WOOHOO! aluminum control arms

[Bahlzeron]

Saturday I was at the junkyard grabbing a set of hood struts and hinge assembly (the hood I got a couple months back from same junkyard is a replacement with both the strut studs and hole for prop rod) I decided to look around for the alum. control arms I managed to find a pair, so Sunday me and a buddy went back and half an hour later had em off. At ~$25 each + $4.50 core each I couldn't turn that deal down. Earlier tonight I ordered new ball joints, and poly bushings. The junkyard doesn't differentiate between steel and aluminum control arms so I can bring back my old steel ones for the core charge.
The OE ball joints are riveted on so I gotta grind the heads off the rivets and punch em out (no big deal, pretty easy), I'll probably use a Dremel to do the grinding (I think I have an angle grinder in the storage unit, gonna have to see if it even works). Thursday is my B-day, so I took Friday off.. got nothin to do but drink and grind rivets!...lol. I'll grind the heads off on the ball joint steel plate side so I don't mess up the aluminum arms, even though the other side would be the easier side to get to.

Prothane 7-234 bushings

MOOG 6701 ball joint sold each need two (ouch expensive!)

Any way I know, I know, you want pics!





The ridge in the second pic, is that a retainer for the original bushing that needs to come out, or is it part of the arm? It looks like part of the arm to me.

[falloutboy]

IIRC its part of the arm

[tw0123]

It is part of the arm.... you need to punch the metal centre out of the bushing and then push the rubber out.... good luck getting the poly ones in they're stiff haha

[Bahlzeron]

Good to know, thanks guys!

I tried google to see what lubes won't harm/degrade polyurethane.. and well.. most links that come up are related to condoms, sex, and anal sex... not really what I'm looking for... gonna have to dig to find info related to just the material and not sex.

SO, After a little digging (page two or three of the fore mentioned google search) I found a couple car related sites/posts that have a few good suggestions for both poly and rubber bushings...

1. DO NOT use anything with petroleum in it as it will degrade both poly and rubber. (there is an argument that automotive rubber/rubber like compounds are resistant) Use silicone grease (make sure it is actually silicone grease not silicone suspended in petroleum grease), also Dawn dish soap works wonders too! (I shoulda known it's what I've always used for hand grips on motorcycles and bicycles!)

2. I found a great installation method! Use a bolt or threaded rod, nut(s), and a couple large washers to draw the bushing into place. You can also use a bench vice to press the bushings in place as well.

When I do this, if I can remember to take pics, I'll write up a how-to.

[falloutboy]

There should be lube with you purchased bushings.
Or else, look for the big suppliers like energy suspension and stp.
I got a small bucket of grease with my energy suspension set for the Camaro.

here you go Link
that should be enough to change every suspension bushing on the car, front and rear

[3500Alero]

Originally Posted by Bahlzeron

The ridge in the second pic, is that a retainer for the original bushing that needs to come out, or is it part of the arm? It looks like part of the arm to me.

It's the outside of the original bushing, look up the Delco replacement bushings on rock auto and you will see what you are removing!

[Bahlzeron]

Originally Posted by falloutboy

There should be lube with you purchased bushings.

There is.. I didn't know it came with lube, was pleasantly surprised when I opened the box.

Originally Posted by 3500Alero

It's the outside of the original bushing

Looked up some pics of the arms online, and yup they gotta come out... whats best way to remove the rings?

[shinnick66]

I would say a press, but you can get the rubber out and then grind on the inside from top to bottom, not through all of it but as much as needed to hit the out side with a chisel and get it to fold in on it self. You can grind 180 deg apart or every 90 if needed. But sometimes you can get away with one grind.

[Bahlzeron]

Got these done Sunday night.. and completely forgot to take pics. Doing it wasn't as hard as I had expected though, and pressing in the poly bushings isn't really that bad either.... once you figure it out, that is.