Rear end control arm bushings

[Bordom]

Is there a diy for these bushings? I've searched here, Audiworld, Audiforums and can't find one.

The refresh I'm planning to do (coilovers/spring+shock combo, engine/trans mounts, snub mount, rear control arm bushings, brand new eccentrics(-2 camber on standard suspension @ stock height)) could be derailed by my drive train issues.

ANYWAYS,

Does anyone have a DIY for this or know where I can find one?

Thanks

[walky_talky20]

These are not easy. And there are lots of bushings back there.

Here's a thread where I describe the process for changing the lower, outer bushing "pair" at the bottom of the upright. This is the camber eccentric bolt location.
http://www.audizine.com/forum/showth...for-b5-in-rear

Unless the bushings are unbonded and fall apart, you will likely be torching every last one to uninstall.

Install is tricky because of the great force necessary to install and the small lip to push on. You can easily destroy the new bushing. The last time around, I sort of cheated on this and it worked out well. The inner bushings on the upper A-arm are the same story. The bushing is nearly identical (but not quite). I've never done the upper outer or the lower inners.

[Bordom]

These are not easy. And there are lots of bushings back there.

Here's a thread where I describe the process for changing the lower, outer bushing "pair" at the bottom of the upright. This is the camber eccentric bolt location.
http://www.audizine.com/forum/showth...for-b5-in-rear

Unless the bushings are unbonded and fall apart, you will likely be torching every last one to uninstall.

Install is tricky because of the great force necessary to install and the small lip to push on. You can easily destroy the new bushing. The last time around, I sort of cheated on this and it worked out well. The inner bushings on the upper A-arm are the same story. The bushing is nearly identical (but not quite). I've never done the upper outer or the lower inners.

My bushings are all shot. They're not falling apart but they squeak like a family of mice living in the shell of my chassis. I've thought about greasing them every now and again but I don't fancy having to do it every few weeks.

From the pictures on ECS, it seems there's much room to press the old ones out and the new ones in. The only difficult ones I'd see are the bushings connecting the spindle and the camber bolt. Is there really not enough room to press/hammer these out?

[walky_talky20]

The problem is they are 2 piece bushings. They push in from opposite sides. So you can't just continue pressing it right out. You can't use a press to uninstall the bushings. You have to cut them or burn them out. Then press 2 new ones in (without destroying them). This is the case for the lower/outer (camber eccentric) as well as the upper inners. It's a production. Doable, though.

[Bordom]

Since they press in from both sides, wouldn't I be able to use a vice to press them in? Given the spindle bushings are in that tight space, do they push in from inside the control arm or from the outside. If it's from the outside it'd be a lot easier.

I think I'd be able to walk them out given enough force. I thought about getting brand new ones from ECS, but I couldn't justify $600+ to do this.

[crazyquik22023]

The best way to remove the old bushings is to burn them out. Also if you are changing your rear tie rods as well, which you will need to if you need to adjust your toe, the best way to remove the eccentric bolt from the tie rods is to just use a cutting wheel and cut right through the tie rod and the bolt. And they press in from the outside.

[walky_talky20]

Since they press in from both sides, wouldn't I be able to use a vice to press them in? Given the spindle bushings are in that tight space, do they push in from inside the control arm or from the outside. If it's from the outside it'd be a lot easier.

I think I'd be able to walk them out given enough force. I thought about getting brand new ones from ECS, but I couldn't justify $600+ to do this.

You can try, but I don't think a vice is going to cut it. I heated the knuckle *AND* froze the bushings and greased them. And they still took a lot of force to go in. I mean...maybe you could make something happen in a jam, but I wouldn't plan on changing *all* the rear end bushings without a press available.

I don't think you're going "walk" anything out. No way. You have to burn out the center, then cut the outer casing and beat it out. You won't get anywhere with a hammer and chisel.

And like crazyquick said, the tie rods are a disaster if the bolt freezes to the ID of the bushing. You have to cut through the entire thing to get it out. Either with a torch or cut-off wheel. You'll probably go through a couple discs to do both sides.

[Bordom]

Well I do have a torch sitting in my grandparents house that I can use for the eccentrics and bushings. If I use that however, would the amount of heat used warp the control arm?

As I understand it, these control arms are stamped steel right? So it would take a lot of heat to warp it?

The other option I see is getting my mechanic to press these out and press the new ones in. But if it's as hard as you're making it seem then this would cost more than the bushings would.

[walky_talky20]

Oh yes. Paying someone to do this will be expensive. If you want to change all 14 (!) bushings and both tie rod ends, I'd say you'd be into at least 4-5 hours of labor, depending on how corroded things are.

This is why nobody does this. The front control arms can be had cheaply and all new bushings are thus bolted in with no drama.

[Mad Cow]

This thread is making me scared of doing my rear bushings, is it really that bad? I'm planning on finding a weekend to redo everything, bushings, tie rods and stripping/painting the control arms. Am I being too optimistic? I don't have a press, but I was planning on bringing everything over to a machine shop to get the bushings pressed in.

[Bordom]

This thread is making me scared of doing my rear bushings, is it really that bad? I'm planning on finding a weekend to redo everything, bushings, tie rods and stripping/painting the control arms. Am I being too optimistic? I don't have a press, but I was planning on bringing everything over to a machine shop to get the bushings pressed in.

Yeah I don't have a press either. I think having these bushings pressed in would get rather expensive if you can do the un-installation yourself. Somewhere in the neighborhood of $1-200 I would guess. If I can get a vice to do most of the work, I think it should take a weekend at least.

Friday night for prep (Freeing upper and lower control arms), Saturday to uninstall all the bushings, Sunday to press them in/pay to have them pressed in + reinstallation.
Then Monday go for an alignment.

All in all with what I'm doing to my car, I'm looking at $1600 CAD in parts alone. I don't want to spend anymore than that

[Mad Cow]

I redid the rear bushings on my E36 this way, I even got the shop to press the old ones out, it ran me around $100. In the grand scheme of things, an extra $100 isn't that much. It was worth it since they told me the bushings were a real bastard to press out and in, I definitely wouldn't have been able to press them in myself.

[Bordom]

Hmm, I'll think about saving myself the trouble then if it was about $100. My mechanic charges pretty well, so I don't see it taking more than 2hrs with a press.