peter y.s pang

DIY to up grade control arm front and rear bushes , what is the best tool to take out the control arm front and rear bushes.

kjr914

The "best" may be a shop press. You can remove the arms and take them to a shop and have them do it. Many here have use the DIY guide from FD Motorsports:
http://fdmotorsports.net/Control%20A...%20Install.pdf
I've also seen people suggest similar to above, but make 2 hacksaw cuts on opposite sides to relieve the pressure on the metal sleeve. Just don't cut too far...

If you are installing ERP (Elephant Racing Products) or simliar, you probably need a press to put them back in, or one big vice.

Also, search here for some combo of these terms for more info:
walrod bushings
ERP bushings
A arm bushings

I've got this in my future as well.

berni29

Hi

I pressed the old front ones out and as I remember it took just over 7 tonnes of pressure, and when they let go it was like a gun going off. I pressed in new Elephant Racing ones. The arms are in fact a bit awkward to get straight under the average press. The rears are very simple though.

Berni

deekay911

Bernie - yours must have been in there extreeemely tight - I pressed mine out with minimal effort. But again, a press makes it way easier.

dbrians

I just installed Walrod bushings. To remove the OEM bushings, make two hacksaw cuts through the sleeve but close together - about the same distance as the height of 2-3 quarters. Remove this small piece of the sleeve and it'll be much easier to pry out / punch out the remaining piece of the sleeve. I didn't figure this out until after a long struggle with punches and an air chisel.

boomboom

I just ordered and received lower control arms from FDM that have the new bushings installed and all I need to do is return my old ones. Total cost was $300 and well worth not having to deal with installation of the bushings.

Darin was great to work with and I will be sending my old control arms back to his attention after this weekend's project of replacement. Highly recommend getting these sandblasted and rebushed arms and not dealing with the hassle of finding a press etc. Check out the FDM site and call them.

996scott

how tought is it to remove and reinstall the control arms? I would like to do this but really don't do much suspension work. Also, do you need to do an alignment after?

stace

I did the walrod bushing change recently. taking the arms off is not difficult and a realignment is not needed if you mark the eccentric and don't change that setting on re-install. (see the DIY write up) meanwhile - I wish I had done what "boomboom" did. it was a pain to remove the old bushings and it would have been worth the money to let FD Motorsports exchange my old arms for nicely refurbished ones. installing the walrod bushings was easy. just my 2 cents!!

Jeff96-993

I thought I had a post on here for the rears, where I made a special tool and some fixturing that worked in a bench vise. I installed the Elephant Racing bushes in the back.

Here it is:

https://rennlist.com/forums/993-foru...uspension.html

I installed the Walrod bushes in the front, had no issue using the hacksaw method mentioned previously.

boman993

I bought the bushings last year and never got around to installing them...I
know, I know ~ slacker! Looking back, I should've just done a core
exchange with the FDM boys from the start...You live you learn..

boomboom

Installed the control arms this morning and the steering rack tie rods. Make sure to check the tie rods at the threaded connection point to the steering rack. The tie rods looked fine at the wheel end, but were worn to heck at the rack. I spent a bit more and replaced the whole assembly, not just the tie rod. I decided on a whim to do this while in doing the control arms. Glad I did! They were scary worn. Car should be drivable tomorrow or day after. Doing a LWF and clutch, slave, hose and SAI check valve. Again better to do this while the tranny is out.


Alan

peter y.s pang

just got the powerflex and going to install it soon.

Coyote

Just did this...lit a torch and burned them out. Worked a peach!

FisterD

We have refurbished quite a few sets and some are definitely easier than others. We do get some sets in that are just a bear to get the old bushings out. The 10 ton press at the shop helps!