Control arm bushing replacement

[Paulaner]

Hey! Anyone have any special tricks for pressing in new inner and outer control arm bushings?
I've silicon greased the shit out of the new bushings and inside the bores. Already have destroyed 2 of the bushings... Got super close on both but at the last second part of the inner rubber section worked it away out and it mushroomed.

I am using a tool like this for the install.

 

[Fritzie]

There is a tread of this (hope I write this correct)

B

Thread 'How to fit new tension strut bushes'

Mar 1, 2023

Hi guys
I am wondering if anyone has come up with an easy method of fitting theses bushes.
I tried today with a few large washers and some threaded bar
The plan was to tighten the nuts on the threaded bar so that the bush would be forced into the subframe
My problem is that it just kept on mushrooming and I couldn’t get the first lip to go into the subframe.

• Barry.b
• Replies: 37
• Forum: E9 Projects and Restorations

 

[Baikallackierung]

Have not done those before, but I have had tremendous success with rubber in general by applying heat. Sometimes I keep a very hot bucket of water on hand for dipping rubber parts (for a while), until they get hot and malleable. Also, I have used a paint stripping tool (potent hair dryer - haha) to heat things up, from a good distance. Jobs involving rubber in the cold never work out for me. A good example are windshield gaskets - it is so easy to push a shield out on a hot summer day, but one risks breaking the glass when trying the same operation in the cold.

 

[StephenZ]

I basically did it the way you show in the pic..I just used a bunch of Astroglide lube to make it....uh, slide in there...since it's water based, it dries up and is gone pretty quick. They were definitely a real PIA, though.

 

[Paulaner]

Thanks guys for the added recommendations. I said ***k it last Sunday and ordered some powerflex. The ones I was trying to use for both the inner and outer control arm bushings were just never going to go in. I'll share an update on the powerflex and hopefully with the entire front end out back together.

 

[Paulaner]

While I wait for my power flex control arm bushing to show up, I decided to tackle the ever dreaded front tension rod bushings. These gave me a run for my money with days the of trial and error but I finally won out in the end. Was very nervous about the drivers side one as you can see in one of the before images the bore and mating surface were damaged by PO. With some MAP gas, yanking, pulling, and filing I was able to correct it before reinstalling the new bushing.