TSHong

Insurance is replacing my left side upper control arms but I will have to do the passenger side.

For those that have done the bushings only, how easy was it to get the bushings out of the control arm? I just have to decide if I just want to go a head and replace the whole control arm because only the bushings are bad but if the bushings are a pain to press in and out.

Mister Bally

Buy a press from Harbor Freight. 12 ton works great for me. 20 ton is best. Do not get the "table top" one unless you will never be doing wheel bearings. You need a press IMHO. Also buy their bushing /bearing mandrel set.

RocketSurgeon

When I've done bushings, it has been very challenging. I tried a very large powerful vice without luck. It really does require a press. With the right press it's probably fairly easy.

mishar

It is not a challenge at all. To take them out you need only a metal saw. Since they are already busted just carefully cut outer ring and push them out with your hands. To push new ones in you need two rings so you press only outer bushing ring. Some grease will help you to do it even with wise. Press is better.

2k6blacka8

Or if you don't have access to a press you're probably better off replacing the whole are and be done with it. You can probably find both sets on ebay brand new for a good reasonable price. The beautiful thing is they are cake to take off without taking the wheels off and don't have to worry about any rusty bolts. Might have to raise the car into lift mode and jack it up a little.

mishar

I am afraid that won't be that easy. Also not sure about quality of those from eBay.

2k6blacka8

Yea true. Might get lucky on finding some good quality ones on there instead of those knockoffs.

MP4.2+6.0

FWIW, I just do the whole arm rather than the bushing swap out. I'm getting to the point where I would rather just R&R it and not do the extra step of pressing out/in the bushing, and still ending up w/ a used tie rod end even when the rest is said and done. Recently went this way on my C5 4,2 w/ the same arm set up when an issue came up. I have used a press so rarely that when I truly need it, I just go to a local machine shop w/ the item in hand.

The D3 has been pretty good to me so far (dealer did upper arms under warranty previously), but on both the C5 4.2, and a variety of older ones, I would usually ended up with torn boots on the tie rod ends and the upper ball joints over time as well. Yet another reason I prefer just to do the job once over many years.

TSHong

Well for those of you who don't know it but I work manage a service facility so access to equipment is not an issue. I have a fully functional press at the shop. That doesn't mean pressing the bushing out would be easy. I've seen bearings that won't come out of a knuckle but bearings will sometime fuse with heat build up, a rather unlikely scenario for a control arm.

My dilemma is it's at an Audi dealer and the control arms are $300 each plus labor vs the bushings are $40 each. Is it worth it for me to have them do the bushings vs me bring the vehicle back to my shop and to the arms and alignment at my shop.

MP4.2+6.0

Ask them what the incremental labor is if you go the bushing + press work route. An hour or more of incremental labor is going to close that seeming price gap on the dealer route very quickly.