boki dominates his old control arm bushings, ...
02-06-2009, 05:28 PM
#1
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boki dominates his old control arm bushings, ...
posting this here, for my audiworld brethren and sistren.
i removed all four front control arm bushings today, and it was easier than i was led to believe, and it could've been even easier than it was.
<img src="http://rdefined.com/phpbb/images/smilies/WOOT.gif">
the last two were easier than the first two, because i decided to eliminate a couple of steps,
now here's the story.
the accepted technique is to start by burning the guts out of the bushing, and this sounded like the fun part.
got out my mapp gas torch, and commenced to making some thick black smoke <img src="http://rdefined.com/phpbb/images/smilies/burn.gif">
<b>light um up, bruddah</b>
<img src="http://boki-san.smugmug.com/photos/468806021_dAVoE-O.jpg">
then, after they've gotten to cooking real good, you can push out the metal inner cores
<b>the first two</b>
<img src="http://boki-san.smugmug.com/photos/468806017_MVNW9-O.jpg">
then, more fun with fire <img src="http://boki-san.smugmug.com/photos/248091494_MUkcu-L.gif">
<b>light um more, and let um burn</b>
<img src="http://boki-san.smugmug.com/photos/468806039_PvgyF-O.jpg">
then when they're done, you can push out more metal
<b>the second set of core sleeves</b>
<img src="http://boki-san.smugmug.com/photos/468806026_EhDgN-O.jpg">
then, following recommendations, i burned the rest of the rubber out, and proceeded to hacksaw most of the way through one of the outer sleeves(hacksaw blade for your jigsaw is the way to go).
next, i got out my cold chisel and two pound hammer, and began to collapse the inner sleeve to loosen it, so i could drive it out.
it worked, but before i made a full cut in the second one, i decided to try just crimping the sleeve inwards in several places, added some pb blaster, let it soak a minute, and was able to drive that one out.
since that worked, i didn't even bother burning out the second core sleeves in the other control arm, i just crimped um, pb blastered um, and drove them out
<b>the first two bushings out, the cut one, and the just crimped one</b>
<img src="http://boki-san.smugmug.com/photos/468806013_CPVYb-O.jpg">
the tool i used to drive them out, is just a brass cap for 1" pipe. it just happens to be big enough in diameter to rest on the bushing sleeve, but small enough to pass through the control arm.
i got the brass one, because the galvanized steel one has thicker walls, and will not fit through the opening in the control arm.
i have the cast control arms, and rested them on a beefy aluminum workbench to avoid messing them up.
<b><i>!!! this procedure of driving the bushings out with the cap and baby sledge is probably completely out of the question for the stamped steel control arms. stick to the hacksaw method, make a couple cuts to get the bushings to completely fall out. !!!</i></b>
<b>the blessed brass cap</b>
<img src="http://boki-san.smugmug.com/photos/468806006_X7XPh-O.jpg">
i could have saved a few steps and some time by doing it as i did the last two.
i only burned, and removed the smaller, inner metal core, then crimped them around their circumference in six places, shot um with pb, then drove them out
<b>here's the last bushing, one whack away from coming out</b>
<img src="http://boki-san.smugmug.com/photos/468806003_Pwbic-O.jpg">
time for some pizza and dr.pepper! <img src="http://rdefined.com/phpbb/images/smilies/hungry.gif">
the fresh bushings are spending the night in the freezer, to shrink. <i>you have heard about shringage, haven't you?</i>
in the morning i'll take the torch to the control arms to get them to expand, and i'll press the new bushings in! then reinstall everything with all fresh bolts and nuts.
<img src="http://rdefined.com/phpbb/images/smilies/yippee.gif">
what was supposed to, by all accounts, be a total nightmare, ... was in fact, fun and relatively easy <img src="http://rdefined.com/phpbb/images/smilies/clap.gif">
i removed all four front control arm bushings today, and it was easier than i was led to believe, and it could've been even easier than it was.
