Bushings or Arms. The Simplest Jobs made Complex

SpeedRacerX

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 20, 2014
So I had some work done to my car this week. Small stuff... rear shock tower brace, rear connecting braces and some other misc stuff.

I gave my mechanic a set of Moog problem solver bushings to install in my factory front upper a arms because my original bushings are shot.

His suggestion to save labor time and money is to replace the whole arm which will already have the bushings installed. Ball joints too.

I have two concerns with this. One, I don't want the front end to rise or lower. I want the height to remain so the parts he gets from his local warehouse (Dorman? Moog???) better match OEM exactly. I've read how aftermarket arms, ball joints, etc can really affect things up front. Two, I never really wanted to get rid of the factory OE parts.

Anyway, what are my options to keep the front height the same?

Just ask him to press in the bushings in the factory arms?
Order arms myself all complete like what gbody and others sell?
Go tubular while I'm at it?
Let him order whatever it is mechanics get locally? What am I getting Rock Auto parts?

Thoughts?


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I vote for keeping stock arms & replace bushings. You never know for sure if the after market replicated the part correctly. One less variable.
 
Unless they are rusty and falling apart. I would rebuild them. I bead blasted mine and installed moog bushings and ball joints. I'm cheap though.. I didn't even get it aligned after.
 
Moog replacement upper arms are about $100 each from rockauto.com. Dorman brand is about half the price of the Moog. I find it hard to believe that pressing in 4 bushings is going to be more expensive than $100. Maybe I don't know the market rate for pressing in a bushings.

Replacing you front upper arms will not effect ride height.
 
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