IRPerformance

iTrader: (41)

Ok here's how I did it:

The bushings get deformed a little when they are pressed in. The production tolerances, like someone else said, vary. This is why some fit easier than others. Worse yet, if you used a hydrolic press improperly, you can bend the control arms. This will make it a bitch to put them back onto the car. What I did is swap the center pins around untill I got the best fit. The ones that were still tight took some work. First I took a deep socket as close to the bushing inside diameter as I had, and wrapped it with adhesive backed sandpaper. Very carefully I smoothed out the insides of the bushings. Do this slowly and only a little at a time. If you go too far there will be too much play and I imagine the bushings would wear out quickly. Next, I wrapped the centerpin with sandpaper and rotated it in my closed fist. Do this untill you get a decent fit. If they are still tight, the weight of the car on them will free them up and break them in. Make sure you clean out all the shavings out of the bushings and pins. Use a good quality grease. I used redline. Some say marine grease works well cause it resists washout.

wonder1and

Nic... go buy a socket that goes to a 3/4-1" drive wrench... that is large enough for a whole bushing to fit into... and will still grip the outer lip of the arm... then get another socket that matches the edge of the socket near perfectly... just a hair smaller... go get that press again w/ a hard plate to set the big socket on..
Postion and push out... I got the new ones in by banging them in on the concrete... that worked fine. don't forget to drill and tap! that grease will wash out over time.
More questions...? Call me!

suganuma

ryker - the bushings are already installed

Ihor - that's nothing different than what I told you I was going to do earlier when you wouldn't tell me and kept saying that my car would clunk if i did it the way I was wanting to.
???

Jim and others - apparently the "secret" ended up being the 2 options I had already stated I had. Ryker says he just put some lube on his pins and banged them in. He also says his suspension doesn't clunk or squeak. He regularly greases them (even though I don't see how any grease is really fitting into that tight of a tolerance). Ihor's secret (as posted above) is what I told Jim I was planning on doing last night almost to the "t". I started doing a little sanding last night, but haven't done anything today b/c I was busy @ work and flying. Jim, I took (and now taking from Ihor) the advice to try sanding down the pins a little bit as well.

I think I am just going to leave them a little bit tight b/c I think they'll wear in a little bit, especially the rough(er) edges on the I.D. of the bushing where it was lightly sanded.

thanks for the opinions and advice guys