tcora

All: Looking for insight on replacing the bushings on the lower control arms where they mount to the frame. One has pretty significant slop in it. The control arms are just over 3 years old (a covid project), and the rest of the control arm (the ball joint and the other bushing) seems to be just fine.

The Powerflex bushings come in two pieces, so the install there looks very straightforward, but I'm wondering what it takes to get the OE bushing out. Does anyone have any insights on what that job looks like?

The car is a base 2003, stock suspension.

Thanks.

tcora

Bump. Surely someone out there has removed the old bushings from a Boxster control arm!

Nickshu

I did this years ago on my 2003 996, same bushings/arms. It's a pain. I held the control arm in a bench vise and then cut the rubber out w/ a heated knife. After that I used a hacksaw reassembled w/ the blade going through the hole to cut the metal lining part of the bushing in two places, then a cold chisel/hammer to tap it out. Angled die grinder/cut off would not fit. I have a press but there is no lip to press on so no way you could use a press. They were not designed to be removed, it's designed to just replace the entire control arm. PITA job and very tedious but can be done. Care must be taken to not cut through the thin metal lining of the bushing and actually into the control arm. A tiny bit is unavoidable though.

The Powerflex bushings were noisy and I did not like them very much on the street. At the time I was using this car for alot of track days so wanted the stiffness. About 2 years later when the car was back to being a street only car, I switched back to new control arms w/ stock bushings. My recommendation would be just to buy new stock control arms.

tcora

Thanks. I kinda had a feeling that would be the answer.