Anyone replace control arm bushings...

[Buckgnarly]

So have some pro bono work for my wife's priest's car and I buy bushings for a 2003 Civic figuring I would save the family some money. Well an hour of trying to get the damn bushings out of the control arms has made me wonder if anyone has any tips. The press kind of worked for the thin flat one, but no way it is getting on the horizontal one and even the PH 3050 was not getting it. Maybe it's the rust up here, but I think the old arms are heading to the firing range this week to get even....

Needless to say NAPA will have two loaded arms tomorrow morning for me, no way I am spending 2+ hours to save 80 dollars that is not my own!

 

[jhelrey]

I bought a 2001 Civic for $500. Bushings were shot. Long story short, I tried pressing them out, etc. and I could not get the mothers to move at all. So, I went to Napa and bought two lower control arms, slapped them in, and walked away.

If you are doing work for free, do it the easiest way possible for yourself.

Then again Buck, I am sitting on a full set of Moog bushings for a Civic I can sell you for $40 shipped.

 

[srmofo]

Why are you replacing the horizontal bushing? They never good bad, its always the vertical bushing. Just replace it and leave the horizontal alone.

Seriously, Ive never seen a bad one.

 

[Buckgnarly]

Why are you replacing the horizontal bushing? They never good bad, its always the vertical bushing. Just replace it and leave the horizontal alone.

Seriously, Ive never seen a bad one.

Went off the inspection fail sheet they got from their normal dealer, just fixing stuff so they can pass state inspection.
In any case new arms it is tomorrow, just wondering if it is common to replace bushings or just whole arms. Can't see how it's cheaper if paying someone to get those things out!

 

[Buckgnarly]

Then again Buck, I am sitting on a full set of Moog bushings for a Civic I can sell you for $40 shipped.

Thanks, but HELL NO!!!!!....

 

[kustom53]

Most of the time people just buy new lowers all together...it ends up working itself out labor wise at a shop. I understand you're doing someone a favor though. If you have an air chisel get a good sharp tip and roll the edges of the bushing out and then pop it out when its loose.

 

[allinon72]

Did some on a Cobalt...cut the rubber part out with a knife, cut the metal ring out with a Dremel tool. Pressed the new ones in with a vise.

 

[Tarheelgarage]

Just buy new LCAs and be done with it.

Time is $MONEY$

 

[Coach James]

On my Grand Prix, the vertical bushings and ball joints were bad. I ordered new Moog lowers with bushings and ball joints already installed. Came fast from Amazon.

Coach

 

[Jaguar Fan]

You can try a torch to expand the control arm a bit.

 

[ADSR]

Burn them out

 

[Garage5.9]

On our ford mini buses we just send them to the machine shop