Control Arm Bushing Help, Poly Energy Suspension

[toy fanatic78]

Just use some muscle. Mine go in w/ a little muscle, and I've got Nylon UCA bushings.

Oh yeah, and you best hope that your eccentric bolts aren't seized on the front LCA's. If they are, you're in for a serious treat.

Had no problems w/the rears.The front are a different story,all 4 LCA bolts were seized to the sleeves.Nothing a sawzall and a pile of blades couldn't solve(I swear those bolts are worse than cutting through stainless steel) Now I am currently having my ass kicked trying to remove the metal outer sleeve on the bushings,couldn't get them to budge with the air hammer(that's how I've always done them on stuff that I couldn't get in the press)Still kinda leery of cutting through the shell,any other ideas?

 

[JMofIRW]

Damnit my muscle is to puny to push this UCA in!

from everything I read I am not doing my fronts until the summer. I can't deal with this 2x harder in this freezing cold/rainy climate lol.

 

[Grimsta]

Spray the bushings on the UCA w/ some silicone spary or WD40 then muscle it in there. If you need to use a RUBBER mallet to tap it in

 

[JMofIRW]

sounds good ill try that when the snowy stuff stops!

 

[toy fanatic78]

Spray the bushings on the UCA w/ some silicone spary or WD40 then muscle it in there. If you need to use a RUBBER mallet to tap it in

Tapered punch helps also.Through the bolt hole,you can kinda help leverage the arm into place.Being cold as shit outside doesn't help either.

 

[shaeff]

Had no problems w/the rears.The front are a different story,all 4 LCA bolts were seized to the sleeves.Nothing a sawzall and a pile of blades couldn't solve(I swear those bolts are worse than cutting through stainless steel) Now I am currently having my ass kicked trying to remove the metal outer sleeve on the bushings,couldn't get them to budge with the air hammer(that's how I've always done them on stuff that I couldn't get in the press)Still kinda leery of cutting through the shell,any other ideas?

I replaced put Nylon bushings in the lower control arms, so I just heated the center sleeve/cut bolt w/ a torch until I could slide it out of the gooey rubber, and then cut the rest of the bushing out in order to put the Nylon in. Of course, if you're trying to save the bushing, that's not an option.

 

[toy fanatic78]

I replaced put Nylon bushings in the lower control arms, so I just heated the center sleeve/cut bolt w/ a torch until I could slide it out of the gooey rubber, and then cut the rest of the bushing out in order to put the Nylon in. Of course, if you're trying to save the bushing, that's not an option.

Thanks for the idea,actually got them out tonight though.I cut a slit w/a hacksaw part way through the sleeve,then used a chisel to kind of "collapse" the bushing along the slit,as soon as it folded in a little they slid right out.Finished sandblasting the control arms and subframe,polished the upper arms.I will POR-15 the frame/arms,paint frame metallic blue and clear all of it to match the rear tomorrow.

 

[JMofIRW]

there won't be an issue spraying wd40 on lithium greased bushings?

i just know not to mix different based greases, but don't know of wd-40's stand on this.

 

[toy fanatic78]

there won't be an issue spraying wd40 on lithium greased bushings?

i just know not to mix different based greases, but don't know of wd-40's stand on this.

Is the grease that comes with the bushings lithium based?Have you tried to warm up the control arms? (maybe sit them by a heat register)I didn't have the heat in the garage on when I did the pass rear (20 degrees)and it was considerably harder to get back in than dr side w/garage at 80 degrees.

 

[JMofIRW]

Ohh good idea with the heat.

My Bushings didnt come with grease, i called energy and he said "THEY ALL COME WITH GREASE" but mine didnt. I used lithium grease, i was instructed that will be fine for poly.

i should've used white lithium, but i only was able to get multi purpose lithium, which should've been fine.... Err i hope, either way, no turning back now.

Maybe i'll heat up the spot the ca goes into as well, see how that works out. it's a good 20 degrees out for the past few weeks. they will not budge.

 

[Grimsta]

Just for reference the grease the bushings come with is silicone based. Yeah Energy has dropped the ball on a few of the bushings that i've sold. When we check them out they miss 1 bushing here or half a bushing there so I call them up and let them know their mistake and they get it handled. So when they say something like "they all get grease" as though "we never make a mistake", HA my ass, they make lots of mistakes

 

[JMofIRW]

ok cool, do u feel its an issue that i used lithium grease?

 

[toy fanatic78]

ok cool, do u feel its an issue that i used lithium grease?

If you haven't installed the arms yet,I have a couple of the tubes of energy grease leftover,you are more than welcome to them.

 

[JMofIRW]

well i have some pieces i need to be replaced by energy, so i will see if they can send me a decent amount of their grease for my other side. a few of the bushings got tore up by my machinist :{

the energy engineer said he'd send me the replacements for free, but then the customer service rep called me leaving a voicemail saying we can work prices out! i am out of damn money lol

 

[JMofIRW]

This CA will not budge. I have tried a mallet, jacking it up into the slot, and just brute force.

I dunno I am out of ideas and am extremely tired of this one damn upper control arm. every other CA fits in fine, i haven't installed them, but they actually fit.

 

[Grimsta]

You may have to take a pry bar and pry open the brackets a little

 

[NashMan]

mine was cake to do buring out is freaking stink waste of time mess

i used a vise and chiels

put arms in vise crank it side wasy bushing rips hit bushing out wiht hammer then chiels out the race

 

[JMofIRW]

You may have to take a pry bar and pry open the brackets a little

sounds good, i'll give it a go.