Upper & lower control arms

[Peuty]

Took the car for a wheel alignment today, they told me that they wouldn't do one as the upper and lower control arm bushes were on their way out. Was quoted $660 to replace them with superpro items. Does this sound right? Who has had to change these bushes before?

[GreenMachine]

Bushes themselves are about $260 from Fulcrum. We can (probably) do them ourselves - I certainly hope so, given that I'm doing the same thing to my Falcon on Sunday...

[BillC]

I have done the upper control arm bushes and they are quite easy. Have not done lower control arm bushes.

Upper ones take about an hour each side once you know what you are doing and its quite an easy job. I got rubber bushes from Pedders but I would not recommend them as they only lasted abot 30,000 Ks

[Peuty]

Mmm that was going to be my next question Nick, how bad are yours? You doing lowers as well?

Thanks BillC, was wondering if the rubber equiv would the the go, but for 30K worth of driving, polyurethane seems the smarter choice.

[GreenMachine]

I'm going to do all the front end rubbers. I've got a death-rattle in the front that's either a ball-joint or a broken swaybar link or something. I'll do everything while the front end is off.

[Peuty]

I'd come give you a hand, but alas, I am working all weekend...fail.

[svo supporter]

To do the UCA bushes shouldn't take more than half hour. You've only got 2 17 MM nuts and bolts per side to remove them from the bushes. The old ones will fall out and new ones will go in easily. Plenty of grease and bingo.

Worst case scenario to remove the UCA, is to undo the top ball joint. 1 18MM nut and a hammer, then attack the nuts and bolts I've mentioned about

[AuV8Fairlane]

Hey guys, was just talking about this in the S1 Fairlane Suspension thread http://www.fordforums.com.au/showthread.php?t=11279794 yesterday. I did the entire suspension on my Fairlane not too long ago. As Svo Supporter says the upper control arms are quite easy. To do the job properly undo the 18mm nut on the upper ball joint then undo the 2 17mm bolts and nuts holding the upper arm in. Now you should have the arm out. If the old rubber bush is still in one piece not coming out easily a good way to get it out is to find a bolt (not the one's from the car!) that fits in the steel sleeve inside the bush and hammer it through taking care not to hit the upper arm. This will push the bush out easily. Once thats out you'll more than likely find bits of rubber still stuck inside the arm tube that held the bush. Give it a good clean and if you get superpro or nolathane you'll find the new bush comes in 2 halves and you just slide then in from each end. With nolathane you only grease inside the new bushes where the steel inner tube slides in and the end faces which meet the arm retainer on the car, then push in the steel inner tube and put the arm back in the car.

Now the lower control arms are a different story there are 2 bushes here, the inner front and inner rear. You cannot get these out unless you a) have a fairly large press or b) soak them in say wd40 and bash them to bits even then its a hard task as the bushes have a steel outer shell that has the bush bonded to it. This outer shell is the problem as it is a really tight (interference) fit not to mention the added rust. Ford apparently use use a press with a special holding jig made up on these. Once out clean inside the tube on the lower arm and press in the new bush. You will need a press and adapter (steel tube wide enough to sit on the steel lip of the new bush) to do this or you will mash your new bush. Also keep in mind the inner front (bigger) one has to be lined up before being pressed in as it has a offset centre.

Sorry about the long post but i hope this helps. Matt.

[sly]

I may be wrong here but I have a vague memory that to get the LCA's out you have to back off the subframe nuts a fair way to lower the subframe for clearance to remove the LCA's.

I got some 300,000 k's from the original bushes and only changed them because I had the suspension off to fit BA brakes (to my Series 1). Ball joints and swaybar D bushes OTOH are almost consumables, they give out so frequently. Best to change these as well while it's in pieces.

[rag top]

Peuty, price the full front end kit;
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Ford-Falcon-A...item414a6e8b93

If the upper control arm bushes are shagged, what other bushes also need replacing??