My gut tells me this question has come up before, as have many others I've asked, but how does one replace the bushings in the front & rear control arms ? I also checked the tech articles here first & nothing was mentioned. This info/process also seems to have been omitted from the factory manuals, I looked. They tell how to remove the arms, brakes, bearings, shocks, etc... but not the actual bushings. Help!

get a mapp or propane torch and burn them out. Better to just get them starting to smoke and then you can use a big screwdriver to help twist them out. If you totally burn them apart it is hard to get out of the control arms, so go easy at first.

If you are thinking about doing the poly bushings, I wouldn't do that unless your bearings are totally and I mean totally shot. Those suck, even if you fit them - you'll get about 1k miles before they start squeaking badly.

that's because the original bushings were never meant to be replaced.
the factory solution was to sell you a new A-arm/trailing arm.

the stock bushings are "vulcanized" to the arms. only way to get them out is to cut them up or burn them off.

there is *NO* rubber replacement available ...
Andy

Ya I am thinking poly, although my bearings are fine. Have to take the arms out to clean them up for showing & I thought it best to replace 33yr old rubber while it's apart. I'll let you know how long lithium lasts before they squeek. Burn out the fronts & the rears? Stinky, sooty & very messy. I did that to my truck during it's resto. Best to do outside. Feel stupid now for asking but I just don't associate GMC methods of assembly w/ Porsches' . Thanks.

I knew it! Disposable suspension. Did not know OEM replacements did not exist. Thanks Andy.

If they are fine, what are you hoping to gain? If it ain't broke, don't fix it. I don't understand taking out perfectly good rubber, to put in sqeaky poly, just because...

Seems like a step backwards to me.

But if you are set on doing it, use a propane/MAPP torch to heat up the metal. Once they are good and warm (they usually start to smoke slightly) you can use a large screwdriver through one of the mounting holes to twist and pull the end caps off. It's not hard, and doesn't make a stinky mess. Don't bother trying to specifically burn the rubber. Just focus on the metal.

I'd rather not but I just can't stand doing something twice. Do you think I should just clean up the arms & leave the bushings alone, even though they're 33yrs old? Sure as kimshi be a lot easier to do that instead, but how much life is left in that old rubber?

Take this into consideration, nearly everyone else on this board is running 'old' rubber.

Checking the rears carefully is a good idea. I've heard of those disintegrating, but I would still never replace them 'just because'. If you want to replace them, get bronze replacements or roller bearing replacements (coming back soon). These two options offer a viable upgrade that is worth doing, with the roller bearings being the best option.

Then don't mess with them. I measure tops and bottoms of the bushings. If they're close I'd leave them in. You'll never get that ride back (especially for the LE) without buying new.

If you do decide to do this, Travis is correct "but" burning them out is a bit of a misnomer. You're basically heating up the outer surface of the rubber (by applying heat to the metal cover) just enough so the cover slips off. Again, as Travis mentioned, I've found that when you see a wisp of smoke, you can usually turn the outer cover (on the fronts).

For the rears I use a press to press the rod through one bushing. I also use heat on the rod and it goes like a hot knife in butter. Then I take a big screwdriver and pry the bushing out. Next, flip the control arm over and press the rod back down and then through the remaining bushing... again, heat the rod and it will slip through. Pry out the remaining bushing.

Try this link... http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?showtopic=12139

What do you guys think of these? I was going to put these in my car up front and in the back. Low-Friction control Arm Mounts Trick bushings. Not cheap!

Bob

http://www.elephantracing.com/suspension/b...914bushings.htm

Eric,

You got on as I was putting this up. What do you think?

Bob

This car is nothing but pure worry. The reason I have an east coast 914 w/ no rust is because she has spent 29 of her 33yrs inside & was taken off the road as a daily driver only after 4 years. During those 4 years she amazingly did not rust because some jackass redneck at the dealer decided he was really going to undercoat this car & man it's on everything. The exhaust & heating did rust out & that pissed the old man off & he parked it & started buying parts. 20 yrs later he passed away, never having got to the garage queen. I, along w/ lots of Georges' help (AA), got her back on the road after a 23 yr slumber. I had no idea what she had become or what her real historical significance was @ the time. I told George I wanted to put a six in her & he said I was full of kimshi. And so the originality monster reared it's damned ugly head .

Anyway to make a long story short I landed extra front control arms on eBay for $40.00 including shipping. I just cooked one of those w/ a torch & used a big honkin screwdriver, as suggested , & had no trouble at all. The urethane bushings all look alike but are not- there are fronts & rears & you have to read the part number to tell.

I bought them for the six, one is slightly bent on her now, was going to clean them up & just swap em out onto the LE & use hers later on the six but after all the uproar I'm going to try & just clean & re-shoot them black, in place. That means lots of PITA taping & masking. Have not got to the rears yet, completely covered in undercoating- even the damned braket on the outside. All the brakes are on their way to Es' for reconditioning. Rear sway bar, frikin easy, is done & looks new. I just wish I could drive her now, w/out all that unsprung wheel weight. Have to do something like that out @ Bonneville .

Do the bushings now.

I made the mistake of waiting until my left side trailing arm bushings went to shit. Car slid around like someone was deflecting my rear left weel a ton. Oh, it was...

Burn the old rubber out how you like. I kept the torch on the rubber and kept poking/prodding with a flathead screwdriver until things were completely burned off. Fire = pretty. After such I used a small cylinder hone, cleaned up the inside of the arms a little and put new poly-graphite bushings in. Liberally apply silicon grease. I also grooved the bushings a bit to hold some of the grease. I would reccommend the elephant racing bushings, though. Well worth it and they have zerg fittings to re-lube every so often.

Bob... I think those are great for your car or for Al's -6.

In no way would I change out the bushings on the LE if it's only been driven 4 years. Al, just yank the parts and clean everything up. The undercoating may be a blessing, preserving the original paint all those years. If you're planning on showing the car etc... keep the bushings. Elephants on a CW car would be a deduction.

I agree E & am just floored by the clean up job I'm facing. I guess I'm gonna try & kick some ass in the restoration (full not touring) class next year in Charolette. Don't think I qualify for preservation class anymore, but I could fake it ! I'm taking as many "easy" things apart, scraping & disolving the tar off & re-shooting black where appropriate. Not a rust job but just as dirty. Somehow I have to wash the underside while apart so I can reshoot some more undercoating in areas where it's flaked off. I'm not taking it off & making the underside white... I'll never drive the car again !