I need some help understanding rear control arm bushings. I just bought new bushings (Moog)and when I went to install them I found that what I had thought was a part of the control arm was the old outside steel sleeve over the rubber bushing. Hmmmmm. Looking at the control arms the sleeves look good and I'm thinking why would I want to change them. I thought I just had to press the rubber bushings back into the control arms. Now it looks like I have to somehow get the sleeves out and they appear to really be seized in the arms after 20 yrs. Did I buy the wrong parts? is it possible to just buy the rubber bushings with the bolt sleeves in them and press them into the old sleeves, or do the old sleeves HAVE to come out of the arms? Btw I bought the "control arm bushing kit"

After market urethane bushings usually reuse the old sleeves - stock bushings usually come already in the sleeve. Use an arbor press to press out the old sleeve/bushing and to reinstall the new sleeve/bushing.

Good luck.

I think the rubber is attached to the metal sleeve. I'm doing my fronts and was going to press the old ones out and the new ones in, metal sleeve and rubber bushing together. Can't see why you would reuse 20 year old rusty steel if you don't have to.

You can use a torch to cut out the old meatal outer sleeve. Then when it's warm + the bushing's out of the frezer push together in a press. or get a poly kit that will reuse the outer sleeve

Can anyone give me an idea of how much actual force is required to press out the old sleeves? Rust isn't much of a problem as they are quite clean. Could it be done with a vise or c clamps with some appropriate back ups to keep from deforming the arms?

in non poly setups the rubber is bonded to the metal sleeves. it is a torsion element to the suspension.
you need to press them out, be sure when you do the pressout and especially the press in that you havz someting to space the 2 sides apart or they will bend and distort.the hole is supportes on the top by the arm, but the bottom where it is open will flex in rather than slide over the bushing, and if done incorrectly can oval slightly and not hold the sleeve.

The Moog catalog lists the rubber by a separate part number but I don't know if you can purchase just the rubber. Some people claim that the rubber can be pressed out by using a piece of pipe and some slotted bushings but I don't know how that would work. Getting the new rubber pressed into the shell might be more difficult. Seems like it would take tons of pressure.

You need to build a spacer to slide around the bushing at the back of the arm were you can see the sleeve, to keep the arm from colapsing in the press, a small peice of pipe cut in half work well. Another peice of pipe just bigger than the sleeve to push it into and one more peice of pipe or a deep impact socket that is the same size as the sleeve to push it out, maybe a large vise but a press about 20ton would be ideal. It has to stay very straight, is the key!

I did some poly bushings about 5 years ago. To do those, you just heat up the sleeves with a torch and push the old rubber out. I think if I were doing rubber bushings, I'd take the control arms to a good alignment shop and ask their advice (and maybe have them do the pressing out and back in.)

My impression when I was removing the rubber bushings was that they were bonded to the metal sleeves.

I looked at the 86 factory service manual and could find no mention of how to r & r the bushings. Haynes says to replace the control arm (yeah sure, we're all so wealthy!) Ogre's Cave has some words on the subject but wasn't totally helpful for us dummies.

Well, getting the rubber out of the sleeves was no big deal, just used a drill and a screwdriver and had all the rubber out in a few minutes. I did not want to go with poly but it now looks like I'm going to return the bushings I bought and go with poly so I can reuse the original sleeves. Looks to me like to big a chance to distort the control arm by pressing the old sleeves out. I now wish I had just left the rubber in place but I thought I would just be reinstalling rubber bushings not pressing anything. Next time I'll do more homework.
Thanks for all the info everyone, as usual the forum is THE source.

What? My local machine shop did them for $15 an arm until I made the tools to do it. It's easy. Do a search. it takes a couple of pieces of pipe, large washers and some threaded rod.

But if you already have the poly you might as well do that way.

https://www.fiero.nl/forum/A...060206-2-067034.html

Since you have the ruuber out just collapse the housings and remove them. The trick to installation is to put something between the ears to keep them from being pulled together.

[This message has been edited by TK (edited 03-06-2007).]

Stop by your local auto parts chain store and rent a "ball joint press". With that and a few odds / ends from the tool box you'll have all you need to press the old bushing out and new ones in. Don't forget to put a spacer between the sides of the bushing mount so you don't crush the ends of the control arm...

I agree with Whuffo. I used a balljoint press (looks like a beefy C-clamp) to do this job. Most auto parts stores have a rental or loaner that you can use. You'll most likely have to use some extra pieces of pipe for different purpses, but it's not that hard to do at all. As was mentioned earlier, all you need to keep the metal arm from collapsing is a half piece of pipe cut to fit. I also used a punch once I had some tension on the bushings to help relieve the pressure, and they usually popped out fairly easy.

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Well, again thanks to everyone who responded. I guess I decided too quickly to go with the poly and I hope that decision doesn't bite me in the butt by reducing ride quality. Now that I have this info I can change later if the ride turns out to be to harsh. A big thank you to TK with that link to his site for the homemade press, lots of good info there, wish I had seen it before returning the Moog bushings and getting the poly. I actually wish I had just left the original bushings in the arms, I'd be putting it back together by now instead of second guessing myself.

I wish we had a place for these details rather than having to search.

Oh well, I learned a lot and thats never a bad thing. Also a + to TK for all the help.

quote Originally posted by David DeVoe: Well, again thanks to everyone who responded. I guess I decided too quickly to go with the poly and I hope that decision doesn't bite me in the butt by reducing ride quality. Now that I have this info I can change later if the ride turns out to be to harsh. A big thank you to TK with that link to his site for the homemade press, lots of good info there, wish I had seen it before returning the Moog bushings and getting the poly. I actually wish I had just left the original bushings in the arms, I'd be putting it back together by now instead of second guessing myself.

My experience with poly bushings was that after they broke in a little they weren't any harsher than the OEM. For a couple of months they tended to squeek a little but that gradually went away. That said, I couldn't see or feel any great benefit from using poly bushings--as a less than demanding driver, most of the "go faster" suspension stuff is just a waste of money for me.

Yeah, Brian thats what I'm hoping. My car is a cruiser, will never be raced and I appreciate a good ride complete with air and cruise.