzah!
My Energy Suspension bushings came with the bushing, inner sleeve and outer shell pre-assembled. The instructions say to grease the bushings before assembling the three parts. Are these things pre-greased or should I take them apart before installing? How can I get them apart? They seem fairly stuck in place.
The factory big washers on the cross-shaft end bolts have a dished shape at the edge. Do I need to replace these with the identical style, or will flat fender washers be OK?
My Energy Suspension bushings came with the bushing, inner sleeve and outer shell pre-assembled. The instructions say to grease the bushings before assembling the three parts. Are these things pre-greased or should I take them apart before installing? How can I get them apart? They seem fairly stuck in place.
The factory big washers on the cross-shaft end bolts have a dished shape at the edge. Do I need to replace these with the identical style, or will flat fender washers be OK?
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 7,739
Likes: 630
From: Unreconstructed, South Carolina
Originally Posted by I'm Batman
My Energy Suspension bushings came with the bushing, inner sleeve and outer shell pre-assembled. The instructions say to grease the bushings before assembling the three parts. Are these things pre-greased or should I take them apart before installing? How can I get them apart? They seem fairly stuck in place.
The factory big washers on the cross-shaft end bolts have a dished shape at the edge. Do I need to replace these with the identical style, or will flat fender washers be OK?
The factory big washers on the cross-shaft end bolts have a dished shape at the edge. Do I need to replace these with the identical style, or will flat fender washers be OK?
2. Use plenty of silicone grease when assembling these parts to shafts ... you can get a squeeze tube of silicone dielectric grease at parts store for a coupla $.
3. I'd use the dished washers. Since you are using a floating (non-bonded poly) bushing & floating inner sleeve ... you cannot torque the end bolts down against the inner sleeve ... and expect bolt to stay there ... it won't! It is VERY important that the threaded holes in ends of shafts and the end bolts to be XTRA clean. Clean out holes with a tap ... use new bolts. Then, near last thing you do is to blow out those holes with carb cleaner & clean bolts same ... this to get any trace of silicone grease out of threads/holes. Then, after all holes & threads are squeaky clean & DRY, then install the end bolts with LOCTITE ... this cleaning, drying & loctite is VERY important with poly. If end bolts come loose, the non-bonded (floating) bushing will be spit out the ends and your alignment will change REALLY REALLY quick ... as in HANG ON!
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 7,739
Likes: 630
From: Unreconstructed, South Carolina
Originally Posted by I'm Batman
Thanks - I've tried hand pressure to push the bushings apart, they're pretty tight. I'll try again tonight. Loctite is a must on everything. 
Thread Starter
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 23,831
Likes: 10
From: Springfield MO
St. Jude Donor '07
The old shells weren't in very good shape, and have been chiseled out. Not that I've been having much luck getting the new bushings out of the new shells...why the heck did ES pre-assemble these things??? 
