bushings..big job???

[johnnya]

how big of a job is it to change the trailing arm bushing and front control arm bushing on the TI? I redoing the whole suspension so I should do the bushing at the same time

[bullmand]

The control arm bushing can be a pain. It's fairly difficult to get the old bushing out of the steel "lollipop" and then you have to press the new one in. We had to use an air chisel to get the old one out. If you don't have access to good tools and a place to work, might want to consider the Tree House Racing control arm bushings, or buy new lollipops and have the new busings pressed in at a shop. Then it's just a matter of swapping the old for the new. FYI, the Powerflex control arm bushing doesn't have the metal ring around the outside and can be squeezed into the lollipop with a vise and a little soapy water.

[CirrusSR22]

Trailing arm bushings are a pretty big job. Thankfully you don't have to remove the rear subframe as each control arm can come out seperately. Here's pictures to my suspension install. I removed the trailing arms and replaced the bushings. You can kind of see what's involved.
http://318ti.org/forum/showthread.php?t=9861

[mohaughn]

For the fronts I'd go with cirrus and either get the treehouse racing eyeballs arms, what I have, or buy your LCABs already pressed into the lollipops. You'll end up with an extra set of the bushing holders, but that not big deal and the extra cost easily offsets the cost of going to a shop and having the new ones pressed in.

The rears are a big job... Unless you can have one other person around to help you work on it for about 8 hours or so I would not try it alone. I ended up paying a shop with a lift to do my rear bushings.

If you are going to do the rear trailing arms bushings and the rear subframe bushings are stock, replace those as well.

[CirrusSR22]

Originally Posted by mohaughn

If you are going to do the rear trailing arms bushings and the rear subframe bushings are stock, replace those as well.

Absolutely. The trailing arm bushings are the easiest IMO. The little tool I made in my write-up made the job easy. That plus some heat from a torch.

I did the control arm bushings without a press. I used a saw, hammer, and chisel to get them out of the lollipop. To get them into the lollipop, I found a piece of pipe that was just slightly bigger than the bushing (the same I.D. as the lollipop) and just beat them into the lollipop with a large hammer. It worked quite well.

Now the subframe bushings.... I think I'd buy or rent to proper tool next time. I had a hell of a time getting my old ones out. I cut, hammered, pounded, drilled and cussed them out. Horrible job. I didn't use any heat when I did them, which I think would have helped immensly. I replaced them with urethane pieces, so installation was a snap. Just a few whacks with a mallet and they're in.

So yeah, if you're gonna do either the semi-trailing arm bushings, or the rear subframe bushings, just do both at once.