OK, I'm looking for a little input from anyone that has replaced all there control arm bushings. I picked up some control arm bushings from o'reilly: part # 101-3547 Beck/Arnley that have a metal sleeve on them. Do I press the rubber bushing out of this into the control arm or is it designed to be re-welded onto the arm. Pictures show there is only .050 difference on the O.D. The package inside the box was a oem Subaru parts bag part # 621108170.

Also I have purchased a set of polyurethane strut rod bushings I will be installing. I got them from energy suspension for a 1973 Plymouth Barracuda # 5.7109 (found this info on another post) I supplied some pictures for documentation.And to finish it off I picked up a set of Moog ball joint part # K9081.

Any help or input would help me out! Thanks

The whole bushing piece presses out.  Gonna have to use a very precise fit collar of some kind to press the sleeve out not just the old rubber.

You can also slice through the old bushing casing from the inside once the metal inner part is removed. Be careful not to cut too far into the control arm. This relief cut allows the old bushing casing to be tapped right out.

Edited November 27, 201411 yr by Crazyeights

agree with this. Get the control arm in a vice and very gentle cut the sleeveby hand with a handsaw. powertools are way to powerful for this kind of work. You may not need to cut all the way through, just enough to start with a metal chisel.

A hammer and flat punch will then be able to push it out.

I agree with all of the above.

 

I ended up having to buy a new control arm after a trusted mechanic coworker mangled it with a press trying to get the old bushing out.

 

Dan

Yep, that's the easy way to get them out. You can pound the new ones in.... God forbid. Find a die, driver or socket that is ever so slightly smaller than the inside diameter of the control arm that slides in and out easily. Place the bushings in the freezer overnight. When you are ready to install them, place the control arms in the oven at 450 degrees. Baked CA! Yummy! lol Take one control arm and one bushing out. Place the control arm on a hard, flat surface and pound it in. The temperature differential will make it easier to get in and in some cases, it may slide right in. You'll have to move quick before the temps equalize. You need to make sure you have equal amounts of the inner steel sleeve sticking out each side. You'll have to put it in a vise for the last little bit. I just did mine last weekend, but I have a press. I had a nasty shimmy on decel around 50-60. I did the bushings and installed adjustable strut rods so I can play with the caster adjustment after I lengthen the lower control arms to straighten out the camber.

Ski, do you have a source for the adjustable strut rods? Thanks!

Rockauto.com sells the adjustable ones.

Rockauto.com sells the adjustable ones.

Got a part number?

Can't find them anymore on Rock, sorry. Try these instead;

 

http://www.ingallseng.com/38100-subaru-adjustable-front-strut-rod.html

Couldn't you use all thread/nut/washers to press the bushing out. I have done this with my Mopars back in the day. I did it with my Loyale as well..

Couldn't you use all thread/nut/washers to press the bushing out. I have done this with my Mopars back in the day. I did it with my Loyale as well..

Ingall's is the source I used (the link above). Yeah, I suppose you could do that to press them out, but I know the last two EA81's I did were hella tight so I think it would be pretty tough.

 

Addendum... If you use the Ingalls rods, the supplied bushing sleeve is 1/8" too long for proper bushing compression. I shortened mine 1/4" for a little extra. Nice and tight in the front end.

Edited November 29, 201411 yr by skishop69

Thanks for all the input!