Lower control arm rear bushing replacement
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 174
Likes: 1
From: brandon florida
Lower control arm rear bushing replacement
Doing an under body check discovered the passenger side rear lower control arm bushing missing. Thought I had heard a noise when pulled into driveway earlier that day, at end of the end of the driveway I found the bolt and bushing sleeve but no bushing. I replaced all the control arm bushings about 5 years ago with polyurethane bushings. I have never seen this happen where the busing just disintegrates, my question is, can the bushing be replaced without taking the lower control arm off the car? I inspected the bushing holder and there is no damage, the shaft appears to be okay as well, is there anything else I need to inspect? If this can be done without removing lower control arm, what is the easiest way to do it?
Last edited by 1972vettman; Mar 28, 2020 at 02:14 PM. Reason: more info
Team Owner
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 87,367
Likes: 1,593
From: Western NY
I agree with this, but to answer the initial question, yes, the bushing can be replaced wit the arm still on the car. You'll have to loosen the bolts that attach the shaft to the frame, to give you a little "wiggle room", but it can be done.
Something similar happened to me, a LONG time ago, when I installed poly a-arm bushings on my wife's former C-3. The OE bushings are rubber, of course, and when you install them, you torque the retaining nut against the bushing, and the tension against the rubber, sort of acts like a lock washer. The polyurethane, being less compliant, doesn't do this. I found the need for a couple drops of Loctite thread locker, were necessary to keep the bolts, therefore the bushings, in place.
Something similar happened to me, a LONG time ago, when I installed poly a-arm bushings on my wife's former C-3. The OE bushings are rubber, of course, and when you install them, you torque the retaining nut against the bushing, and the tension against the rubber, sort of acts like a lock washer. The polyurethane, being less compliant, doesn't do this. I found the need for a couple drops of Loctite thread locker, were necessary to keep the bolts, therefore the bushings, in place.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 7,453
Likes: 976
From: RI, Now Franklin/Nashville TN
I agree with this, but to answer the initial question, yes, the bushing can be replaced wit the arm still on the car. You'll have to loosen the bolts that attach the shaft to the frame, to give you a little "wiggle room", but it can be done.
Something similar happened to me, a LONG time ago, when I installed poly a-arm bushings on my wife's former C-3. The OE bushings are rubber, of course, and when you install them, you torque the retaining nut against the bushing, and the tension against the rubber, sort of acts like a lock washer. The polyurethane, being less compliant, doesn't do this. I found the need for a couple drops of Loctite thread locker, were necessary to keep the bolts, therefore the bushings, in place.
Something similar happened to me, a LONG time ago, when I installed poly a-arm bushings on my wife's former C-3. The OE bushings are rubber, of course, and when you install them, you torque the retaining nut against the bushing, and the tension against the rubber, sort of acts like a lock washer. The polyurethane, being less compliant, doesn't do this. I found the need for a couple drops of Loctite thread locker, were necessary to keep the bolts, therefore the bushings, in place.
I just had this happen about 2 years ago with my poly upper and lower control arm bushings. The drivers side upper bolt and nut fell out but the bushing remained in place after I did not periodically check all 8 as I usually did every season. All the other 7 bushings bolts were tight but this one on the drivers side upper that would periodically loosen. I bought a Delco rubber bushings replacement kit and used the bolt washer AND added blue loctite AND a lock washer under the bolt head. No issues since....
Last edited by jb78L-82; Mar 28, 2020 at 10:27 AM.