<img src="http://rdefined.com/phpbb/images/smilies/WOOT.gif">
the last two were easier than the first two, because i decided to eliminate a couple of steps,
now here's the story.
the accepted technique is to start by burning the guts out of the bushing, and this sounded like the fun part.
got out my mapp gas torch, and commenced to making some thick black smoke <img src="http://rdefined.com/phpbb/images/smilies/burn.gif">
<b>light um up, bruddah</b>
<img src="http://boki-san.smugmug.com/photos/468806021_dAVoE-O.jpg">
then, after they've gotten to cooking real good, you can push out the metal inner cores
<b>the first two</b>
<img src="http://boki-san.smugmug.com/photos/468806017_MVNW9-O.jpg">
then, more fun with fire <img src="http://boki-san.smugmug.com/photos/248091494_MUkcu-L.gif">
<b>light um more, and let um burn</b>
<img src="http://boki-san.smugmug.com/photos/468806039_PvgyF-O.jpg">
then when they're done, you can push out more metal
<b>the second set of core sleeves</b>
<img src="http://boki-san.smugmug.com/photos/468806026_EhDgN-O.jpg">
then, following recommendations, i burned the rest of the rubber out, and proceeded to hacksaw most of the way through one of the outer sleeves(hacksaw blade for your jigsaw is the way to go).
next, i got out my cold chisel and two pound hammer, and began to collapse the inner sleeve to loosen it, so i could drive it out.
it worked, but before i made a full cut in the second one, i decided to try just crimping the sleeve inwards in several places, added some pb blaster, let it soak a minute, and was able to drive that one out.
since that worked, i didn't even bother burning out the second core sleeves in the other control arm, i just crimped um, pb blastered um, and drove them out
<b>the first two bushings out, the cut one, and the just crimped one</b>
<img src="http://boki-san.smugmug.com/photos/468806013_CPVYb-O.jpg">
the tool i used to drive them out, is just a brass cap for 1" pipe. it just happens to be big enough in diameter to rest on the bushing sleeve, but small enough to pass through the control arm.
i got the brass one, because the galvanized steel one has thicker walls, and will not fit through the opening in the control arm.
i have the cast control arms, and rested them on a beefy aluminum workbench to avoid messing them up.
<b><i>!!! this procedure of driving the bushings out with the cap and baby sledge is probably completely out of the question for the stamped steel control arms. stick to the hacksaw method, make a couple cuts to get the bushings to completely fall out. !!!</i></b>
<b>the blessed brass cap</b>
<img src="http://boki-san.smugmug.com/photos/468806006_X7XPh-O.jpg">
i could have saved a few steps and some time by doing it as i did the last two.
i only burned, and removed the smaller, inner metal core, then crimped them around their circumference in six places, shot um with pb, then drove them out
<b>here's the last bushing, one whack away from coming out</b>
<img src="http://boki-san.smugmug.com/photos/468806003_Pwbic-O.jpg">
time for some pizza and dr.pepper! <img src="http://rdefined.com/phpbb/images/smilies/hungry.gif">
the fresh bushings are spending the night in the freezer, to shrink. <i>you have heard about shringage, haven't you?</i>
in the morning i'll take the torch to the control arms to get them to expand, and i'll press the new bushings in! then reinstall everything with all fresh bolts and nuts.
<img src="http://rdefined.com/phpbb/images/smilies/yippee.gif">
what was supposed to, by all accounts, be a total nightmare, ... was in fact, fun and relatively easy <img src="http://rdefined.com/phpbb/images/smilies/clap.gif">
02-06-2009, 07:34 PM
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Re: "Can't wait to hear how the new ones go in", ...
the bushings in the freezer / torch the control arm tip came from my privateer audi tech in denver.
i hope they go in easy, too.
i can't wait to feel the fresh, tight, non-clunking front suspension.
i hope they go in easy, too.
i can't wait to feel the fresh, tight, non-clunking front suspension.
02-06-2009, 07:50 PM
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Re: "Can't wait to hear how the new ones go in", ...
Good work! One question: How did you get the control arms out? I quit trying to get them out after half an hour of hammering.
02-06-2009, 08:50 PM
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Re: "How did you get the control arms out?", ...
<b><i>you have to take the bolts out before you try to remove them 
</i></b>
<img src="http://rdefined.com/phpbb/images/smilies/rolf.gif">
it wasn't a struggle. perhaps i was just lucky.
i just muscled them out of the subframe, one bushing was a little sticky, there, but came out easily enough.
then pulled the ball joint bolt, gave um a couple of good whacks downward and they popped down and out.
maybe if you drop the ball joint first, it would give you a better access and advantage on the two points in the subframe.
