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Jeff
Dodge Dakota
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7/27/2003
09:27:44
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 Subject: Replacing Lower Control Arm Bushings?
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Does anyone know if it is a relatively easy job to replace the lower control arm bushings? I have all the standard tools, and decent mechanical know how. It looks like if I just jack the front corner of my truck up and then put another jack on the lower control arm to relive the pressure on the bushings then I will just be able to unbolt the old ones and bolt the new ones on. Will any springs take my head of or anything? Does anyone know what the flat rate hours are on this repar? Thanks a lot this site always helps me figure it out.
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slopehead
Dodge Dakota
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7/27/2003
09:46:37
|  RE: Replacing Lower Control Arm Bushings?
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My company builds machines that assemble the bushing assemblies in roll bars, shocks, control arms etc. It taks a tremedous amount of air cylinder pressure to assemble them, on average more then 4 tons to assemble the rubber into the part and an additional 3 to 8 tons to insert the bushing into the rubber. The rubber and the bushing are lubricated with an "activator oil" that lubes the parts for easier assembly and at the same time it activates a fast acting glue ( at most 30 seconds to cure) that holds the parts in place permanently. This all takes place in less then 3 seconds on most assemblies except roll bars, and those are usually assembled in less then 12 seconds. I could build you one of the machines for around, weellll, probably more money then most of you make in a year. The roll bar machines start at 6 times that amount. You could do it at home but will most likely need a hydraulic press to do it, plus guides to keep the rubber from squishing instead of pressing, and back plates to keep it in place while inserting the steel bushing. There may be even replacement kits at the local parts dealership. I replaced the stearing rack to control arm bushing in a '97 Concorde recently, the local NAPA guy had a kit that used split in the middle so it could be inserted from both ends rubber and a close fit replacement steel bushing. Actual replacement of the part took only a few minutes, but the teardown, and re-assembly of all the air intake runners and the dual throttle bodies to get down to it and then actually unbolt the control arms was another story.
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Shut the FU
Dodge Dakota
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7/27/2003
12:51:14
| RE: Replacing Lower Control Arm Bushings?
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Slopehead...you didn't even come close to answering the question. You just posted a bunch of useless horseshlt about yourself and followed it up with some drivel about a Concorde.
Shut the fukc up, ya stupid b!tch.
Jeff,
You'll need to rent/buy a spiring compressor and remove the lower control arm properly. The last thing you want is a compressed coil spring shooting at your head.
After that it's a simple matter of getting the old bushings pressed out and the new ones pressed in. Most places charge about $20/per.
Are you doing Energy Suspension bushings or just replacing with OEM?
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Jeff
Dodge Dakota
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7/27/2003
13:29:47
| RE: Replacing Lower Control Arm Bushings?
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Thanks for the info. I will just use OEM I guess. If the job isn't as easy as a bolting and unbolting then I will probalby just get the shop to do it. I just had no idea what the mechanics of a lower bushing were? It looks easy enough but if I have to get into bushing pressing and spring retaining then I shouldn't even get into it. Thanks again and I will still take any tips.
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teamfast
Dodge Dakota
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7/29/2003
12:34:07
| RE: Replacing Lower Control Arm Bushings?
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I may have to do this as well, if we torch them they should melt out. No?
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gg
Dodge Dakota
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7/29/2003
14:27:58
| RE: Replacing Lower Control Arm Bushings?
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i have torched them in the past,now days i take my control arms to napa with my new bushings ,they press out old ones and press new ones in,drop of in mornin pick up in afternoon,last time idid it it cost i think 10 bucks per bushing
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teamfast
Dodge Dakota
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7/29/2003
14:35:04
| RE: Replacing Lower Control Arm Bushings?
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i love the smell of control arms in the morning!
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