Control Arm Bushing INSTALL??
Thread Starter
Advanced
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 51
Likes: 0
Control Arm Bushing INSTALL??
I have never installed a upper control arm bushing. At a glance it looks like "pop out-pop in" . However I know thats too easy. Vehicle weight is a factor.
Tell me the how to?
Tell me the how to?
Tech Contributor
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 15,160
Likes: 3,965
From: Connecticut, USA
You have to remove the arms to replace the bushings. There are several ways to replace them. Lars wrote and excellant paper on this you can probably find. I use an air chisel to pop them out.
Pro
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 589
Likes: 0
I spend probably 1/2 hour each bushing drilling the rubber out then beating and pulling the metal sleve out. I took them into a shop to have the bushings pressed in and he said he would have pulled them out for the same price anyway. 40.00 to press all of them. I wouldnt reccommend trying to do it. You cant press them anyway unless you have a press.
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 10,362
Likes: 5
From: San Diego - Deep Within The State of CONFUSION!
Plus, you get to drive the car until the box gets there. And from the time it gets to you its just a half a day to get your old cores in the same boxes and shipped back to VanSteel.
I did that and am Soooo glad. Saves a lot of effort. It's been two years now, and the control arms still look new. I got new springs at the same time, and shocks to complete the deal.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvette Engines RANKED by Peak Torque (70+ Years of Muscle!)
Joe Kucinski
Corvette ZR1X Will Be Pacing the Indy 500, And Could Probably Race, Too!
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvettes Coming to Mecum Indy 2026!
Brett Foote
Top 10 C9 Corvette MUST-HAVES to Fix These C8 Generation Flaws!
Michael S. Palmer
10 Revolutionary 'Corvette Firsts' Most People Don't Know
Joe Kucinski
5 Reasons to Upgrade to an LS6-Powered Corvette; 5 Reasons to Stay LT2
Michael S. Palmer
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 23,831
Likes: 10
From: Springfield MO
St. Jude Donor '07
I spend probably 1/2 hour each bushing drilling the rubber out then beating and pulling the metal sleve out. I took them into a shop to have the bushings pressed in and he said he would have pulled them out for the same price anyway. 40.00 to press all of them. I wouldnt reccommend trying to do it. You cant press them anyway unless you have a press.
I froze my new shells in the freezer overnight, then set them in place with a 2# drill hammer. (I supported the flange so nothing would get bent).
Last edited by I'm Batman; Dec 9, 2007 at 04:22 PM.
Pro
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 589
Likes: 0
Ive heard freezing them works well. I didnt hear about it til after I was done. As far as getting the bushing out without removing the rubber. I dont have a press. Please tell me how to get the whole piece out together.. I tried and others I talked to said this was the only way they know.
I do most everything myself, but there are times when I would rather pay 40 bucks. This was one..
I do most everything myself, but there are times when I would rather pay 40 bucks. This was one..
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 2,369
Likes: 103
From: Centerville Louisiana
Ive heard freezing them works well. I didnt hear about it til after I was done. As far as getting the bushing out without removing the rubber. I dont have a press. Please tell me how to get the whole piece out together.. I tried and others I talked to said this was the only way they know.
I do most everything myself, but there are times when I would rather pay 40 bucks. This was one..
I do most everything myself, but there are times when I would rather pay 40 bucks. This was one..
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 23,831
Likes: 10
From: Springfield MO
St. Jude Donor '07
Ive heard freezing them works well. I didnt hear about it til after I was done. As far as getting the bushing out without removing the rubber. I dont have a press. Please tell me how to get the whole piece out together.. I tried and others I talked to said this was the only way they know.
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 23,831
Likes: 10
From: Springfield MO
St. Jude Donor '07
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 7,739
Likes: 630
From: Unreconstructed, South Carolina
That's right!Do a search ... plenty posts on it been beat to death. SAVE old outer shell in place & do not damage it! Hog out rubber w/ hole saw ... replace remainder w/ stuff from energy suspension poyurethane kit. This method works only when replacing old rubber w/ new poly. Use search terms hole saw hog bushing .
Safety Car
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 3,930
Likes: 15
From: Calgary Alberta
I rebuilt my control arms with new bushings, ball joints and bumpers - the whole nine yards. It was my first time and I did everything myself. I drilled out the old rubber with a small drill bit several times until the rubber was finally gone. I used an air hammer to remove the metal shells. I put the new metal shells in the freezer beforehand and had my dad hold the lower control arms on the bench while I pounded them in with a hammer and socket...worked pretty good. Just make sure you don't bend the control arms when installing them - I had to replace one from previous damage combined with my mistake on installation:o Look good as new now! Good luck.
Safety Car
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 3,930
Likes: 15
From: Calgary Alberta
One more thing. When doing the lowers, you have to install one shell and then insert the crosshaft through the arm...then install the outer shell. If you install both shells and then try to fit the shaft in place, you will never get them in! I used poly bushings from VanSteel. I can't remember if you have to do the same things with the uppers as you do with the lowers.
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 23,831
Likes: 10
From: Springfield MO
St. Jude Donor '07
One more thing. When doing the lowers, you have to install one shell and then insert the crosshaft through the arm...then install the outer shell. If you install both shells and then try to fit the shaft in place, you will never get them in! I used poly bushings from VanSteel. I can't remember if you have to do the same things with the uppers as you do with the lowers.