... and make sure to remove the bolts first
</i></b><img src="http://rdefined.com/phpbb/images/smilies/rolf.gif">
it wasn't a struggle. perhaps i was just lucky.
i just muscled them out of the subframe, one bushing was a little sticky, there, but came out easily enough.
then pulled the ball joint bolt, gave um a couple of good whacks downward and they popped down and out.
maybe if you drop the ball joint first, it would give you a better access and advantage on the two points in the subframe.
... and make sure to remove the bolts first
02-06-2009, 09:24 PM
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I took off my damaged control arm just last month...
...the bolts were too rusted and corroded for me so I just took a sawzall to them and bought fresh bolts/nut. I like your write up though and I'm interested in how well the new ones go back in. I'm needing to do this soon.
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02-07-2009, 09:09 AM
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Hmmm. Having posted all of that, I am glad I have access to a small press
A few friends and I came together to buy one of the ~$100 Harbor Freight presses. Changes all of that effort into a couple of simple press evolutions, no muss no fuss. I've probably done a couple dozen control arm bushings by now, that press has more than paid for itself.
Now I just gotta get my stuff together to build the post on how to use the press to do your own tie-rod bends for MC turbo installs.
Now I just gotta get my stuff together to build the post on how to use the press to do your own tie-rod bends for MC turbo installs.
02-11-2009, 04:19 PM
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finishing the control arm bushing replacement, ...
finishing the control arm bushing replacement
i made a pressing jig, out of two 1.5" to 1.25" reducers, and a convenient 7" length of threaded 1.25" pipe.
the outer face of the reducer rests nicely on the control arm sleeve, but allows the bushing sleeve to clear it inside, easily.
jig is placed between the control arm sleeves, and 'turned out' to fit the space precisely, then held vertically under a hydraulic press, each bushing is then pushed into an end.
<img src="http://boki-san.smugmug.com/photos/472062812_RmrZg-O-1.jpg">
the pipes and fittings are then 'turned in', to clear portions of the bushings that protrude past the inner face of the control arm sleeve. i found on mine when i got it all tightened down as much as i could, the inner part of the bushings were still trapped. my <b><i>IGS</i></b> (instant gratification solution) was to cut a notch out of one reducer, so that the tool could then escape the control arm.
<img src="http://boki-san.smugmug.com/photos/472062803_yRQDA-O-1.jpg">
bushings are in !
<img src="http://boki-san.smugmug.com/photos/472062836_XdgfY-O-1.jpg">
i made a pressing jig, out of two 1.5" to 1.25" reducers, and a convenient 7" length of threaded 1.25" pipe.
the outer face of the reducer rests nicely on the control arm sleeve, but allows the bushing sleeve to clear it inside, easily.
jig is placed between the control arm sleeves, and 'turned out' to fit the space precisely, then held vertically under a hydraulic press, each bushing is then pushed into an end.
<img src="http://boki-san.smugmug.com/photos/472062812_RmrZg-O-1.jpg">
the pipes and fittings are then 'turned in', to clear portions of the bushings that protrude past the inner face of the control arm sleeve. i found on mine when i got it all tightened down as much as i could, the inner part of the bushings were still trapped. my <b><i>IGS</i></b> (instant gratification solution) was to cut a notch out of one reducer, so that the tool could then escape the control arm.
<img src="http://boki-san.smugmug.com/photos/472062803_yRQDA-O-1.jpg">
bushings are in !
<img src="http://boki-san.smugmug.com/photos/472062836_XdgfY-O-1.jpg">
02-13-2009, 12:50 PM
#10
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arms in !
with fresh hardware !
<img src="http://boki-san.smugmug.com/photos/473061103_uhSh8-O.jpg">
<img src="http://boki-san.smugmug.com/photos/473061108_y9WYj-O.jpg">
<img src="http://boki-san.smugmug.com/photos/473061103_uhSh8-O.jpg">
<img src="http://boki-san.smugmug.com/photos/473061108_y9WYj-O.jpg">
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