[DIY] Front Control Arms & Bushings

[m3f_thedood]

Do you have RTAB experience Z? I need to do my tranny mounts too but I think I'm good there, haha..

Yeah, they can be a bit of a pain, but they're not so bad. It can be kind of tough to wrestle the bushings out, but get your hands on the right tool & I'll be more than happy to help.

[m3f_thedood]

No, didn't see it, but thanks. I tried doing this job myself and struggled with the nut on the outer ball join and couldn't budge the inner. I was afraid of doing more damage and creating a costly repair so I bagged the DIY efffort. I don't know how you guys do this, I guess I'm too much of a girlie man!



Unfortunately, I got PowerFlex bushings and took the whole kit to a shop around the corner from me and when I went to pick it up, the owner said something like "those are interesting bushings with the offset in them, but I don't know how they're going to move them around when the do the alignment". I had the wheel off this weekend (going to try and tackle struts and shocks...oh boy...) and noticed that they're not close to being positioned properly. So $70 down the drain there (doubt they can be repositioned) plus the labor. I'm wondering if I can do just this part myself, but doubt it, and am worried that they'll butcher the inner and outer if I go back (or anywhere, for that matter) and will need new arms all over again. Somebody shoot me, please!

Well you don't have to remove the arms to do the bushings, you just have to disconnect the "lollipops". I bet you can press the bushings out without damaging them & then press them back in positioned properly... I have faith!!

[m3f_CREGO]

Well you don't have to remove the arms to do the bushings, you just have to disconnect the "lollipops". I bet you can press the bushings out without damaging them & then press them back in positioned properly... I have faith!!

Really? I stopped by the garage this AM and he said he'd take a look at it but if he doesn't get anywhere, maybe I'll give it a shot. I remember I was able to easily get the two bolts off the lollipop but figured I'd have to remove something else on the arm to get it out of the way in order to pull the 'pop off.



On a related note, how do you guys do these things? I mean I crack open the shop manual, look at what's involved, look for posts like these, even take the wheel off or get under the car and check things out before getting parts. It seems like I should be able to tackle it but invariably, I get half-way through the process and there's a nut I can't get off with either brute strength (which I'm lacking a lot of!) or my Craftsman "promo" air gun, something I can't get access to, etc.



With the control arms, I made several trips to Sears to get different tools (in addition to what I started with thanks to the instructions here of course!) and still couldn't get it done.



This weekend I started on the front strut assembly. Without the air gun, there was no way I was getting the bolts on the hub removed and the gun could only loosen the front-most bolt, and that was after I cranked the pressure on the compressor up. Because of the weather and having to work outside, I called it quits for the time being.



I'm thinking of getting a "real" air gun from Sears again, something with 500+ lb/ft of torque, but I'm thinking maybe that's just throwing more good money after bad, especially if I end up going back to a garage with my tail between my legs anyway! Then again, maybe it's not tools I need, maybe it's weight lifting or something. Very frustrating and humiliating

[m3f_epj3]

Really? I stopped by the garage this AM and he said he'd take a look at it but if he doesn't get anywhere, maybe I'll give it a shot. I remember I was able to easily get the two bolts off the lollipop but figured I'd have to remove something else on the arm to get it out of the way in order to pull the 'pop off.


On a related note, how do you guys do these things? I mean I crack open the shop manual, look at what's involved, look for posts like these, even take the wheel off or get under the car and check things out before getting parts. It seems like I should be able to tackle it but invariably, I get half-way through the process and there's a nut I can't get off with either brute strength (which I'm lacking a lot of!) or my Craftsman "promo" air gun, something I can't get access to, etc.


With the control arms, I made several trips to Sears to get different tools (in addition to what I started with thanks to the instructions here of course!) and still couldn't get it done.


This weekend I started on the front strut assembly. Without the air gun, there was no way I was getting the bolts on the hub removed and the gun could only loosen the front-most bolt, and that was after I cranked the pressure on the compressor up. Because of the weather and having to work outside, I called it quits for the time being.


I'm thinking of getting a "real" air gun from Sears again, something with 500+ lb/ft of torque, but I'm thinking maybe that's just throwing more good money after bad, especially if I end up going back to a garage with my tail between my legs anyway! Then again, maybe it's not tools I need, maybe it's weight lifting or something. Very frustrating and humiliating

How? I've been there, done that. I own so many tools now -- most bought that exact same way. In the middle of a job, something doesn't go right or whatever and I have to go buy ____ tools. I've done everything you could imagine short of rebuilding a motor and rear wheel bearings, so literally been there done that. I have quite the collection of tools, and half the reason I bought my welder was to build my own "specialty" tools for stuff like rear balljoints.


There are very few impact wrenches that actually work - if you stick with a big brand of known to be well-made tools, you'll be fine. I have not had my ass kicked by a nut/bolt since I bought my craftsman 525 ftlb impact wrench.

[m3f_Conway]

Yep, all of us start out running to craftsman in the middle of jobs, until eventually we've bought half the store.


If you don't want to pony up the dough for an impact wrench (like me) a breaker bar will usually work just as well.

[m3f_thedood]

Links fixed! I'll try to edit my original post with some additional tips & tricks sometime.

[m3f_E36_M]

cool thanks!

[m3f_Brandon318]

Perfect timing; I'm doing this in a couple weeks!

[m3f_SteveTVM3]

I just finished this last week. I replaced the oem fcabs with powerflex and brand new control arms. What a difference. I was shocked at how much tighter the front end was. I didn't think this car could get any better :O That damn nut on the subframe took like 30 mins to unbolt lol.