time for... BUSHINGs!
I would recommend getting/using a shop press, and you'll need a 1.5" or larger deep well to push some of the bushings into. I would also suggest money willing that you get DTSS elimination bushings, while you're at it.
Start with the fronts, they are easiest. The rear needs the sub frame lowered to get the rear control arms off (in my case anyways, you might have better tools/less rust or something).
Tip: The front control arm ends have metal in the middle of the bushing, so take a box cutter, chisel, hot knife or whatever you have and skin a strip in the rubber all the way down to metal. Next take a dremel or cut off tool and carefully split the metal sleeve. Once you get it cut into it'll "spring apart", then you can pull it off. I clamped my bushing into a vise and turned the control arm to get it loose then pulled it out of the bushing.
The rear trailing arm bushings have a metal sleeve around the oem bushing that needs to be pressed out. ES instructions do not tell you this.
Start with the fronts, they are easiest. The rear needs the sub frame lowered to get the rear control arms off (in my case anyways, you might have better tools/less rust or something).
Tip: The front control arm ends have metal in the middle of the bushing, so take a box cutter, chisel, hot knife or whatever you have and skin a strip in the rubber all the way down to metal. Next take a dremel or cut off tool and carefully split the metal sleeve. Once you get it cut into it'll "spring apart", then you can pull it off. I clamped my bushing into a vise and turned the control arm to get it loose then pulled it out of the bushing.
The rear trailing arm bushings have a metal sleeve around the oem bushing that needs to be pressed out. ES instructions do not tell you this.
Joined: Feb 2001
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From: London, Ontario, Canada
If you have a big vice and a selection of tubes and sockets, then you don't really need a press. I recently did all mine and a press wasn't necessary at all. Just a breaker bar on the vice.
The rear trailing arm bushings have a metal sleeve that surrounds the bushing and looks like it is part of the arm. It must be removed before you push in the new bushings. If the bore has flared ends after bushing removal, then the sleeve is still there.
The big rear front control arm bushing is a bit annoying but does take under 5 minutes if done properly. Use a sawzall to cut the rubber off of the inner metal sleeve, then use a cutting wheel to split the sleeve in half a and pry it off.
The rest just push out easily with sockets/tubing. You may have some annoyance with the stabilizer bar end link bushings. They might want to squeeze out after you press in the sleeve. Just rough up the inner bore of the end link with some sand paper and they should stay in place.
The rear trailing arm bushings have a metal sleeve that surrounds the bushing and looks like it is part of the arm. It must be removed before you push in the new bushings. If the bore has flared ends after bushing removal, then the sleeve is still there.
The big rear front control arm bushing is a bit annoying but does take under 5 minutes if done properly. Use a sawzall to cut the rubber off of the inner metal sleeve, then use a cutting wheel to split the sleeve in half a and pry it off.
The rest just push out easily with sockets/tubing. You may have some annoyance with the stabilizer bar end link bushings. They might want to squeeze out after you press in the sleeve. Just rough up the inner bore of the end link with some sand paper and they should stay in place.
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Aug 15, 2015 10:32 PM