ja78911sc

OT question deleted :-)

windydog

to EMBPilot:

You mentioned that the bushings can be pressed out? I have not yet removed the arms yet, so I am not 100% sure, just going off what other have done. Would you mind elaborating on the special tooling required?

Personally, I would love to just press them out.

Also, you mentioned I don't need a press to install the ERP? Do you have experience that you could share?

Really would appreciate it.

EMBPilot

You can't press out the factory bushings unless you have made a custom bit and jig for your press. Pressing on the bushing itself will not remove it. In fact you stand a far greater chance of bending the entire control arm if you don't have the perfect sized bits and jig. (I know because I bent my arm trying to press the bushing out). You'll have to use the chisel / torch method to remove the bushings and races which is an epic CF and will likely take hours of fiddling and hammering.

Once you go to install the new bushings you do not need a press. They will simply press in by hand, or w a c clamp / bench vice. So any normal shop press in this situation is pretty much useless.

You can either take the exercise in frustration, fiddling and risk scoring the aluminum carrier, or have them pressed out properly by a RL member like AOW or FDM, (might b one more). who will make short work of it because they have custom made tools ready to do this.

Granted many ppl do the chiseling method w success, as I did. But I'd never do it again after having ruined one of my arms w a shop press and then having to chisel the other one. Esp after seeing how the guys w the right equipment can remove these things properly and safely regarding the aluminum.

A new control arm is $425, a used one is $250.

windydog

EMBPilot,
Thanks for the well thought out response. Now you have me thinking. I would love to see the set-up that is used to remove the existing bushings...

perelet

Here are few pics on DIY. I have Harbor Freight press and pretty standard press accessories. The only trick is to get rears 1st and after that press out fronts.

1st remove rears. Heat it up and use screwdriver to knock out bushing.







After that pick up press to match with front bushing and press it out:



Here are bushings:




Here are some of press accessories you can get at harbor tools and some I used for BMW. Nothing fancy.





Oleg.

EMBPilot

^^ nice!!!

PelicanParts.com

Great pics - thanks!

windydog

perelet

Thanks for the wonderful pictures and info. Seems like installing the bushings is a lot easier than everyone was led to believe.

Now its time to contact ERP for the bushings.

EMBPilot

priceless!!! i cant wait for the after action report

AOW162435

I have refurbished more than a dozen sets of 993 control arms over the last 2 or 3 years (lost count). I can tell you with a high degree of certainty that the process is far from "easy".

I torch the steel cores out, use an air chisel to remove the rear sleeves, and a 30-ton press to remove the front sleeves. I created a control arm-specific holder that protects the aluminum arm while the front sleeve is pressed out.

Additionally, I took a $50 socket to a machinist to have it turned down for the inner diameter of the front bore. This is used to drive the front sleeve out.

After this I bead blast the arms, and thoroughly clean and bead blast the re-useable steel inserts before installing the new bushings.

From start to finish, it takes me a solid 3 hours.

The process is far from "easy"...





















Andreas

simpsoap

Those parts are crazy clean! I will concur with Andreas, I did the Walrod bushing on my own, but had to use tools from my garage. I didn't have access to a press or anything like that. It took me quite some time, and the process wasn't easy. I'd rather remove another SAI system then do these control arms without the use of a press.

-Andy

AOW162435

Shouldn't you be picking up around your house?





Andreas

Cactus

But it sure was fun

AOW162435

When did you do yours?



Andreas

jscott82

The most important tool to have is a curse word thesaurus, I just could not come up with enough words during the process.