Front control arm bushing sleeves.....guidance please?
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 196
Likes: 0
From: Dry Ridge Kentucky
Front control arm bushing sleeves.....guidance please?
I removed the rubber from the bushings of the lwr/upper control arms and left the outer shells installed. It appears that the outer shells have migrated out(?) and won't allow clearance for the shafts to be rem/inst.
Obviously, this could be an issue when reinstalling the bushings. I had hoped to use the existing shells and just press in new poly bushings.
Any help? (Hope the pics post right)
Obviously, this could be an issue when reinstalling the bushings. I had hoped to use the existing shells and just press in new poly bushings.
Any help? (Hope the pics post right)
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 2,065
Likes: 1,395
From: Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Re: Front control arm bushing sleeves.....guidance please? (keith72)
I removed the rubber from the bushings of the lwr/upper control arms and left the outer shells installed. It appears that the outer shells have migrated out(?) and won't allow clearance for the shafts to be rem/inst.
Checked your site, nothing on front suspension.
I don't believe you can remove the lower shaft with the shells in place.
Not sure about the top shaft.
I had hoped to use the existing shells and just press in new poly bushings. Any help? (Hope the pics post right)
However, the poly bushings had a slightly less than snug fit in the original shells. They fit nice and snug in the new shells.
So, out came the old shells. A bit of a job, however you can do it without a press. You just need a large bench vise.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 196
Likes: 0
From: Dry Ridge Kentucky
Re: Front control arm bushing sleeves.....guidance please? (keith72)
The sleeve flanges don't fit flush with the outside of the control arms. I'm not having any luck with pics it seems. If the pic doesn't post here, its on my homepage at
http://kksjjohnson.home.mindspring.c...sig%20pics.htm
http://kksjjohnson.home.mindspring.c...sig%20pics.htm
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 7,739
Likes: 630
From: Unreconstructed, South Carolina
Re: Front control arm bushing sleeves.....guidance please? (keith72)
Keith:
What you're experiencing is perfectly normal. I may have this wrong but I think the uppers will remove with some finangling. But unless there's something wrong with the shafts then you don't need to remove them. If shafts're OK then just drive a thin wedge in the split that's in the inner sleeve .. it'll then slide off. Then just press on the new inner sleeve ... and then slide on the new (poly I hope) bushing. I just did mine this way.
What you're experiencing is perfectly normal. I may have this wrong but I think the uppers will remove with some finangling. But unless there's something wrong with the shafts then you don't need to remove them. If shafts're OK then just drive a thin wedge in the split that's in the inner sleeve .. it'll then slide off. Then just press on the new inner sleeve ... and then slide on the new (poly I hope) bushing. I just did mine this way.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 1,183
Likes: 2
From: Des Moines Iowa
Re: Front control arm bushing sleeves.....guidance please? (keith72)
Yep, like others said, upper shaft will come out with the sleeves still installed, but the lower shaft will not come off unless you remove the sleeves. (Make sure you mark each shaft and re-install shaft in same control arm and same position as removed.) I installed new upper sleeves and kept my old lower sleeves when I installed my poly control arm bushings. (didn't have a press, and really didn't want to booger up the control arms, so after test fitting the new poly bushings in the old lower sleeves, and all seemed OK, that's the way I went.)
