The first step to take when replacing your front control arm bushings is to make sure you have everything you need, this may include front sway bar end links. Especially if you have to cut the old ones off.
Here pictured are the Energy Suspension front control arm bushing, the rear control arm bushing, and an end link (from Napa), for one control arm (one side of the vehicle).
This is a picture of the bushings we are after. They are circled in red.
First, I started off by removing the wheels and the sway bar end links. I was able to unbolt the top of the links using a 14mm wrench and 14mm socket, but had to cut the bottoms off using a cut off wheel. If your links are good, you will only have to remove one end, either from the sway bar or the control arm. Mine were shot. I have drawn a red line through the area where I cut the nut as to not damage the control arm. The blue circle shows you where to put the wrench to hold the link with the wrench while undoing the nut.
Secondly, I popped out the front balljoints, if the nut hits the axle when removing it do not worry, pop the balljoint out with a balljoint tool or long bar and the control arm will drop out of the knuckle giving you the room to get the nut off.
Third, I unbolted the front bushings using two 17mm wrenches on the passenger side. On the drivers side, the bolt will be installed in the opposite direction, I removed it using a 19mm and a 17mm wrench (in my case). I slid the bolts out of the way, but left them in the subframe so I would not confuse their orientation.
Fourth, I unbolted the rear control arm bushing mounts using a 17mm socket on the two bolts and a 14 mm socket on the nuts. Then I dropped the arms out from the car.
Fifth, With the arms out I simply pulled off the rear bushings by hand and pressed the front bushings out using a vice and some pieces of tubing. My bushings did not come with outer sleeves, so all I had to do was remove the inner sleeve along with the rubber. Here is a picture of how I oriented the arm in the vice with the two pieces of pipe and pressed the inner sleeve/rubber out.
Sixth, I started to clean all the parts of the control arm where the new bushings will touch metal. I put a pipe through the hole in the control arm to help steady it in the vice while I cleaned out the front bushing sleeve, I used a hone to clean this part, but 180 grit sandpaper or emery cloth will give the same results if you don't have access to a hone. I also did the lower rear mount pieces at this time by clamping them in the vice and agian used the hone.
Seventh, I removed the rust on the control arm where the rear mount that I pulled off was. I used a 90* air grinder with a brown scotchbrite, sandpaper/emery cloth will work.
Eigth, I went back to the car to clean the rust off of the body half of the rear bushing mounts and the sides of the subframe where the front bushings sits. Once these parts are clean lube them with the supplied lube, or clear brake silicone.
Ninth, I started to install the bushings into the control arm. Before installing I lubed the inner metal sleeves, the front control arm sleeves, the rear of the control arm, and the inside and out of all the bushings wherever they touch metal with the supplied silicone. This required no pressing at all as all the bushings and sleeves slid right in nice and snug. I installed the rear bushings with the tapered side aiming towards the front of the control arm.
Tenth, with all bushings lubed and installed, and parts of the car lubed, I bolted everything back into the car. I started by sliding the bolts back through the front bushings and then bolting in the rear bushings. If the bolts will not pass through the front bushing and through the frame, take them to a grinder and taper just the very tip to a point so they will guide themselves through. Install the end links and re-nut the ball joints. Triple check all the nuts and bolts for tightness. Re-install the wheels and test drive.
1G Front Control Arm Bushing Replacement
