I'm looking to change my old worn out rubber bushings for some polyurethane bushings to stiffen up my front suspension. My question is how to go about changing the lower control arm bushings? Do I need to remove the arm to gain access or is there another way?
Front A-arm bushings
- Thread starter Buick8688
- Start date
hello people; I do believe the A-arm has to be taken out and the bushing pressed out. I just had a upper A-arm bush done and that's what the shop said he had to do.
I've never had urethane A-arm bush before but you might want to reconsider them on a street car. I would just go with the stock bush in the A-arm and go with urethane in the sway bar.
IBBY
I've never had urethane A-arm bush before but you might want to reconsider them on a street car. I would just go with the stock bush in the A-arm and go with urethane in the sway bar.
IBBY
gunslinger
Member
- Joined
- Nov 21, 2005
The control arms need to be removed to replace the bushings.
Red Regal T
Senior Member
- Joined
- May 24, 2001
My opinion is poly bushings, though somewhat more stable, will not affect anything adversely. I don't remember ever saying to myself after installing poly anything, "gee, I wish I would have went with the softer stuff". I find warnings against using poly bushings in place of the original style rubber ones, though made in good faith, are overrated.
I always hear that poly bushings squeak alot, no matter what. other than that they improve handling (whether its noticeable or not in the real world. idk) and resist cracking, deterioration, and are not as sensitive to fuel and grease damage.
BUT, I've read that MOOG's Problem Solver bushings do all that, but don't squeak because they are made from thermoplastic. If I had it to do again, I'd use the MOOG parts. and I think they cost less
BUT, I've read that MOOG's Problem Solver bushings do all that, but don't squeak because they are made from thermoplastic. If I had it to do again, I'd use the MOOG parts. and I think they cost less
hello people; I say keep stock in the control arm not from experience but from my mods that would increase the ride quality even more. Not in a good way. My car rides hard and it's alright and that's with basic stuff. I don't know for sure what it would do but any stiffer I'd be riding on a hard tail. If there are experienced people out there who have done it speak up.
I have urethane sway bar and end links. Bilsteins,body and frame braces, new body bushings(this year) big rear sway bar, hotchkis rear lower control arms, and the 16 x 8 rims that I believe harshes the ride. I forget for sure what the springs are but the springs have been upgraded also.
good luck and do tell what you do
IBBY
Red Regal T
Senior Member
- Joined
- May 24, 2001
I've yet to find any changes I've made to polyurethane bushings where I felt more than a slight difference over the worn out parts. I'm only relating my experience and your experience puzzles me. I would never replace worn out bushings with inferior rubber bushings. Don't forget, buy a regular Regal NA six and they come with the same bushings as a Turbo Regal, because that was the most inexpensive way for the factory to go. I remember I put poly body bushings throughout my Red T ignoring similar warnings. I felt only a slight improvement in stability. Now, this isn't bushings, but I just installed those shocks with the helper springs on them all the way around on my GN and the car just feels a touch more stable than the five year old KYBs they replaced. I just can't get a hard ride. 
just an oppinion here, but i did the poly ones in my gn, no squeeks, def improved handling.....but a well know fact they do bind....i just removed the springs out of the gn and def notioce the bind when just moving the control arms up and down with no load on them.....that being said, i did delrin or nylon (i forget which they were) bushings for the lowers in my ttype suspension....the upper arms are spc and have bearings...gonna do a full write up in a few days hopefully......anyway, they have little to no deflection are greasable and allow full travel with no bind....i got them from affco .......heres a tip....when pressing the bushings in use a spacer in between the front and back tabs of each bushing hole to keep them from deforming and to keep them straight to make it easier going in....just some of my experience....joel
mikestertwo
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Sep 13, 2006
If this is a street car go with the Moog problem solver bushings. My son went the poly bushing route and regretted it. Replaced them with Moog problem solver bushings and never looked back.
gpadilla1071
Member
- Joined
- Jul 30, 2007
I'm about to the same thing with my car. Is that something you can get at the local parts store? or do you have to special order online?
mikestertwo
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Sep 13, 2006
If your talking about the Moog bushings you can get them at the local parts store. I ordered mine from Rock Auto online.
gpadilla1071
Member
- Joined
- Jul 30, 2007
If your talking about the Moog bushings you can get them at the local parts store. I ordered mine from Rock Auto online.
I'll check with advance auto. Thanks!
just from my experience and research if you're worried about a harsh ride, stay away from a bushing that binds.....poly bushings bind with very little give....they are a hard material,where as rubber will also bind, the difference being rubber does have some give in it.....so from a handling perspective,the poly will be sturdier in the corners but will bind on bumps not allowing the suspension to travel fully and not allowing the shocks to absorbs them....rubber will ride better but you give up some handling......this is why i went with the solid nylon greasable bushings.....full suspention travel with no bind allowing the shocks to do their job and also have a good resistance to heat....some say you get more road noise with them, to be honest i haven't driven the car yet to give an objective point of view here....but i do have a few friends running rodends that say they noticed no difference,and these wont be as hard as those....we'll see.....please if i'm wrong here correct me....thanks,joel
83hurstguy
Member
- Joined
- Sep 18, 2005
poly works great in compression applications, and not as well in rotation applications.
I'd go with either rubber or delrin's in the front arms. I have SPC uppers with steel bushings and Del-a-lums in the lowers. Car rides great.
I'd go with either rubber or delrin's in the front arms. I have SPC uppers with steel bushings and Del-a-lums in the lowers. Car rides great.
If you want a nice set of front control arms that have polly bushings installed in them already, ask TurboNut85 when he will have his out. His arms are powdercoated and have new ball joints in them already.
Keiths going with Moog Problem Solvers becuase he doesnt like the polly's.
Keiths going with Moog Problem Solvers becuase he doesnt like the polly's.
83hurstguy
Member
- Joined
- Sep 18, 2005
Specialty Products Company... they make the arms for SC&C kits...
Savitske Classic & Custom
Savitske Classic & Custom - SPC Tubular Lower Control Arms
Let me first say that I am anti-polly bushings so your not going to get a sales pitch from me. i think polly bushings are a commercialized product that everybody wants becasue it sounds cool to say and they read the ads in their Hot Rod magazine. I would only replace my bushings with Moog problem solvers for a normal use vehicle. The newer polly bushings have adapted anti-sqeek materials int their bushings so they dont start squaking nearly as soon as they used to. BUT....they still dry out prematurely as compared to the newer high durameter rubber bushings.
Keiths car has a welded frame, complete polly bushing kit every freakin where and the car rides as stiff as a board. We need to soften it up and p[lan to do so by using Moogs.
I'll make this point clear, if you already have polly bushings or can get a good deal on some arms that already have them installed and yours are toast, fine, use them. As long as you grease them regularly with the correct polly based grease, they will last for quite some time.
