Swapping Out All 4 Rear Control Arms, Questions

MileHighDart · Sep 19, 2012

Hey guys, I just need a litte advise from someone who's done this.

I'm pulling the rear control arms to install new bushings. So far I have the car up on 4 jack stands, removed the wheels, the swaybar, and the quad shocks. And probably one of the hardest parts of this, I have gotten all the crusty old bolts broken loose so everything is ready to come apart.

So just wondering whats the best way to go about this, like should I do them one at a time starting with the uppers, or what. I know I dont want to have all of them off at once. Any tips ? Will three control arms keep the rear under control while I change them out one at a time ?

Thanks
p.s. The car is a 90 LX 5.0 notch

gearheadboy · Sep 19, 2012

Are you doing the bushings in the housing on top? You will need a tool. If the car is supported on the jack stands, you just put a jack under the rear axle and jack it up enough to take the load off it maybe 4-5 inches. Take the top ones off one at a time and replace them. Or both at once. Then let the rear hang low and with the shocks unhooked you can pull both coil springs out by hand probably. Then replace one lower at a time. Install the springs, jack it up some and install the shocks. The reason I said to do the top first is so you can put them back on and it will help you maintain some control of where the rear end is rather than having a totally unconnected rear end to wrestle by yourself. Be careful not to let the rear hang to low and pull on the brake hose. Its kinda a matter of preference which order you do things. I just had mine out and this was kinda how I did it.

gearheadboy · Sep 19, 2012

And I found it easier on the drivers side to take the the two 10 mm exhaust hanger bolts out at the rear of the muffler to get the top bolt out. Oh and don't fully tighten any of the control arms until you have the rear jacked back to ride height. Keeps the bushings from twisting and stressing them.

MileHighDart · Sep 19, 2012

Thanks Gearheadboy,, thats basically the was I was going to do it, just wanted to make sure I was on the right track.
And, yes Iwill be replacing the bushings in the rearend housing as well. I'm going to see if the parts store has something in their rent a tool program that might work so I dont have to buy the tool.
I'll keep ya posted of my progress

MFE92 · Sep 19, 2012

Take 10 minutes to take the springs out of it by undoing the shocks and jacking one end of the axle as high as you can, plucking the spring out of the other side, then switching the jack to the other side and removing the other spring. Changing the control arms is literally infinitely easier without fighting the axle being torqued around by the springs.

phatboy5015 · Sep 20, 2012

MFE92 said:
Take 10 minutes to take the springs out of it by undoing the shocks and jacking one end of the axle as high as you can, plucking the spring out of the other side, then switching the jack to the other side and removing the other spring. Changing the control arms is literally infinitely easier without fighting the axle being torqued around by the springs.

I might have try this.. Cause every time I mess with stuff in the rear, I DREAD having to put the LCA bolt back in.. LOL

MFE92 · Sep 20, 2012

You also have to undo the swaybar and the quads, but he's already done that so I didn't mention it.

phatboy5015 · Sep 20, 2012

MFE92 said:
You also have to undo the swaybar and the quads, but he's already done that so I didn't mention it.

Yeah, I always do that.

MFE92 · Sep 20, 2012

Just to be clear, I meant that has to be done just to get the springs out, not just the control arms.

Fabbed4d88 · Sep 20, 2012

To get the old bushings out of the housing get a drill and go ape $..t around the center piece...think I used a 3/8 bit to eat up the old rubber. If you dont want to buy the tool to press the new one in get yourself a long bolt with some thick washers about the size of the bushing and a socket that fits around the new bushing and start cranking.

gearheadboy · Sep 20, 2012

I let my rear down slow on a jack and reach up and pull the springs right out while its center supported. Never had to monkey around with jacking up one end.

MFE92 · Sep 20, 2012

Must have been lowering springs or you did you notice that the center rear brake line pulled right out of its mount.

gearheadboy · Sep 20, 2012

Currently car has adjustable perches, however I've done this several times to add lowering springs on foxes without any issue. I warned him not to drop it far enough to stress the brake hose. Now they don't FALL out, but you can remove them without tools. Just a squeeze by hand or pull on um hard. Lowering springs WILL fall out.

MileHighDart · Sep 21, 2012

Well, its all finished. Had to go out and buy an 18mm socket and wrench. Never fugured it would be metric.
Anyway, it went pretty well. I did the jack up one side and remove the opposite spring trick, worked perfectly. Also used a trick I saw on utube for getting the old bushing out of the control arms, just heated the outer shell of the bushing till the rubber is smoking good, and then just push the bushing out with a hammer handle.,, Cleaned up any left over rubber inside with stiff wire brush. The Energy Suspension poly bushing slid right in after applying a little of the lube.
So I ended up not changing out the bushings in the rear end housing. I took the time to make myself a removal tool, but didnt use a big enought piece of all-thread, cause I twisted it off trying to remove one of the bushings, and it never moved. So, since those bushings looked really good anyway, I just decided to leave them .
So I have new rubbers in the upper chassis end, and new poly in both ends of the lower. I also ordered new poly spring insolators cause the originals looked pretty bad.
Took it for a nice drive after I finished today, and I must say it feels much better. Before there were times when the rear of the car would wobble back and forth, like a dog waggin its tail. It does not do this now,, car just feels much tighter, firmer, and more under control. The rear felt really sloppy before.
Heres a couple pics just for the heck of it.

tca7291 · Sep 21, 2012

Love the mount on the front of your garage!

gearheadboy · Sep 22, 2012

I thought you were replacing the arms, not just the bushings. My bad. Good work, nobody does that anymore!

MileHighDart · Sep 22, 2012

tca7291,,, Thanks, wish I could say I scored the elk that those antlers came from, but the truth is, a neighbor gave us those several years ago. Least I could do is display them properly for him..

gearheadboy, I was originally thinking of swapping in new aftermarket control arms, but it seems all the aftermarket arms come with poly bushing for both upper and lower. I was wanting to stay with rubber on the uppers, and I was trying to save a few bucks too. Thats why I did just the bushings.

thanks for the tips all,

Swapping Out All 4 Rear Control Arms, Questions

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